Bruce Jenkins and his wife, Barbara fly a Piper Arrow out of Frederick, MD. Bruce shares with us his history in aviation and how flying and placing his insurance with Aviation Insurance Resources (AIR) has made him “so very happy”.
As a product of the World War II generation, I was always interested in airplanes and flying. As a young boy, whenever an airplane would pass over I’d be looking up to see if I could identify it. We lived in the country about 20 miles west of Rochester, NY so there wasn’t a great deal of air traffic and most of it was visible because it flew at the mid-altitudes. There was also the occasional Stearman crop duster to watch on our 
neighbors’ farms.
When I attended college I took a few lessons in the J3 Cubs the university owned but never soloed because I couldn’t afford the $6/hour rental. That was the dual rate, wet. Those were the days when everything was about 25 cents: a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of beer, a gallon of high-test gasoline, a bowling game, etc.
As soon as I could afford it after graduation from Purdue, getting a job, getting married, buying a house, and doing all the things my generation was expected to do I found one of the local flight schools in Rochester, NY and started taking lessons in Piper Cherokees. I later bought a Cherokee 140 with a partner and earned my instrument rating in that airplane. At the same time my wife became interested in pursuing her private license. We then bought our 1969 Arrow in 1976 and have had it ever since.
All of our flights to different destinations, especially to the west coast, have been some of my favorites. When you can experience something so different from any experience you’ve previously had, that certainly makes an impression. I also remember some of my flights, usually solo, when the sky was so beautiful at sunrise or sunset that I didn’t really want to land.
The best advice I could offer regarding aviation is: “Don’t Wait” If you want to start flying start as soon as you can. If you want to work on additional ratings, start as soon as you can. Because the more you fly, the sooner you add proficiency, the safer you will be as a pilot and the more you will enjoy flying.
After insuring with one direct writing company for years I finally called Aviation Insurance Resources. They saved me over 29%! Jon is the very best insurance agent I have met regarding service and taking an interest in his customers. I also consider him a friend. Interestingly, my very first flight instructor (after college) now owns an airport and FBO in upstate New York (5G0) and has his insurance through AIR, too. All I can say to the professionals at Aviation Insurance Resources is “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy!”
Are you a current client and friend of ours? We’d love to hear how we have made you “So Very Happy”, too! Are you new to AIR? We’d want to make you happy as well! As fellow aircraft owners, AIR understands your needs and challenges in owning an aircraft and/or aviation business. We are aviation insurance experts, providing a full range of aircraft insurance and aviation insurance products to clients of all sizes. We represent all of the major aviation insurance markets so we can offer you the broadest package of protection at the best available rates.
To learn more about the Aviation Insurance Resources, please call 301-682-6200 or visit AIR-PROS.com today to complete an online quote request! You can also follow AIR on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.
