“We’re Planning On Getting Bigger, Not Smaller”
By Maria Morrison, SNFDD Feature Editor
The skies of South Caroline will be greeting a P-40, a Citabria, a Super Decathlon, and two T-6s this summer as Warbird Adventures relocates from Florida.
After more than 23 years in Kissimmee, FL, the vintage aircraft flying school will be moving to a private grass airfield in Ninety Six, SC.
“Ever since I’ve thought about aviation I’ve always wanted my own grass strip out in the country,” said Warbird Adventures’ President and Cheif Pilot Thom Richard, who will be flying his TP-40N Warhawk American Dream at Sun ‘n Fun this week.
There are numerous factors pulling Richard and the operation up north, primary among them securing a personal aerobatic box. Not only will this allow Warbird Adventures to perform their aerobatic training in their own airspace, but opens the possibility for the group to host their own airshow in the future.
As the potential for a new airshow grows, so do the day-to-day flight operations of Warbird Adventures. Students of all levels with a passion for aviation can come be trained in the vintage tailwheel aircraft, now in the same grass environment that many of them were traditionally flown out of. The flying operations may even be expanding after the move.
“We’re planning on getting bigger, not smaller,” Richard said. “This is not a downsizing.”
Warbird Adventures’ current home base of the corporate Kissimmee Gateway Airport has changed in recent years, making the move a timely decision. The airport, which used to be surrounded by fields, has gotten crowded as the surrounding area was built up. When operating high-performance, single-engine aircraft, flying over farm country provides an extra layer of security and comfort, which the move will accommodate.
Since most clients travel specifically for the Warbird Adventures flight experience instead of simply stumbling upon it, Richard isn’t concerned about the rural town—which has a population of just under 2,000 and is about 70 miles west of Columbia. In fact, being in central South Carolina will allow Richard to access other airshows more easily, since he will be able to fly out to the shows and then return home base instead of needing to stay out on the road for weeks at a time due to the long travel back to Florida.
Richard and American Dream usually perform at 17 shows a year, which was cut down to seven this year following many of them being canceled. However, Richard fully expects to bounce back by 2022, and sees this current lull as another motivator on the timing of the move.
One downside of moving is the shutdown of the onsite aviation museum in Kissimmee. However, in a combination of proper market timing and the absence of need for a large corporate facility, it was the right time to make the decision.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time. Finally, everything is coming together,” Richard said. “It’s the right time to pull the trigger, and we’re doing it. We’re moving.”
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