Flying Rocks: Stories from the air flying some of the biggest rock n' roll stars of the world.

Lofton, Michael J.: - Michael's first solo airplane flight occurred in southern California at Bracket Field Airport in La Verne, CA in Sept of 1970. He had just turned 18. It was in a tail-wheel Cessna 170A airplane, which he spent most of his earliest days learning to fly and earning a private pilot's license, along with his tail-wheel endorsement. While building flight time on the side, Michael attended the aviation technology school, where he earned an Airframe and Powerplant (A P) technician's license. He then secured an Inspectors' Authorization (IA) certificate. He could then legally inspect and work on most aircraft. He maintained two flight schools, rebuilt crashed airplanes (called basketcases), and fabricated and inspected numerous experimental airships. Michael obtained commercial pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) ratings. Most of Michael's flight hours happened while trading aircraft maintenance and inspections on aircraft that his customers owned, in exchange for the opportunity to use their airplanes. He was a Safety Counselor for the Federal Aviation Administration. He also did a bit of aircraft repossessions for banks on the side. Most of Michael's fellow flight school buddies were set on an airline career. This author, being the black sheep of their group, wasn't so sure about his flying pilgrimage. Eventually, he steered toward the corporate aviation route. He had the opportunity to fly small aircraft all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On any given day Michael never knew where a flight might lead. Many times his aviation comrades would just call out an airport to do lunch. Or, maybe even a quick hop over the mountains to the desert to land on a strip of uninhabited earth. He flew fishermen to Baja Mexico from Southern CA. The author's earliest years of flying rock bands were from an office in a small mountain town in Southern California, called, Crestline. Within a couple of years, he had moved up the mountain to a place called, Big Bear City. With the assistance of local business investors, he started a Piper Aircraft Dealership at the local airport, while he continued to build his flying consultation career. Subsequently moving to Durango, Colorado in the late '80s, Michael continued his flight consultations for major music entertainers for their private aircraft touring needs. He also constructed small private airplane hangars in Durango, Colorado, and Los Alamos, New Mexico. His frst biz experience was at the age of 12, running a bike repair shop out of his residential neighborhood garage in Altadena, California. Michael did have an early publishing career by creating a few (award-winning) glossy aviation magazine releases in 2000/01, along with co-publisher and producer, Paul Dutcher, called, Air, The Aviation Journal. Thereafter, Michael climbed into a marketing career. Currently (at the onset of this publication) an online and brick-and-mortar, new-age SEO content conversion strategist. Michael continues (so far) to play in bands for small clubs as a semi-professional, having switched from guitar to drums in the early 90s. For many years he was a radio DJ for College station KDUR in Durango, Colorado. Michael was a skateboarder, had a paper route, a Little League pitcher (his Dad was the coach), raised homing pigeons, was a vanner, a surfer, and a street car racer. Now, he allows himself to play a bit of golf. Currently, Michael performs MacGyver activities around his house along with his SEOing consultation clients, from his current location in New Hampshire.