EatSleepFly names new female owner

One Above Aviation, better known by its trademark EatSleepFly based at John Wayne Airport, has announced its new sole owner and president, Anna Robinson — a local resident from Orange County, California, who started at One Above on June 28, 2018, after purchasing the company from an individual on the East Coast.

At 31, Robinson is one of the youngest female owners of an aviation company in the United States. She hopes this will be an encouragement to others and lead for progressive change to see an increase of young and female aviators.

This summer, One Above has already seen a 17 percent increase year on year of career-oriented students enrolling, and the company sees no sign of slowing in the next 12 calendar months given the push from domestic media recognizing the need for pilots within the industry, as well as scholarships that are available for men and women.

As owner and president, Robinson has over seven years of experience in the aviation industry. Her original interest started when she met her husband back in 2009 when he was working as an instructor pilot, and she noticed how much fun he was having at the local airport.

With a bachelor’s degree in aviation administration, graduating with honors summa cum laude from California State University, Los Angeles, she also has a lot of support from alumni in Southern California — some of whom are also local at John Wayne Airport.

As a small operator currently managing eight aircraft and an annual turnover of almost $2.1 million, One Above Aviation flight school is slowly gaining more popularity and presence in Southern California as a dominant flight training school, the company said.

Robinson said, “It is an honor to lead an organization that allows me to witness people, of all walks of life, as each person discovers and develops their own connection to aviation and achieve their pilot goals. It was an obvious choice to lead a team and a business that has an incredible track record.

“The flight school is known worldwide for its advanced training and fun social outreach — who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Especially in one of the best training areas on the planet. I hope to encourage other young men and women looking to get into aviation and show them anything is possible.”

Like most budding aviators, in her spare time she can also be found at the airport as a student helicopter pilot with the theory knowledge exam passed.

Looking forward, One Above Aviation plans to incorporate the advances of technology and use virtual reality in its pre-flight classes.