King Air Pilot – Charleston, South Carolina

When Hurricane Helene ravaged much of western North Carolina last fall, Dave Kinser was among the many people who found themselves in the wrong place, at the wrong time.  Before too long, though, Dave found himself in the right place, at the right time — thanks to JetPro Pilots.

Dave is a pilot whose family and business life were upended by the storm that unexpectedly battered the Appalachians after initially hitting Florida. Dave is also a man of great faith and believes his misfortune has been a gateway to new and exciting opportunities.

“I never thought, a year ago, of moving from Asheville,” Dave said in a recent interview.  He grew up there, was educated at nearby Guilford College, and operated a scuba dive shop between his KingAir 200 contract flights. “Then came the storm, and I found myself at a time in my life when I needed help.”

Aviation has been part of his life since Dave was an 8-year-old flying with his father, who was a real-estate developer in Asheville. Dave’s first job was on the flight line at an Asheville airport, which led him into pilot’s training and a private license at age 16. That was followed by a commercial pilot’s license and flight instructor certification during his college years. Dave then took his place in the family business as a pilot, primarily in the mid-Atlantic area, from 1987-1999.

From here it was on to another large, national operator, where Dave logged 15,000 flight hours over the next two decades, mostly flying Falcons and Citations. As his family grew and his schedule became more complicated, Dave, an avid diver, opened his scuba shop while continuing to fly as a contract pilot. Dave discovered JetPro Pilots through LinkedIn and became acquainted with Seth Roberts, who heads the JetPro Recruit program that finds full-time work for corporate pilots.  Dave & Seth began to build a working relationship, getting to know each other, and exploring future opportunities.

When the storm struck, Dave knew he’d have to sell the dive shop and return to flying. After having already established a relationship with Seth, Dave reached back out to see what JetPro might be able to find for him. 

“Our home had no phone service and no water,” he recalled of a pivotal conversation the two had last October. “So I had to call Seth while I was sitting in my car in a church parking lot, with the phone plugged into the cigarette lighter. Three hours later, he had something for me.”

In that time, Seth identified a JetPro client that was in need of a King Air pilot, contacted them, provided a brief synopsis of Dave’s background to the client, who seemed open to the opportunity, and then followed back up with Dave provide the details and offer some hope. 

During the interview process, Seth was in constant communication with both Dave & the JetPro client, and he was able to help resolve questions and help facilitate the discussions & interviews.

Dave was ultimately hired full-time, and he now flies a King Air 250 for the JetPro client business based in Charleston, S.C.  He and his wife Christy have a house in Burnsville, near Asheville, and a new residence in Charleston for his aviation job. Dave says Seth and JetPro have really helped it all come together.

Seth continues to check in, even after the placement, to ensure things are going well in his new role…and maybe to chat about the local cuisine in Charleston.

“His professionalism was amazing,” Dave complimented Seth. “He was very knowledgeable with his background, and because of that, I’ve referred some of my pilot friends to JetPro.”

“I believe the good Lord had his hand in this,” Dave concluded. “No one could have orchestrated this other than Him. I am truly blessed to be working with Seth and JetPro and would highly recommend them.”