Future-Proofing Your Flight Department: Lessons from aviation leaders

Image from left to right: Jennifer E. Pickerel; Bill Riter, CAM; Dean Walters, CAM; Jamie Ingall, CAM; Elliott Taub, CAMA chief pilot once told me about the day his company sold both jets and shut the hangar doors. The aircraft were gone within weeks. The team—some of whom had flown together for decades—scattered to new jobs. "We didn't see it coming," he said. "One day, we were essential. The next, we were expendable." That story isn't rare. Across business aviation, long-established departments are under pressure. Travel budgets are shrinking. Executives are questioning ROI. Public optics aren't always supportive. Outside providers promise lower costs and greater efficiency. But flight departments rarely close because of one bad decision. They close when leaders stop communicating and demonstrating their value, and silence starts speaking louder than results. During NBAA-BACE, I had the privilege of co-hosting a session with Dean Walters, CAM, titled Future-Proofing the Flight Department. The session was part of an effort led by Julie Goodridge, chair of NBAA's Business Aviation Management Committee. Together, we explored why some departments are closing—and how strong leadership can help prevent it. "No one's going to advocate for your department better than you," said panelist Jamie Ingall, CAM, who leads a small corporate flight department. "If you don't define your value, someone else will—and you might not like their version." So how do you learn your value proposition and make sure your story is the one that gets told? Start with Why: Listen, Learn and Define Your Value Every strong leader should discover their company's "why," and it's not defined by the department but by the leadership team. Panelist Elliott Taub, CAM, VP of Aviation for a two-aircraft department, shared that his first step as a new director was to learn before leading. "One of the first things I did was a listening tour," he said. "I met with stakeholders who had access to the aircraft and learned the history of the department. The founder called it the time machine. That phrase still defines us. Aviation is about saving time to create opportunity." That sense of purpose is what defines value in business aviation. Panelist Bill Riter, CAM, Director of Aviation for a family-led food products company, shared a similar story. "When our second-generation leader started traveling more to see customers, he asked his father to buy an airplane," Riter said. "His father said, ‘No, that's a toy.' But that perspective changed after he missed a few meetings trying to fly from Florida to Buffalo. "He told his son, ‘Find me an airplane.' We bought a straight-wing Citation 500. Then, when we started getting bumped off the airlines, he said, ‘We need two airplanes.' He realized if we feel this way, our associates must feel it too." What began as a way to reach customers faster became a cornerstone of the company's growth. "We needed to get out there, get there fast and get back home," Riter said. "Face-to-face matters." Riter knows his department's value proposition isn't about airplanes; it's about enabling relationships and protecting time, the most valuable resource the company has.The Cost Conversation You Can't Avoid Few flight department leaders enjoy talking about cost. But cost isn't the enemy. Silence is. When leaders don't explain where the money goes—or what value it creates—Finance will fill in the blanks. Their job is to question what they can't see. And the best defense is clarity. For Taub, communicating value starts with alignment and transparency. "Understanding what stakeholders expect allows me to communicate that to our team and to leadership," he said. "Why Part 91? Because ultimate operational control is one of our differentiators." "We always evaluate trip risk," he said. "But we also need to assess outsourcing risk. What happens if we didn't exist? What would outsourcing look like? Where are we vulnerable? Where do we shine?" That kind of proactive thinking allows leaders to control the conversation instead of reacting to it. Taub added that visibility is part of that control. "You need to be present," he said. "I intentionally work from corporate headquarters on Fridays—the day senior leaders are there. Those hallway conversations build relationships that protect the department." And when it comes to influence, data wins. "Data resonates more than emotion," he said. "That's what leaders expect—it's how they manage every other business unit." Executives don't want cost—they want context. Instead of saying, "The trip cost $40,000," say, "The trip enabled five customer meetings in two days—four days faster than the airlines." That's not justification. It's education. And it reframes the conversation from why you exist to how you deliver value. Culture: Your Hidden Competitive Advantage "If cost isn't the reason departments close, culture might be," said Walters, opening one of the most honest parts of our discussion. When cost pressure mounts, culture becomes your defense mechanism. Departments with trust and morale can withstand scrutiny. Toxic ones