Paul Sallach Of All In Aviation On The Future Of Aviation and Aviation Tech
An Interview With David Leichner
Having Integrity — Whether you’re selling aircraft, flying a plane, or working as an aircraft mechanic, having integrity is important. If you compromise your integrity by overlooking a small detail or situation, you may find yourself with a bigger situation or run the risk of someone getting harmed.
As part of our series about “The Future Of Aviation”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Sallach.
As founder and president of All In Aviation, the only Platinum Cirrus Training Center in Southern Nevada, Sallach manages business operations, functions as chief flight instructor and oversees the quality of instruction given to clients. Sallach has more than 15 years of experience in aircraft sales with more than 650 transactions, and over 7,500 hours of incident free flying. He is certified as an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) and CFII (Certified Flight Instructor — Instrument) and has been awarded with numerous business and industry accolades, including 2020’s “Small Business Person of the Year” for the state of Nevada from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Vegas Inc’s “40 Under 40” in 2021, recognizing the top 40 most influential professionals in Las Vegas.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Getting to where I am today was a pretty interesting path. I initially started in aviation because I didn’t want to have a desk job and the furthest thing from a desk is probably 35,000 feet. So, I thought I’d go to school to be a pilot, having never flown a plane before. At first the pursuit was just to be free and it seemed like a fun lifestyle. It’s funny now in retrospect, I pretty much sit at a desk all day long.
I studied to be an airline pilot, and right as I was done with school, September 11th happened. There were no more airline jobs at that time, so I was forced to look at other opportunities that were available in the industry. And this new little aircraft manufacturer that nobody had heard of, Cirrus Aircraft, was looking for flight instructors. I applied and have been on that path ever since. It wasn’t on purpose that I ended up where I am, but I think God works in weird ways and I’m happy that His path has taken me to where I am now.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
It would have to be when I flew with the Prince of Abu Dhabi. I was working the Dubai air show in 2007 as a Cirrus demo pilot when the Prince came to the booth looking to buy a fleet of airplanes to match his fleet of Mercedes. He wanted them customized in 15 different colors, so they made up a rainbow when parked next to his cars. The VP of sales for Cirrus set up his demo flight with me as his pilot and arranged for us to land at the Abu Dhabi military airport where only VIPs and the military are permitted to fly. So, I departed from Dubai and flew to Abu Dhabi with the call sign “VIP One,” which is similar to “Airforce One,” to pick up the Prince in a Cirrus aircraft. Once the Prince boarded, we took off and he asked me to fly over his beach house and island where he was having the letters of his name excavated in the form of a canal so that when you looked at Abu Dhabi on Google Earth, you would be able to see his name carved out of the sand!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The thing about aviation is that there are a lot of checklists and protocols to make sure you don’t make mistakes. It’s very much a standardized process, especially when you’re in a university setting. Things there are almost militant, in terms of how you do things, to help mitigate any risk that there might be.
Ironically though, there was this one time when I landed at an airport that didn’t have any fuel left. I should have known before going there, but I didn’t review the “Notice to Airmen” (NOTAM) alert prior to arriving. That was a mistake because I landed at this airport with the minimum fuel that I feel comfortable flying with and needed to get gas. And at that point, you’re thinking “oh no, what do I do?” So, I had to figure out a way to fly 10 miles to a different airport to fuel up. It was very nerve-wracking, to say the least, because you have personal minimums. You can’t just pull over in an airplane, so you need to make sure that you plan better. The whole experience taught me a lesson about diligently checking my NOTAMs.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I’m extremely grateful for Mark Rogers, the owner of Lone Mountain Aircraft. When I worked at Cirrus, he was always known as the “pre-owned” guy that would show up at trade shows and marketing events. I was in this pursuit of wanting to become a new aircraft salesperson, but he kept saying, “Paul, you should come sell used airplanes.” I’d pushed it aside for a very long time, until the economic recession of 2008 when new airplanes were no longer a hot commodity. But, used airplanes always sell. If the market goes down, they’re still going to sell but at a lower price. And as a pre-owned representative, I’m working on a commission. So, if I’m working on a commission of a lower-end number, in theory, it’s still a deal. Whereas, if people aren’t buying brand new airplanes, there are no deals to be had. Mark saw the ability in me and asked me to move out to Las Vegas, for which I’m extremely appreciative. He has allowed me to do my own thing by building my business the way I wanted to, with the flight school and aircraft rentals going through All In Aviation, and all my aircraft sales going through Lone Mountain Aircraft.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1. Interpersonal Communications — As an aircraft salesman, pilot, and business owner, the single biggest character trait is your knowledge and ability to communicate with others. Whether they’re looking to purchase a plane, seeking advice on becoming a pilot themselves, are new to the industry, or want to become a business partner, you have to be able to talk to people. If you can’t communicate intelligently, people don’t respect you.
2. Having Integrity — It’s hard when you’re selling a pre-owned airplane or any airplane. Things are going to come up, and if you’re not forthright in disclosing those things it will come back to bite you. As a company, we’ve been pretty good about trying to get ahead of things, though. It’s not a comfortable conversation to have when a plane isn’t working like it’s supposed to but being able to tell clients what’s going on ahead of time has been important.
