Charlie Smith landed with his family at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport about a decade ago and soon owned a flight school.
“It was one of those things I never set out to do … it just kind of happened,” says Smith, CEO of Pilotsmith Flight Academy.
When he flew his family to Green Bay, Smith was a hobby pilot with an instrument rating. He found the airport welcoming and got a hangar, while also continuing to train. He became a flight instructor and was approached about purchasing the flight training school at GRB from Jet Air Group, a fixed base operator that still services the airport.
“I took over the flight school and it just kept growing and growing and growing,” says Smith, whose experience includes owning a computer store when he was a teen and working through the dotcom boom and bust.
Today, more than 70% of the flight operations at Austin Straubel are generated by Pilotsmith flight school, which also offers training in Appleton and Milwaukee. It accounts for more than 24,000 takeoffs and landings in Green Bay each year.
“The presence of Pilotsmith Flight Academy at GRB is an important asset to the airport and the region,” said Marty Piette, GRB airport director. “Their aircraft are in the air every day, providing invaluable training for the next generation of pilots while contributing to the overall activity and vitality of the airport.”
Pilotsmith offers a range of training, from discovery flights and private pilot certificates to commercial ratings, certified flight instructor programs and airline career preparation.
The business trains more than 400 students annually, with enrollment increasing about 5% each year. Smith plans to continue growing, and the school recently accepted its first M-1 Visa student. Under M-1, students can receive vocational training in the United States.
“This is big for us and the Green Bay area,” Smith says. “We’re trying to bring students from other countries that spend lots of money here. It’s not just recycling funds that are from the area; it’s bringing in new funds from outside the area.”
In particular, Smith says, they are seeking students from countries where the weather is similar to Wisconsin.
“We’re trying to make this a destination for training and trying to educate people that they don’t have to go down to Florida or Arizona or a place like that to do flight training,” Smith says.
Pilotsmith also recently partnered with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to offer free prep classes for the private pilot written test.
“We’re creating jobs that weren’t here before,” says Smith, whose company employs 30.
Smith’s passion for flying continues to motivate and inspire him. He will fly to Madison or another airport from time to time for lunch and to get in the air.
“It’s the best office in the world, man,” he says. “I just love sharing it with other people.”
