I want to inform you about two different issues.

1. Internet Gift Certificate Mills......

These are websites that sell Warbird Ride Gift Certificates "Nationwide", all over the country, in every state. You'll notice they also sell SkyDiving, Scuba Diving, Ballooning, etc, etc. Before you purchase anything on the internet, you should make sure you can actually redeem whatever you purchased.... Before you buy any kind of aircraft flight on the internet, make sure that the company you are sending money to actually owns and operates its own aircraft, and has a physical address at an airport that can be verified.

2. "Barnstormers":

The barnstorming companies that you are likely to hear of are either from Florida or Tennessee.

THEY ARE ONLY IN OUR AREA FOR A FEW DAYS PER YEAR!

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BUY A FLIGHT FROM A COMPANY THAT IS ONLY IN TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS PER YEAR? How much money do you think they make from the flights that are never flown?

Fighter Command is permanently based at the Winchester Virginia Regional Airport, and we serve customers from nearby Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. We contribute to the local economy, and we pay local taxes and support our local businesses. Our customers know us personally, as we allocate a 2 hour block of time to each customer! Each of my customers knows my home phone number!

3. Why we don't "Barnstorm".

I don't think Barnstorming is as safe as flying from your home base. And...it is nice to be home every night with my family!

Barnstorming means traveling around the country all year long... staying in motels, or camping in a trailer, flying in unfamiliar areas, leaving the airplane outside. There are logistical issues in keeping it properly maintained, and there is an inherent pressure to fly in suboptimal conditions because of the pressure to move on to the next location.

The Barnstormers fly as many as 10 customers per day per aircraft, without shutting the engine off between flights. Barnstormers are a production mill because their goal is to sell 1000 flights per year per plane. They have enormous pressure to get the flights done, and move on to the next location, in another state.

We fly 4 customers per day, starting with a personalized briefing with me in our office to talk about your flight; then we spend some time walking around the aircraft, with opportunities to ask questions, and take pictures, etc. It is a vastly more personalized experience as I spend about two hours with each customer.

Our customers are guaranteed to have very good flying conditions. The Barnstormers often have to fly on days when the visibility is poor, or there is uncomfortable turbulence, because they need to get to their next location. The question is, is that the best value for the customer? We feel the best quality experience is directly related to flying under the best flight conditions.... It is also safer!

Barnstormers are forced to maintain their aircraft on the road. Our aircraft is maintained by Classic Aviation Services, which has done all of our maintenance for 12 years. I think it is easier to have higher quality maintenance, if it is done in a proper repair shop, by folks who have been looking after the same aircraft for over a decade.

If you live in the Virginia, Maryland or Pennsylvania, we hope you will see a value and benefit to supporting Fighter Command Inc, at our permanent location, and take advantage of a flight in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Our customers know they are like family to us!