Michael J Lofton

Michael’s first solo airplane flight occurred in southern California at Bracket Field Airport in La Verne, CA in Sept of 1970. He had just turned 18. It was in a tail-wheel Cessna 170A airplane, which he spent most of his earliest days learning to fly and earning a private pilot’s license, along with his tail-wheel endorsement. While building flight time on the side, Michael attended an aviation technology school in 1970 – 73, where he earned an Airframe and Powerplant (A P) technician’s license. Further securing an Inspectors’ Authorization (IA) certificate. He could then legally inspect and work on most aircraft. He maintained two flight schools, rebuilt crashed airplanes (called basket-cases), and fabricated and inspected numerous experimental airships. Michael obtained commercial pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) ratings. Most of Michael’s flight hours happened while trading aircraft maintenance and inspections on aircraft that his customers owned, in exchange for the opportunity to use their airplanes. He was a Safety Counselor for the Federal Aviation Administration. He also did a bit of aircraft repossessions for banks on the side. The author’s earliest years of flying rock n’ roll bands were from an office in a small mountain town in Southern California, called, Crestline. Within a couple of years, he had moved up the mountain to a place called, Big Bear City. With the assistance of local business investors, he started a Piper Aircraft Dealership at the local airport, while he continued to build his flying biz career. Subsequently moving to Colorado in the late ’80s, he built private aircraft hangars in Durango CO and Los Alamos, NM. Michael continued his flight consultations for major music entertainers for their private aircraft touring needs until 2003. As of the initial publication date of this book, Michael now lives in New Hampshire to be closer to his daughter and the grand-kids. He maintains a side-business of providing digital new-age SEO content management services, while playing drums in a rock band.