Superfly guys
TURNING a passion into a business is the dream of most budding entrepreneurs. But three American men already successful in their chosen fields are pouring their energies into a new venture designed to elevate their love of historic aircraft into a successful commercial operation.
Spearheading aviation website asb.tv are Ed Shipley, Jim Beasley and Dan Friedkin. They have a unique way of promoting the business – they have formed the Horsemen, the world’s only aerobatic team flying the P-51 Mustang, among the most successful fighter aircraft of the Second World War.
But asb.tv is not just designed for pilots. The trio believe the world of aviation enthusiasts is a vast pool to be cultivated. Every year around 28m people go to airshows around the globe. In the US, airshow attendances are twice the size of American football’s NFL, and second only to football among British spectator events.
The power of the internet to promote the business and make celebrities of its founders was revealed during July’s annual Flying Legends airshow at historic Duxford airfield near Cambridge. The Horsemen were the stars of the event, with fans queuing to speak to their heroes, be photographed with them and chat all things Mustang.
While many of the British and European visitors to the event could name all three of the team members, most were hard pressed to even name a single one of the other airshow pilots, many of whom have been on the scene for decades.
“People do not recognise you from print or radio,” Shipley says. “But this time we were really taken aback by the number of people who recognised us. It is a perfect example of how the internet is becoming the next big thing. In fact we refuse to call it the internet. We prefer to say the ‘new TV’.”
The mission statement for ASB.tv is simple: to capture the audience and own everything in the world of the aviation lifestyle. Plans are afoot to expand the range of merchandise on offer. It is already possible to buy T-shirts, baseball caps and cloth badges from the website, but Shipley explains the plan is to eventually have pilots and aviation fans buying everything from their watches to clothing on the site.
Shipley says: “We want to capture the artists and take this industry and revitalise it.” He reveals there are some “really large corporations” that have seen the light and believe asb.tv has put together programming that is different to anything out there.
Shown in HD video streamed through the website and making use of Shipley’s directing talent, the footage of the vintage aircraft and the pilots is presented as a reality TV programme which draws in viewers with its short, dramatic stories and breathtaking camera work.
The company is also revamping its website in a way Shipley claims could “revolutionise the way the internet is used to capture audiences”. Exactly what is in the offing he declines to say, but explains the company is talking to large companies and agencies about its future plans.
When asked if the current economic environment is really the best time to be launching such a venture Shipley is adamant: “We think these are the best of times. It is an opportunity to really seize territory.”
The romance and history of flying clearly remains a lure for people throughout the world but Shipley reckons the draw of aviation goes even deeper. “I believe there is a genetic code in human beings which is to escape life’s gravity and that has become our tagline,” he says. “People share that bond and they all live it.”
BRITISH OPERATOR HANGAR 11 COLLECTION HANGAR11.CO.UK
THE Mustang was the most successful American fighter plane of World War Two, and there are examples flying in Europe. Entrepreneur Peter Teichman flies his P-51 from North Weald airfield in Essex. His Hangar 11 collection entertains at airshows, corporate events and weddings. He rates the Mustang as the greatest all-round aircraft in his fleet – he also owns a Spitfire, Kittyhawk and Hurricane. “You consider yourself a custodian of history flying these aircraft,” he says. “It is a very special privilege. Flying it is an amazing challenge but you are always humbled when you think of those 19-year-olds who flew it into combat, thousands of miles away from home.” The Mustang was the launching ground for Hangar 11 because, Teichman explains, if a pilot can fly the Mustang well he can fly any other fighter of that vintage. He spent years building up experience flying vintage tailwheel aircraft then trained on a two-seat Mustang in Florida so that when he made his first solo in his own aircraft it was no drama. He has been displaying the fighter since 2003.