Change is the only constant.  This holds true in all areas of our lives.  As an aviation leader, you will experience many changes: team changes, aircraft changes, regulatory changes, and company changes just to name a few.  But a change in the executive responsible for aviation, or Reporting Executive, can have a significant impact on you and your team. 

n this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Don Henderson from the VanAllen Group. Don, a former Director of Aviation and Chairman of NBAA CAMC Committee and PDP Approval Committee

Don is passionate about mentoring aspiring leaders and igniting those “lightbulb” moments in others.

Throughout the episode, we delve into various topics, including the essential qualities of great leadership and what it takes to excel in an Aviation Leader role. We explore how to create value for those around us and how top-notch aviation teams can achieve success in the marketplace.

Without people, airplanes don’t fly. Owning, maintaining, and managing business aircraft is complex, and most focus on the physical assets, technology, and financing. But the “human capital” – the people who fly, maintain, and service the aircraft – are just as important. Listen as Jeff Agur and Don Henderson discuss how bizav’s success depends on how well the people aboard the aircraft and on the ground are chosen, how they are trained, and how effectively they communicate with each other, in Human Capital Gains.

Leadership is key to running a successful Aviation Team and Don Henderson can speak to this from his personal experience as a pilot and from years of experience working with Aviation Teams to strenthen their organizations. In this video, Don speaks specifically about some of the challenges Aviation Leaders face and how individuals can overcome these obstacles. Professional Development is a fantastic way for Directors of Aviation to grow in their skills and Don highlights some of the pros as well as where to find the best resources.

VanAllen Managing Director, Don Henderson offers his insights on Staffing your Aviation Department in our latest video. He discusses ways successful aviation departments staff for their needs and addresses certain challenges and risks when it comes to building the best team for your organization.

Don Henderson offers his insights about Aviation Leadership in this video. He will talk about what to look for in an aviation leader, outsourcing leadership and whether or not the aviation team leader should be a pilot. Don’s experience as an aviator, plus decades of consulting with Aviation Departments makes this expertise invaluable.

VanAllen Managing Director, Don Henderson talks about the importance of investing energy into the people who make up your aviation department. Topics include individual assessments, values, culture, leadership, compensation and other important issues affecting the people who make up the aviation department…

The absence or erosion of trust has been the root cause in 69% of nearly 100 projects I have been involved with over the last two years. But how do you know if you have a trust issue within your team…

Lately it feels as if the giant snow globe of society was picked up, shaken hard, then set on the table upside-down. If you speak to any ten individuals, you will hear significant differences in political, religious, social, and economic values. Analyzing these conversations may have you wondering…

2020 has shifted so many things into strange territory. Something as simple as an introduction now requires multiple layers of thought. Do I shake hands? Bump elbows? Just awkwardly stand six feet away while attempting intermittent eye contact? Nobody really knows proper pandemic etiquette…

In reviewing an article in the Harvard Business Review: The Six Mistakes Executives Make in Risk Management (Taleb, Goldstein, and Spitznagel, October 2009), I was struck by the relevancy in our little corner in business aviation. The article was a reflection on the strategies that contributed to the financial collapse in 2009 but I was struck by the relevancy of the article to business aviation…

With the priority on safety and security in these challenging times, it is possible that other elements can be overlooked…

The Executive responsible for Aviation relies on their Aviation Leader to steer the company safely away from risks; aviation icebergs that may be ahead of them. Most commonly, these are operational or compliance risks. Thankfully, many resources and agencies are there to support the Aviation Leader navigate the operational or compliance risks…