More Than Just Model Airplanes
- It's Pure Plane Passion
To say that Bob Flynn, the founder and President of Flight Miniatures, has always loved aviation is a considerable understatement. He learned to fly a Piper Cherokee and soloed at 16. After moving from his native England to the United States, he began a career in Sales and Marketing for a major airline.
A coveted promotional product provided by the airlines was a model of the aircraft flown by that line. These models were not available to the general public, but only to employees. "A model of the aircraft was the number one customer request," Bob noted.
While attending a trade show, Bob was given a model far superior to any he had in his collection. "It was more detailed, accurate, and well finished than any I had ever seen," he said. He sought out the manufacturer and was soon on a Taiwan-bound plane to meet with this factory, his eventual partner in the model business. After convincing the factory to permit him to represent their models, Bob sent samples out to several airlines. "Within a few weeks I had orders for models from three major airlines," Bob reported.
What started as a recreational venture (begun, in part, to add to his own collection) became Flight Miniatures Inc. From an initial stock of about 30 model aircraft, Flight Miniatures has grown into a company that has produced models of over 800 different liveries to the collecting public.
In 1994 Bob re-located the company to central Arizona, only in part because of the beautiful climate.
"We’re located an 8 hour drive from the Port of Long Beach, where the models come in to this country," he says. "We’re near the intersections of two major East-West and one North-South freeways. Strategically, it’s a great location."
So how does Flight Miniatures choose which models to produce?
"The vast majority of Flight Miniatures’ liveries are produced for the aircraft manufacturer or airline whose livery appears on the model," says Bob. "Occasionally, we produce a nostalgia series like the DC-3 and DC-4. These models are almost always produced in response to collectors’ requests."
Flight Miniatures® aircraft models is owned by Genesis Worldwide Enterprises located in Cottonwood, Arizona, USA. The Genesis Worldwide website is at www.genesisworldwide.biz.