Kelly Lurz and Todd Strause
UP & AWAY With a new FBO and an expanded runway
at the Clark County Regional Airport, PrivateFlite Aviation is ideally positioned to become a leader in bespoke charter flight services. Written by Bridget Williams / Photos by Tony Bailey Todd Strause still gets a twinkle in his eye when he recalls his first time flying private. The bonus of being a "right seat" passenger, which allowed him to watch the pilot in action, was enough to prompt him to enroll in flight school as soon as he returned home. "I was hooked," said Strause. Today, his aviation holdings include a few jet aircraft; PrivateFlite Aviation, a charter flight management company; and Aircraft Specialists, a maintenance, storage, and fueling facility with a dedicated FBO at the Clark County Regional Airport. More than a decade later, this multi-faceted entrepreneur readily admits to still being fascinated by aircraft and the privilege of private flight. "I could sit in our lobby and watch jets take off and land all day." Strause's customer service-centric approach aims to impart a similar level of giddiness to each of his clients, whether it's their first or 100th flight. According to Strause, having charter, maintenance, and FBO (fixed-base operation) services under one umbrella is rare in the aviation industry and a particular boon for clients interested in putting their aircraft into the charter pool. Just 10 minutes north of Louisville, PrivateFlite's home base is a newly opened 22,600 72 slmag.net
square-foot facility boasting a bevy of bells and whistles such as a complete kitchen with complimentary snacks and beverages, a comfortable lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the 7,000-foot runway, a large conference room, a pilot's lounge, and modern sparkling bathrooms. "It's all about doing the little things just a little better than everyone else," said Strause. Thinking post-pandemic, the FBO's 18,200 square-foot hangar with 28-foot doors, ample windows, and high-tech LED lighting will be an ideal site for hosting events. With only roughly half of the 15 acres they lease at the airport currently developed, plans are already underway to build another new hangar to accommodate their burgeoning business. More design element than amenity, a handsome lighted display case just inside the entry stops most visitors in their tracks. Stocked with some of the best bottles from Strause's burgeoning bourbon collection, his zeal as a rare spirit collector is nearly on par with his passion for aviation. Strause said he only began acquiring Kentucky's native spirit about five years ago, and since then has relished in the sport of attaining hard-to-get bottles. "Out of
