Industry Magazine Desert Jet Oasis Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 7

THE year 2017 marks a momentous year for Desert Jet
as we are celebrating our tenth year of being in business!
As we commemorate this milestone, we have done a
lot of reflection on where we came from, what we’ve
accomplished, and where we are going next. Our founder
and CEO Denise Wilson shares the story of Desert Jet’s
humble beginnings and why she started the company.
growing, privately owned companies for five years in a row.
That was really a big deal and a great validation that our
business model was working for our clients.
We were on the 2015 list of the 50 fastest-growing
women-owned companies worldwide, a list sponsored by
American Express. This one was personally important to
me as there are very few women in our industry. Only six
percent of all pilots are women, and even fewer (if any)
have founded their own business in aviation in areas such
as maintenance, FBO operations, and charter management.
Denise, How Did You Come To Start Desert Jet?
In 2006, I moved to the desert to take a position as a pilot
for a private company. As I was introduced to various people
who used private aviation, I was asked if I could assist with
buying and selling aircraft on their behalf. There are many
traps for the uninitiated in buying an aircraft, and I helped
several [people] make the right decisions and avoid some
major issues.
As I helped deliver these new aircraft, the buyers
needed support with the ongoing management of their
aircraft. I helped them hire the right pilots, ensured the
pilots were trained to the highest standards, and directed
their aircraft’s maintenance events. I was able to save
hundreds of thousands of dollars for these clients. From
these experiences, I realized I could bring much more value
to people than just flying their aircraft for them. As these
aircraft owners started feeling the pinch of the recession,
I helped their aircraft ownership continue to make sense
for them by chartering their aircraft, which earned them
revenue that offset almost all of their ownership costs.
How Has Desert Jet Made An Impact In The
Community?
We’ve always been committed to giving back to the
community. We are a big supporter of Angel Flight West,
an organization that provides free flights for children and
adults with serious health issues. And we do pet rescues
each year as well. We donate flights on our jets to various
organizations that then offer the flight as a fundraising
item.
We offer the highest paying jobs in the east end of the
valley and offer career paths where a person can join
our company with absolutely no aviation experience and
participate in an apprenticeship that can lead to a position
paying six figures.
We host several college students each summer in paid
internships to help them experience the business side
of aviation. And we offer several scholarships each year.
This year we are offering the John J. Benoit Memorial
scholarship to local high school students in our co unty to
honor the recently deceased county supervisor who was so
supportive of the development of Desert Jet Center.
How Did You Get The Funding To Start Desert Jet?
Well actually, I started very organically. We were a
bootstrapped company from the very beginning, with
no investors or bank debt of any kind. People always
ask me how I did it. I would sell a charter, and then I would
personally go fly it in our one jet. In the evenings, I would do
the accounting and the marketing. I did this every day until
we finally hired our first employee. Today, we have over fifty
employees and have three businesses: the charter company;
the maintenance company, Desert Jet Maintenance; and
now the FBO, Desert Jet Center.
Do You Still Fly Airplanes?
I do! Although, not as much as I used to. I am a Captain on
the Challenger 300 and fly it occasionally, primarily for the
owners of the aircraft who I enjoy flying for immensely. I do
more flying recreationally these days (in our Cirrus) than I
do for the company.
What’s Next For Desert Jet?
What Are Some Of The Company’s
Accomplishments Made Over The Last Ten
Years That You Are Most Proud Of?
Our biggest goal right now is to finish the construction of
our new facility. We have been working on this plan for many
years, and it will just feel good to have this accomplished.
We are also working to expand our jet maintenance and
aircraft detailing businesses this year. Lastly, I am looking
forward to continuing to add people to our team that live
our values and create a “WOW” experience for all of our
customers. With the right team in place, I see a bright future
of possibilities ahead for Desert Jet.
I am probably the most proud of the team I have put
together. I have recruited team members from all across the
United States to join us here in the desert to grow Desert
Jet into a company we are all very proud to be a part of.
Some of our accomplishments include our safety
standards. Very early on, we achieved some important
safety certifications that most operators just can’t meet.
We were also on the Inc. 500 list of the nation’s fastest
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