Aviation Information

The History of the Aircraft Wash Guys, Part Two


The continuation of the history of a small service franchise business in the aviation sector; whose humble beginnings began in the middle of a recession. This proves that anything is possible and that with enough will and entrepreneurial spirit no matter what the condition of your industry sector, you can succeed in America. Now then to continue the saga; Twelve year old Lance Winslow, the founder is almost twenty years old and is making a name for himself at several local airports. It is still a long road ahead but slowly the journey progresses like it has for countless young entrepreneurs before him. We continue:

One day when Lance sold an aircraft to Dave, who Founded The LA Title Company (A Real Estate and Title Company) The gentleman had worked for California Land and Title Company for ten years prior and he took a interesting in the self motivated young man. Lance and Dave talked about franchising and a possible partnership to franchise the business. Both loved the idea, Lance because it was his dream and Dave because he loved the aircraft washing services, which he contracted through Lance after he bought the plane from him. One day after having lunch in Lance's office they started doodling on a napkin the basic idea for the franchise in aircraft washing. The Founder of LA Title company liked the synergy of aircraft sales and aircraft washing for built in clientele. They also discussed washing cars and trucks, but Lance had barely gotten a driver's license so he could finally drive off the airport onto a public street although he had picked up some juicy accounts already.

Later he changed the name of the business to Aero-Auto Wash to encompass all types of washing, from Aircraft to Cars. At that time we washed for Evergreen Airlines, Evergreen Airspur, Offshore Oil Helicopter Companies, GTE Flight Services, FBOs, Jet Charters, Fractional Jet Companies, Flight Schools, Flying Clubs, Confederate Airforce, Civil Air Patrol, FBI, Military, Air National Guard, US Air Force, FAA Certified Repair Stations, Commuter Airlines, Air Ambulance Services,Air Charter and countless general aviation private owners with everything from EAA Biplanes to Aerostar 601s.

Lance even washed for Mr. Delorean, several movie stars and many founders of large companies; one of the coolest jobs around. Lance found synergies in the different washing businesses. Someone who owned an airplane most likely owned a business, was a farmer, high-ranking executive and if not certainly knew others who were. Thus built in clientele in nearly every industry and after flying around all over California he noticed things on the ground that needed his services. Mr. Winslow still uses aerial pictures and mapping to target accounts to this day.

The business plan on a napkin franchising idea lay dormant from 1985 to until 1993 when Lance went to go re-visit the Founder of LA Title at his Burbank, CA corporate high rise office building. Lance was ready to go for his dream and needed to get some venture capital about 1-2 million. At that time the Founder of LA Title was not interested seeing the enormity of such an undertaking and instead provided Lance with his expertise and advice for free and a confidential copy of the LA Title Business Plan for Lance to review and use to help him devise a winning business plan. Lance searched around for venture capital for about a year and gave up in disgust, venture capitalists were too dumb to understand the incredible opportunity in the marketplace; he thought. To compound things they did not think a guy who left school could handle such an undertaking. Lance had quit college to run the expanding business. He felt college was superficial and that he had more experience and a better sense of reality than the textbooks of yester year being taught by Professors who had never actually run a business of any kind. By that time Lance had been operating in many other industries such as Agriculture Cleaning, Concrete Cleaning, Fleet Washing, Auto Detailing, Car Washing and of course Aviation.

www.tractorwashguys.com

www.concretewashguys.com

www.truckwashguys.com

www.carwashguys.com

www.detailguys.com

Lance was looking to take all his knowledge and bring it to the market on a big scale starting in California and then the Sun Belt States and eventually into Europe. Without any success in finding venture capital, Lance continued his business, got into politics and at nights, sometimes all night writing up plans to fulfill his mission. Spending countless sleepless nights writing over 1 million words into manuals, marketing plans, Business Plans, etc. he was convinced that he had to move forward. Lance Winslow's business plan got so big 400 plus pages that he could not even call it a business plan anymore and named it FranPlan. During this time Lance also became involved in motorcycle street racing, the speed did not bother him much, so he did quite well. Lance also got into trouble for flying under a bridge although his friend an FAA Examiner gave him a warning, "If you ever try anything like that again, I'll have you thrown in jail, now get the hell out of here!!"

End Part II

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs


MORE RESOURCES:
Google

O'Hare safety area stops jet that overshot runway
Chicago Sun-Times, United States - 8 hours ago
City Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride said the "arrestor bed" at the end of a runway stopped the plane. Airline spokesman Adolfo Crespo said the ...
1 injured as plane skids off O'Hare runway Chicago Tribune
Plane runs off O'Hare runway, 1 hurt United Press International
Plane overshoots O'Hare runway; no one injured The Associated Press
CBS2 Chicago - WTHI
all 284 news articles


Boston Globe

Camps try to propel diversity in aviation
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 17 hours ago
About 75 high school students are learning about careers as pilots, flight attendants and other jobs during the Aviation Career Education camps at Delta Air ...
Report of smoke odor returns plane to Logan Boston Globe
Logan sees 5% fewer passengers in first half of year Boston Globe
all 3 news articles


ABC News

Technological advances helped push inerting measure
Newsday, NY - Jul 18, 2008
Now research by the Federal Aviation Administration and the industry has produced equipment as light as 106 pounds. That reduction in weight, ...
Video: New Devices to Prevent Crashes Like TWA 800 AssociatedPress
Airlines Broken, Book Says RedOrbit
Why traveling by air is such a pain MiamiHerald.com
AMTOnline.com - WatertownDailyTimes.com
all 547 news articles


Business Intelligence Middle East (press release)

GE Aviation, CFM end air show with billions in orders
San Antonio Business Journal, TX - Jul 18, 2008
Jet engine makers GE Aviation and CFM International left the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom with more than $9 billion in orders. ...
GE Signs Nearly $4 Billion in Aviation Deals at Air Show MarketWatch
GE Aviation, CFM add $3 billion in business at air show Bizjournals.com
Farnborough Air Show: GE Aviation, CFM International notch up ... domain-B
ATWOnline - Cincinnati.com
all 130 news articles


BCI Aircraft Leasing, Inc. Announces Aviation Finance Scholarship ...
PR Leap (press release), CA - 10 hours ago
"We are very enthusiastic about the opportunity to support aviation students who show promise in the field of aviation finance," said Brian Hollnagel, ...


TCC buys Alliance Airport land for aviation programs
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - 12 hours ago
TCC, which has offered an aviation-maintenance program since 1967, said it will also expand its programming and possibly offer pilot training for the first ...


BA warns on 'unworkable' EU aviation scheme
Times Online, UK - Jul 18, 2008
Willie Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways, and other leaders in the aviation industry have called on the European Union to scrap its plan to ...


Economist

Aviation industry attacks EU emissions plan that effects airlines ...
EUobserver.com, Belgium - Jul 18, 2008
With airlines struggling to maintain their businesses in an era of skyrocketing fuel prices, the aviation industry has attacked European plans to include ...
Airlines blast EU carbon scheme Canada.com
Flying lessons Economist
IATA slams European move on green tax GulfNews
all 13 news articles


Teams In General Aviation Technology Challenge Announced
Aero-News Network, FL - 13 hours ago
The five teams competing in the $300000 NASA-funded General Aviation Technology Challenge were announced this week by the host flight test agency, ...


Guide on How to Develop Leadership and Organization in the ...
MarketWatch - Jul 18, 2008
Although the study was carried out in the aviation industry, the results gained also appear to be transferable to other industries due to the large variety ...

Aviation - Google News

home | site map
© 2006