3. Persistence and Work Ethic — Everybody thinks aviation and aviation sales are easy, but they’re not. Both are a lot of work. I’ve worked for a very long time, like 80 hour weeks, that’s just the way we roll. I go to work in the morning, work at the office, then you go home, hang out with the kids, they go to bed, and then work until you go to sleep. That was my M.O. for a very, very long time — just having the tenacity and the hard work ethic to see things through to the end.
Thank you for that. Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the Aviation and Air Travel industries?
All In Aviation is bringing a different approach to the aviation industry with our flight school. Flight schools, not including institutions, are typically a “Ma & Pa” type of operation where an individual or partners have a passion for aviation and are doing their best to make a living out of it. They may or may not do the best job at running the business, though. I’ve taken it from the opposite perspective. I love aviation but implementing things like a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is not normal in the flight school world. Neither is having core values or things that are business-oriented like QuickBooks, invoicing, and such — all of which All In Aviation has. I think part of the reason that we’re so successful is that we’re proactive about taking care of customers.
Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing these innovations?
I’d say the biggest pain point is just having buy-in from everybody internally. They say, “bad data in equals bad data out,” but with a CRM system, we’re able to keep track of all of our customer and student data, as well as interactions and transactions, to implement any changes. If we’re not fully implementing and adopting new tools for efficiency, then it’s just a waste of money. Everybody’s stuck in their ways of doing things, they’ve always done it. Change is hard, and the painful part is getting people to accept the changes we make.
How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?
It’s a difficult task at first, introducing change, but once people realize the benefits and see the fruits of their labor come to life, they’re all in. It’s like going to work out. You hate going to work out but once you see results, you like it.
My expertise is in product security, so I’m particularly interested in this question. Recently there were famous cases of hackers breaking into the software running automobiles, for ransomware or for other malicious purposes. Based on your experience, what should aviation companies do to uncover vulnerabilities in the development process to safeguard their vehicles and aircraft?
There are several trade organizations dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of the aviation industry. However, if aviation manufacturers like Cirrus, Cessna, and Boeing want to test their systems and fix vulnerabilities as they develop new aircraft, they should hire a team of researchers and cybersecurity analysts. Having an internal team of analysts will help aviation companies keep their systems up-to-date and free from any holes or vulnerabilities that would allow hackers in.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Aviation Industry?
The three character traits I mentioned before hold true for really anybody that wants to work in the aviation industry. Without them, and other skills, you’ll struggle to achieve a successful career.
1. Interpersonal Communications — Interpersonal communications is important in any part of the aviation industry. Whether you become a pilot, a Certified Flight Instructor, a flight attendant, or an aircraft salesperson, you’re constantly interacting with people. Being able to communicate with others, as well as read people’s body language and reactions, is key in delivering great customer service, developing relationships with your students or clients, and gaining respect.
2. Having Integrity — Whether you’re selling aircraft, flying a plane, or working as an aircraft mechanic, having integrity is important. If you compromise your integrity by overlooking a small detail or situation, you may find yourself with a bigger situation or run the risk of someone getting harmed.
3. Hard Work & Dedication — As I mentioned before, working in aviation is no joke. Whether you want to be a private pilot or work in the commercial setting, being a pilot takes hard work and dedication. You not only have to pass a written test, but a practical check ride test, meet a required amount of flight time — whether it’s instructed, simulated, solo, or in an instrument — and earn certain certificates. You also have to receive recurrent training to maintain currency and recency of experience recommendations for Cirrus or other aircraft manufacturers you fly, the FAA, and private insurance carriers.
4. Have a Clean Background — I know this sounds obvious, but aviation is a federally regulated job. If you want to be a pilot, or go into any career in the aviation industry, you need to follow federal laws, guidelines and regulations, not just local laws. For example, marijuana is legalized by the state of Nevada, but not by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). That means if your DOT/FAA drug test comes back positive for marijuana, you’ll be unqualified to hold an FAA-issued medical certificate.
5. Being a Networked Individual — Like any industry, being a networked individual with a good reputation will help you in your career progression, especially if you’re trying to get into a highly sought-after company or position. For example, if you want to be a captain at Delta, it’s good to know people who work there to open the door for you and be a good reference. If you want to be a corporate pilot for Wynn, you need to make sure that you’re nice with all the aviation people in Las Vegas and you’ll get a reputation.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
There are so many amazing movements out there that I’m not really sure what kind I would want to start. If I could amplify a current movement though, I would focus around paying it forward and giving back to the community. All In Aviation gives back to the community by sponsoring a select number of Las Vegas nonprofit organizations and donating to their fundraising events.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
For additional information on All In Aviation call 702-ALL-IN22 (702–255–4622), visit https://www.allinaviation.com/ or follow All In Aviation on social media on Facebook at @AllInAviation and Instagram at @AllInAviation.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is the Chairman of the Friends of Israel and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.
