History and Overview

Fireside Aviators Association of San Jose, California is a California Tax Exempt (501c7) Corporation. It was founded on March 5th, 1968 by the 12 original shareholders.

Corporate aircraft were originally based at San Jose International Airport. Around 1998, the airport started an expansion project and encouraged privately owned aircraft to relocate. In response, the aircraft was moved to Reid-Hillview, which is just a few miles south of San Jose International, where it is currently based.

The corporation has only owned a single aircraft. Several of the original owners of N8085W purchased the aircraft new in 1965. In March of 1968, these owners created the non-profit organization "Fireside Aviators," and the aircraft was transferred into the corporation. In essence, the aircraft has only had one owner, even though the structure changed from a partnership to a non-profit corporation.

The maintenance officer oversees all maintenance for the aircraft. The current maintenance officer is an A&P mechanic who handles minor repairs. Major items, such as engine maintenance, are done at an FAA-approved repair facility that has a long-standing relationship with the corporation.

Our aircraft is checked weekly, with or without member squawks, and all records are properly maintained and available for inspection.

The aircraft is scheduled using a web-based scheduling system. Any member can easily and quickly check the availability of the aircraft.

Most members fly an hour or two at a time, while others fly for longer periods but less often. The average annual flight time for the aircraft is around 250 hours.

Fireside Aviators is a very relaxed organization with members from many different professions. Everyone is laid back, and it is a true pleasure to be a part of this corporation.