By: Andrew Henley
In aviation, there are many people behind the scenes that help schools like American Flyers reach their goals. We consider ourselves fortunate to have a great team of Instructors, Mechanics, Operations and Sales staff, as well as other team members not directly employed by American Flyers. One such person that we’ve had the pleasure of working with is Marty Finlayson. Marty has been an integral part of American Flyers for more than 45 years. Based in West Chicago, he owns and operates Cameron Printing, a print and advertising agency. To us, he’s more than just a vendor, but a friend and someone we can count on when needed most.
In the early 1970’s, American Flyers (formerly Aviation Training Enterprises or A.T.E.) purchased a large printing press without having anybody on staff that knew how to operate the machine. Given our absolute need for advertising, this problem demanded a fast solution. We put out an ad seeking an individual with the knowledge and skill to operate the press while hoping they would also possess marketing and advertising skills to take American Flyers to the next level. Luckily for us, Marty responded to the ad.
Marty worked for A.T.E. for a few years before deciding that he wanted to pursue entrepreneurship and open his own print shop. As time passed and his business grew, one thing never changed – Marty’s loyalty to A.T.E./American Flyers. No matter the time or day, he has been there for us when we needed him.
Marty’s genius is keeping up with the trends, how many pilot certificates were issued last month, and how that compares to the month or year prior. He is also a master of list and database management, especially important to our Flight Instructor Revalidation Course (FIRC) students. With Marty’s help, American Flyers is able to ensure that not one CFI is forgotten. He understands pilots, knows what is important to them, what makes them tick, and how they need to be supported. His knowledge and wisdom have been a perfect marriage to American Flyers, where our mission statement has been, ‘Supporting Pilots Since 1939’ and nobody does that better than Marty Finlayson.
When Marty is not at work, you’ll find him; spending time with his family, watching his grandkids play high school football, teaching his grandkids how to shoot a bow and arrow in their basement archery range, or on the golf course.
Marty understands his clients’ needs, their industry, and works tirelessly to ensure their success. To us, he is a dear friend, a comrade in arms, and a reliable asset.
Marty, we thank you for your service and congratulate you on a successful career! We look forward to working with you for years to come.