A Lifetime of Leadership and Discovery

With decades of experience in sales, marketing, and organizational design, Mike now focuses on helping small airports maximize their economic impact.

Professional Journey

Dr. Mike Jones is a seasoned business leader whose career has been defined by a relentless pursuit of excellence. Before focusing his efforts on aviation consulting, he spent forty years in the business world. Starting in marketing with AT&T, he eventually grew a small industrial company in Connecticut from three employees to a global operation with offices in four countries and distributors in sixty.

A graduate of Grove City College and Columbia University, Mike eventually combined his business acumen with his lifelong passion for aviation. Establishing himself as a prominent leader in airport stewardship, he has served for eight years on the Moore County Airport Authority, including time as its chairman.

Embarking on what he calls his "third career," Mike returned to the classroom, completing his doctorate in business administration and advanced statistics at the University of Florida at age 72. His extensive 180-page dissertation focused on using publicly available data to understand and improve small airport governance. Today, he uses this research to consult with small airports across the country, helping them unlock their economic potential and operate more efficiently.

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The Pilot, The Scholar, The Advocate

A lifelong journey from the Air Force to the cockpit of a Cessna 210.

Meet the self-described "old guy in the sky". Dr. Mike Jones has spent a lifetime pushing boundaries in the aviation community. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he served as a Lieutenant and air traffic controller in Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Today, he is a 4,000-hour commercially rated pilot who has been exploring the skies for over thirty years.

Aviation has always been a way to give back for Mike. Over the years, he has flown more than 800 Young Eagle flights and over 100 Angel flights. He is also a well-known aviation writer, contributing more than 100 articles to journals like Cessna Pilots Magazine, General Aviation News, and Professional Pilot Magazine, all while sharing his adventures from the cockpit of his beloved burgundy and gold Cessna 210.

When he isn't flying or creating content for his YouTube channel, Mike enjoys golf, gardening, and cooking. He lives a full life with his bride of 45 years, Annie, and their three small dogs

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