MIKE PURPURA

Illinois State Liaison After his enlistment in the Navy, Mike earned a degree in Environmental Science and went on to start a brokerage in Eastern Oregon specializing in agricultural land and ranches. Hiring local pilots to ferry him and his clients around large ranch properties, proved to be expensive and complicated. He decided to buy…

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MARK FARRELL

Nebraska Ambassador Day job: Retired in 2018 after 35 years as a respiratory therapist Favorite Airstrip: Locally: a farmer friend’s private grass strip. Overall: Big Creek, Idaho Next Adventure: Arizona desert during the winter

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TREVER OTTO

Wisconsin State Liaison Trever knew at the young age of ten that he wanted to fly and own an airplane, just like his late father. By age 16, he’d saved enough money to buy a ¾ scale Piper Cub, the FP-202 Koala. After a bit of wood and fabric work, he made his first solo…

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WENDY LESSIG

Utah State Liaison Wendy was introduced to aviation as a five-year-old when her family transferred overseas, but she had no dream of becoming a pilot. That all changed when, as a solution to a transportation problem, she took her first flight in a single engine airplane to visit college friends. Wendy was hooked!  Just three…

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BILL BRINE

Director From a young age, a Cessna was a regular part of Bill’s life, his dad’s way to get from A to B. The family plane was a tool to support the family businesses. Bill was encouraged to learn to fly for practical purposes – not as a hobby or passion. A glider ride 30…

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AUSTIN LEVIN

Wisconsin Ambassador Day Job: Mechanical EngineerFavorite Airstrip: Medicine Bow, WY 80VNext Adventure: Anywhere the Skywagon takes me!

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