Attorney at Law Magazine First Coast Publisher Tom Brady sat down with Elliot Mintzer of My Sky to discuss his passion for flying, and the future of the industry.
AALM: Tell us what first drew you to flight.
EM: My favorite TV show was “Wings.” I wanted to be Joe Hackett.
AALM: Tell us what compelled you to start your own company.
EM: After I learned how to fly, clients started asking me to fly them places and in order to do that I needed to have a commercial pilots certificate and a FAA Charter Certificate … so I set out to do just that.
AALM: How is your company different from its competitors?
EM: We are a local, personal air charter company. Our philosophy is about the dream of flying private, helping people save time (which is in my opinion the most valuable commodity we have), transparent pricing, attention to detail on each flight.
AALM: How would you describe the culture at your company?
EM: Our culture is first and foremost about safety and then fun. We will always do the right thing, even if it costs us money to do it. The team? The team is made up of pilots that love to fly and enjoy being around people. Our in house staff really enjoys trip planning and seeing that clients have an amazing experience.
AALM: Tell us about one of the most important lessons you learned from a personal or professional mentor.
EM: My father always taught me to follow the dream and money will come. Couldn’t have been more true. People want to be around excitement, passion and others that just love what they do.
AALM: How has your field evolved since you first entered it? What’s the biggest positive and negative change?
EM: Technology has really changed the space. Biggest positive is the access people now have to private air travel. Biggest negative, there are so many entering the operation and sales side that not all have the same vision as we do.
AALM: What do you think is the most pressing concern for attorneys when it comes to private travel?
EM: From a representation perspective, understanding all that aviation encompasses. FAA regulations, DOT and IRS guidelines can be overwhelming. From a business use perspective, really seeing how private aircraft can help save time on case work.
AALM: What changes do you see on the horizon for your field? How are you and your company preparing to stay ahead of the curve?
EM: Mergers and acquisitions as well as industry consolidation. We’re staying ahead by staying true to what we do best. Being laser focused on one thing and doing that extremely well.
AALM: What do you most enjoy about working with lawyers?
EM: Well….that is a loaded question. Honestly, seeing them argue a case to defend what is right. The research to oppose the wrong and then the results after they smack down the other side.
AALM: What is one of the biggest challenges you face in your industry? How do you overcome it?
EM: Over regulation by government agencies and operators not following the regulations. We overcome by doing the right things … educating the traveling public on staying safe and utilization of legal charter operators.
AALM: Tell us about your ambitions for your career.
EM: Currently to help others be as successful as this aviation opportunity has allowed for me to be. I’ll be doing this until it is time to stay on the ground! We will continue to grow this company as long as the market warrants the growth, absolutely that will happen.