can't. As I shared during the session, "We've seen leaders over-index on pleasing their principal to the point that they erode internal culture. Mismanagement catches attention too—and not in a good way." At API, we worked with one department where the director of maintenance flew on every trip. When asked why, the director said the principal required it. Through further investigation, the principal told us she had no idea why that was happening. That's what cultural erosion looks like—overextension disguised as dedication. Culture isn't soft. It's structural. It drives retention, performance, and reputation. And when HR or Finance hears your team is exhausted or disengaged, the message that reaches the C-suite isn't about workload—it's about risk. Riter shared how his team focuses on building culture through mentoring. "We've identified younger team members we want to make part of the solution," he said. "Give them tasks, let them make decisions, mentor them, and build on it now before it's too late." Ingall agreed. "Our generation wants to feel part of something we care about," she said. "If you involve people, if they see how their work connects to the mission, they'll invest. Infectious authenticity is the way to lead." And Taub reminded everyone to be honest in interviews. Don't let it be two liars talking. Tell candidates what your culture really is, and ask what they're looking for. Fixing culture starts with listening—not lecturing.Build Allies Before You Need Them If you're not always in the room where decisions happen, make sure someone who understands your value is. Your strongest allies live in HR, Finance, Legal and Communications. HR can translate your people story. Finance can vouch for fiscal discipline. Legal can reinforce compliance. Communications can shape your internal narrative before others do. As I often tell directors, "If you're not at the table, make sure your allies are." Joe Barber, an audience member, reminded attendees that sharing wins isn't bragging—it's essential. "There's a little bit of self-promotion you have to have," he said. "When you save $25,000, don't just consider it part of your job. Keep a record of those wins." Ingall agreed. "Write them down," she said. "When the time comes to show leadership, your value, you'll have the data to back it up." Business Acumen: The New License to Lead Flying safely is table stakes. And leading a department today means understanding the business behind it. I shared something that Jim Lara of Gray Stone Advisors often says: "You're not running a flight department. You're running a business unit that flies airplanes." Like it or not, business acumen is required for aviation leaders now. You've got to run your department like a general manager runs a business unit. That's why NBAA's Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) program matters—and why many directors pursue advanced business education like an MBA. Two audience members added context: Bas de Bruijn, MBA, Vice President of Aviation at Dell Technologies, described his own turning point. "Pilots often get promoted into director roles," he said. "They speak flight operations, not business. I did an MBA for that reason. My thesis on the ROI of business aviation became our value proposition, and it more than doubled our authorized user base." Mike Nichols, "The CAM credential covers the full landscape—finance, leadership, HR, operations and technical knowledge. It's what directors need to lead effectively." From ROI to Well-Being Bas de Bruijn's recent study, published in the Journal of Air Transport Management, reframes the concept of return on investment entirely. His research found that business aircraft reduce fatigue and work-family conflict while improving engagement and satisfaction. It moves ROI beyond "time saved" to "people valued." And that's a message every HR leader and CEO understands instinctively. The Takeaway Riter offered simple advice that captures the essence of leadership visibility: "I meet our chairman right at her car. I grab her bag, walk her upstairs and we chat. Those small moments matter." Walters closed our session with a thought every aviation leader should remember: "Departments don't survive just because they fly perfectly. They survive because they communicate perfectly." So be visible. Be data-driven. Focus on culture. Be a business GM. Develop your people. And keep telling the story of the value you deliver—every day, in every conversation. Next Steps: Let's Start Talking While we can't solve every challenge overnight, collaboration is key. To that end, the NBAA hosts a monthly call to help flight department leaders address these pressing issues. To request a meeting invite, please email Julie Goodridge. If you're a Part 91 leader, I encourage you to join us. Together, we can secure the future of flight departments and protect their value within corporate enterprises. Jennifer E. Pickerel is President of Aviation Personnel International, the longest-running business aviation recruitment and HR consulting firm. Active in aviation leadership groups, she frequently speaks and writes on hiring trends, culture, inclusion and employee retention.