Free flight instruction has RDD employees soaring with enthusiasm.

For immediate release, December 11, 2024:

Let’s face it. With the high cost of living in Central Oregon, the aviation industry is severely challenged with attracting and retaining good employees. But leave it to the relentlessly innovative crew at RDD to develop a unique way to invest in its valuable team members:  Free flying lessons.

Most everyone who contributes to the creation of a revolutionary experimental aircraft like our LX7 has a passion for flying...
— DAVID McRAE, CO-OWNER

Ohad Golani (CFII) RDD’s Certified Flight Instructor

“Most everyone who contributes to the creation of a revolutionary experimental aircraft like our LX7 has a passion for flying,” said David McRae, Co-Owner and Director of Marketing, Sales & Business Development. “So, for those who are eager to push their careers to new heights, we’ve taken the steps to help fuel that passion.”
 
The “Learn to Fly” program was made possible by the addition of certified flight instructor Ohad Golani (CFII) to the staff early in 2024. Born and raised in Israel, Golani has logged hundreds of hours in the air. His sole purpose at RDD is to share his expertise and tremendous passion for flying with RDD employees in order to advance their current experience level and ultimately obtain their pilot certificate if they have not yet done so.

Ohad Golani (CFII) RDD’s Flight Instructor Extraordinaire, ready to teach

“I always wanted to become a pilot,” said Golani. “A few years ago, I finally gathered the courage to pursue this incredible journey at a small flight school, just up the street from RDD and acquired all of my ratings. Now, as a Certified Flight Instructor, I try to incorporate my values and experience into a safe and enjoyable flight-training environment.”
 
Golani takes all of his students up in a 1966 two-seat Cessna 150F, which is an excellent aircraft for flight-training purposes. He and the entire team at RDD are grateful to several partners for graciously supplying equipment and instruments for the aircraft to improve the experience:

• Precise Flight provided a Pulse light system that increases the planes visibility and promotes safety.
  
• Cies delivered Fuel Quantity Indicators for more accurate fuel indication.
• Flight Ready agreed to offer ground school access to the private pilot level.
• Icom provided a portable backup radio.
• AeroLEDS equipped the plane with their excellent SunSpot Landing Lights and G3 Taxi Lights.

 
“Training is going well,” said Golani. “Thanks to our sponsors, our trainer airplane has exceeded my expectations and is flying nicely. I’m currently working with two employees, one of whom is ready to do his first solo flight in order to get his private pilot’s license. Two others are waiting in the wings, so to speak. One of them is focusing on ground schoolwork while he loses a few pounds and another will be ready to begin her training when she completes three early-morning ground sessions.”
 
For the students, the chance to receive flying instruction for free is not taken lightly and for some, it can be a game-changer for their futures. RDD Project Manager Joel Timmerman grew up on a 300-acre, family-run cattle ranch and hay farm in Powell Butte. His dad was also a private pilot who often took Joel up in his Piper Cherokee 6. He went off to study Animal Science at Cal Poly, but during the summer of 1988, before his junior year, he happened to take a flight in a Falcon 20 business jet. It introduced him to the world of corporate flying and he has dreamed of being a pilot ever since.
 
“Obviously, there is a large financial barrier to becoming a professional pilot,” said Timmerman. “To earn the Private, Instrument, Commercial, Instructor and Instrument Instructor ratings can exceed $60,000. Once I joined the Navy in 1998, I also started a family, so flying took a backseat as we raised those young humans. I now have five boys (ages 31, 27, 25, 23 and 15) and it’s finally time for Dad to become a professional pilot.”

Timmerman figured it would take about 10 years and a lot of financing for him to attain all of the flight credentials he would need to become an instructor.

This opportunity means everything to me. With RDD covering the cost of instruction as well as the aircraft expenses, I’ll be able to fly every day and ultimately help the company by demonstrating the LX7 to prospective customers.
— JOEL TIMMERMAN, RDD Project Manager and flight student

“But then, Dave McRae flipped the script and offered me an amazing chance to continue my professional career as a Program/Project Manager,” said Timmerman. “This opportunity means everything to me. With RDD covering the cost of instruction as well as the aircraft expenses, I’ll be able to fly every day and ultimately help the company by demonstrating the LX7 to prospective customers.”

That in itself is a dream come true for Timmerman. But he wants to take it a step further.

“Once I retire from RDD,” he says, “I want to be that old guy at the airport giving flight instruction and inspiring the next generation of aviators.”
 
The demand for RDD’s ground-breaking LX7 aircraft continues to present tremendous opportunities for growth at its Redmond facility. McRae is actively hiring for several key positions and knows the company won’t be able to achieve its goals without dedicated employees who are excited about coming to work and investing in their futures – regardless of whether they want to fly or not.
 
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone like Ohad on board to offer this unique employee incentive,” said McRae. “In less than a year, we’ve seen tremendous enthusiasm within our ranks and we expect even more in the years to come.”

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For more information, contact:
David McRae
[email protected]
541-504-0305