The Story Of Skyview Aviation
Cover Story November 2020
By Annamarie Buonocore
As 2020 comes to a close and we approach the holidays, it is time to pay tribute to the general aviation businesses that give so much to their local airports and communities. This month, we honor a dedicated flight school and FBO in Tracy, Calif. called SkyView Aviation. SkyView has a long history of providing excellent flight education, superior aircraft maintenance, and dedicated airport service. Located in California’s Central Valley, SkyView is a successful and growing operation, serving some of the greatest aspiring pilots. This month, In Flight USA was fortunate to be able to interview the owner, Richard Ortenheim. This is his story.
In Flight USA: How long has SkyView been here?
Richard Ortenheim: SkyView has been here in Tracy since 2007. We used to be down in Hayward. We have been in business for a long time, about 40 years.
IF USA: What is your role in the operation?
RO: I am the Founder and CEO of SkyView. I started off as a CFI in 1986. I worked for some other flight schools as an instructor and worked my way up to chief pilot before starting my own aviation company. I have been flying for a long time and am a Designated Airmen’s Representative (DAR).
A bird’s-eye view of Skyview Aviation in Tracy, CA. (Courtesy Skyview Aviation)
IF USA: Are you the only owner of the operation?
RO: I am currently the only owner of SkyView Aviation. My wife is also involved, but she runs a separate company called CC Aviation, which is a company that leases airplanes to flight schools.
IF USA: How many locations do you have?
RO: We have this one here and one over in Byron, which is also a flight school and a maintenance shop. We do installations, restorations, modifications, and things like that. We have mechanics and pilots in both locations, and as the owner I go back and forth between the two places.
IF USA: Tell me more about the services you offer.
RO: We have a Part 61 for local students and a Part 141 for international students. We have a lot of certificates from private ground school to commercial and instructor certificates. We also do aircraft rental and of course maintenance. We have a private ground school and people can come and check out aircraft as needed.
IF USA: What kind of aircraft do you use for instruction?
RO: We use Piper Warriors, Cessna 172s, Cessna 152s, Arrows for complex training, and a Twin Comanche. We also have a simulator training device. For training, we mainly use Cessna 172s. That is what most people prefer to train in.
IF USA: And you said you had a simulator on site?
RO: Yes, we do. We have a simulator in our school building, and we have had it for the last five years.
IF USA: Are you continuing your classes with the Covid-19 pandemic looming?
RO: Yes, we are still doing classes. We have large classrooms where students can safely be spaced apart. We follow all guidelines and are looking forward to doing another private ground school class this spring.
IF USA: How many people work at SkyView?
RO: We have about 10 employees right now, and we have several independent flight instructors. We have 14 aircraft in the school at the moment, and we are considering adding on a couple of King Airs by Christmas of this year. We are looking to do more with business aviation, but that will take time with the FAA, of course, to get approval. We hope to get it by early next year.
The planes after the rain. (Courtesy of Skyview Avaition)
IF USA: What do you like best about being in California’s Central Valley?
RO: I spent my first 15 years or so in Oakland and Hayward. It was very nice, but there were a lot of people, and it was very urban. That was okay because it was easier to get business in the early years. But once you have a reputation, then it’s okay to be out here. We are the only outfit at this small airport. We have two big runways and instrument approaches. We never have any fog or bad weather. We are an uncontrolled airport, but we are only five minutes from Livermore, 10 minutes from Stockton, and 20 minutes to Modesto, which is all controlled airspace. We are also only 20 minutes away from the Bay Area (by flight), so we can go over there and practice. Students save a lot of money on their training here because we are so close to the practice areas, like by Mount Diablo. We get our students off the ground very quickly. This is what I like best. We can fly early in the morning or late at night. There is never any fog out here. It works well for training purposes. The sunny weather is great for taking private pilot or commercial exams. For instrument, we get practice in the clouds just five minutes away.
IF USA: Do you like being by yourself out here?
RO: It has worked very well. We have done a lot of business. We also do photography contracts, like aerial photography and other kinds of business contracts. We do agricultural work, like cropdusting, and we also offer imaging services. This is a great place between the Bay Area and the Central Valley. We are only an hour away from the San Francisco Airport, so that is no big deal, especially for international students. It is very peaceful out here.
IF USA: Do you live in Tracy?
RO: I used to live in Tracy, but I currently live in nearby Discovery Bay. It’s very close.
IF USA: What are your plans for the future?
RO: We are doing quite well, but we might be making some changes now. We are going to get more international students here once they open up the country. We will be increasing the amount of installations that we do and doing more radio installations. We will also be getting more into heavy industry with turboprops and King Airs. We also plan to get more into the business aviation side of things with the King Airs.
IF USA: What country do most of your international students come from?
RO: It depends on the time of year, but we get a lot from Sweden because I am from Sweden. Now that we are approved in Sweden for student loans, we will be seeing more students from there. That is a big deal. We will probably see a lot more Europeans here. We also get many from Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. That is our biggest crowd so far. We accept financial aid and look forward to welcoming more students.
IF USA: Thank you!
