Jon and Paula Wollhaf started Summit Aviation during a recession – in 1990. The current recession doesn’t scare them. In October of 1987 an unprecedented stock collapse lopped 22.6 off the Dow Jones Industrial average. The economy hadn’t recovered much by 1990, but the Woellhafs saw a business need and filled it.
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“Jon decided to pursue his life-long desire to learn to fly and, of course, the first step was to by the latest FAR/AIM book and begin studying. He immediately noticed that there was no index in the book and only a basic table of contents. Being a serious student, that was a frustration.â€
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Deciding that he was probably not the only person who was frustrated, Jon decided to apply an emerging technology.
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“About this same time we became familiar with a word search program called Word Cruncher® that indexed and searched every word and number in the scriptures and it caused him to think “boy wouldn’t it be great if we could combine this software with these regulations and the AIM (then called the Airman’s Information Manual.) A quick phone call confirmed that we could indeed license the software, but it was much more difficult to find out if the regulations were available electronically from the government. It was pretty much out of the question to type almost a 1000 pages of regulatory material! In a day when virtually ever thing we want is available electronically, it stretches the imagination that we had to make several phone calls to various government agencies and ask precisely the right question before we found out that yes, they were available – on 9 track tape! At that was the beginning of Summit Aviation. And by the way, ironically, due to beginning a new business, it was several more years before Jon could actually begin his flying lessons!â€
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Summit Aviation’s Digital Reference Library is now used by people who work with some of the largest and most prestigious aviation companies in the world, including various government agencies.
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Although a searchable, cross-referenced library of current FAA regs may not sound exciting to non-aviation people, Summit’s customers are very enthusiastic about the Digital Reference Library.
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“Life in aviation without the Summit Aviation Reference Library would scarcely be worth living. For over 10 years the library has been my single most important resource.
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Even the FAA salivates when they see how fast we can do research! Thanks much for a great product.”
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Joshua Weinshank, Director of Operations, Xtra Airways
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“My Digital Aviation Reference Library is a time saver and immediate reliable source for current FAR’s.â€
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Capt. John Gallagher, BSAE, forensic aeronautical consultant
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“I have been a subscriber for a few years and am currently a check airman in a part 135 company. Your reference library is a significant timesaver for me when I have to research little known facts.â€
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Jake Jacobsen
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“It’s invaluable to me and my team. Thanks for your great support.”
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Gary Merrill, US Airways
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“Outstanding reference! It’s fantastic to have everything all in one source!”
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Max McGee, L-3 Flight International
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The Woellhaf’s first clue to the magnitude of their discovery was when they first demonstrated the then Computerized FAR/AIM at the October 1990 AOPA Convention in Palm Springs, California. “At the convention we received a very positive response and many requests for a product that comprised all Parts 1-199 of Title 14 CFR, (the original Computerized FAR/AIM contained only Parts 1, 61, 67 and 91.) I guess that was the first indication that we were on to something.â€
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Aviation, technology, and the economy has changed significantly since then.
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“When we began exhibiting at tradeshows, the first question we would ask interested parties was “Do you have a computer?†Imagine that. We had purchased a Toshiba laptop (for $2000!) that had a mighty 20 MB hard drive – people would stop by our booth just to look at the laptop.
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“We initially offered our Computerized FAR/AIM in three different versions, (Airman, ATP and Professional – in four different formats. 5 ¼†DD, 5 ¼†HD†floppy disks†and the latest and greatest – 3 ½†DD and HD disks. When was the last time you used a floppy disk – or even saw one? It became a logistics nightmare to ship updates in all of these products in four formats and as we began to add additional publications – each sold separately – things only became more complicated. So we were delighted when CD-ROMs became common place. We combined all of our electronic publications onto one CD-ROM and it became the Computerized Aviation Reference Library and sold for about the same price as our first FAR/AIM.
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“Now that we are distributing our Digital Aviation Reference Library on DVD, I don’t suppose we’ll run out of room for a while yet, but it will be interesting to see how future technology will affect our business in the years to come.â€
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Aviation has changed quite a bit in the last 20 years, as well. The Woellhafs  had attended EAA conventions in Oshkosh Wisconsin several times, but the times they flew their own plane to the convention were truly memorable. They remember several times being in a line-up of planes that extended as far as they could see through the back window.
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Another favorite flying memory was flying from Phoenix to Salt Lake City over the Grand Canyon.
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“There’s nothing quite like flying over the Grand Canyon at 14,5000 feet – how many people get to do that! But my personal favorite is flying up among big beautiful fluffy clouds in perfect blue skies! It doesn’t get any better than that!â€
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About Summit Aviation
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In business since 1990 as a pioneer in aviation information technology, Summit Aviation was the first to electronically publish FAA publications. Summit Aviation continues today as the leader in electronic delivery of pertinent, updated, accessible regulatory information to the aviation community.
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Unless otherwise attributed, quotes are from Paula Woellhaf.
