Livingston County Airshow was founded by Matt and Andrea Dahline of Crosswinds Aviation, Ron and Linda Staley, Phil Bozek and the Livingston County Airport. All of the founders have an extreme passion for aviation and all that it has to offer our local community. Here are the reasons we are each so committed to the airshow.
Crosswinds Aviation is a founding sponsor of the Livingston County Airshow because we believe in changing people’s lives through aviation. We are committed to exposing as many people as possible to the pure pleasure, personal growth, careers, and business advantages that being in and around aviation have to offer. This is especially true when it comes to kids in the area. We know there are many kids out there who would thrive in the aviation industry, if they were only exposed to it. We feel it’s our role as a local flight school to make that happen. We are seeing more kids start their career in aviation every year and it’s incredibly satisfying to know that we had a part to play in that.
Also, most people don’t realize the economic activity our beautiful airport brings to the local community. Quoted from the airport’s official website (https://www.livgov.com/airport/) “A Community Benefits Assessment, a type of economic impact study, was conducted in 1994 to try to quantify the benefits the community receives from the airport. In economic terms, the benefits to the community included $1.5 million in direct economic impacts and over $25.1 million in total economic benefits to the community. Additional community benefits can be seen in law enforcement, emergency medical transportation, and career training for future aeronautical careers.” In addition, business make decisions about where to locate based on an airport with good facilities. Our airport attracts businesses to the local area creating more jobs and economic activity every year.
For these reasons it’s incredibly important to get the local community out to our airport and see all the great opportunities that it has to offer, and there is no better way to do that than an airshow. People from our community will see why we love to fly and will have the opportunity to become more educated about the aviation industry while having great entertainment. This event will be free to the public, so the whole community has a chance to see this amazing show.
Airshows take an immense amount of time and money to organize and pay for the airshow acts. We hope that the Livingston County Airshow will become an annual event for this community that people will look forward to, and won’t want to miss. We are already looking forward to an even bigger and better Airshow in 2016 and we need your help to make it possible!
So how can you help us?
Ron & Linda have lived in Livingston County since 1981. Ron started his private pilot training at Livingston County Airport in 1999. They have been airplane owners based at KOZW since 2001. Starting with a Cessna 182, Ron was drawn early into Warbirds. He has owned a North American Texan since 2003 and in 2010 bought a Aero Vodochody L-39. Both aircraft have been restored and are based on the field.
According to Ron & Linda, they love summers in Michigan and believe airshows are a great part of the season in our state. To develop a family day of fun and wonder at the airport opens up the passion shared by Ron & Linda and many other pilots for children and adults of all ages to enjoy and experience. It brings local, state and national pilots together to demonstrate some of the fun aspects of flight.
We all have the opportunity to make our community a better place and supporting the first annual Livingston County Airshow is a great way to make our community a great place to live.
Born and raised in Livingston County, Phil Bozek has had a lifelong fascination with aviation. Beginning in mid-2011 he began his first flight lesson at Livingston County airport and his enthusiasm for flying led him to purchase his first aircraft (a DA42NG) before he even finished his pilot’s license. These days you’ll find Phil flying all over the world in his TBM 900, however Livingston County and it’s airport still remain home.
As a founding member Phil is proud to support family friendly activities in Livingston County. He believes that events such as this airshow are wonderful ways to bring families of all ages together and enrich our local community while watching highly skilled individuals demonstrate their flying ability. He hopes that some of the young men and women who attend look up at the sky in awe… and then begin their own journey towards becoming a pilot themselves.
Phil currently holds commercial, multi engine, and instrument ratings and is proud to be the youngest TBM owner in the world. He’s also a strong supporter of the Howell High School Aviation Program run in conjunction with Crosswinds Aviation. Stop by and say “Hi!” to Phil at the airshow, he’ll be around with his rescued Pitbull, Pippa.
