The History of the Aircraft Wash Guys, Part One

Business scholars and students throughout recent periods have studied the fascinating business model of franchising. In the most history of commerce under a common currency from Amsterdam forward to the Global Power House of the United States of America we have seen franchises lead the way. The first franchise was said to be that of the Singer Sewing Machine. Yet if one were to carefully study the Catholic Church or even colonialism itself you can see that franchising or at least its structure is all over mankind's creations. This is on of the reasons we study franchising and franchised companies. From Ray Kroc at McDonalds to the modern day automaker dealerships, we see franchising's mark all over our civilization.

However rarely do we study the makings and grass roots humble beginnings of niche franchise companies. This article is about the history of just such a company. It is intriguing to read how franchises occur naturally in free market systems. Below is the story of how the Aircraft Wash Guys wash founded and how they got started in the Aircraft Washing Business. Although there is tremendous data and written articles to back it up, the story is written from a fictional point of view and opinion, so we do not intend to try to prove anything to anyone, nor do we want to get the founders in any trouble for the fun of the past. We claim freedom of speech, of the press in its entirety since a good part of it is opinion based. This of course should be familiar to any of those who have read the history of McDonalds in Ray Kroc's "Grinding it Out" or Subway Sandwich Story; "Start Small, finish Big."

The Aircraft Guys was not always called the Aircraft Wash Guys. The founder Mr. Lance Winslow's original company at age 12 was Speedy Waxers. He stared with partners. Andrew Rice and Mark Daily, who father both owned aircraft too. In Lance's family they had a Piper Colt, two-seater, which Lance had some 80 flying hours in. Andrew's dad bought a Cessna 150 and Mark's dad had Bellanca Decathlon and a Beech Bonanza. It was in the business of aircraft washing and waxing. Mark Daily became a businessman, Andrew Rice joined the Air Force. All three were in the Civil Air Patrol at the time. Andrew and Lance were also in the Boy Scout Aviation Explorers. Lance eventually came to own the business by himself and later sold this business to a friend, Glen Tierney, who was in the Junior ROTC. This was in 1979 at Camarillo Airport (CMA) in California near the Coast above Los Angeles. After selling Speedy Waxers, Lance went to work for a local McDonald's as an employee, for Clay Passion, Franchisee, who owned a Beechcraft Debonair that Lance use to wash on a weekly basis. Clay was a long time customer and his office staff were Car Washing customers for at least a decade in Lance's other company the Car Wash Guys; www.carwashguys.com . Clay promised Lance a quick advancement due to his previous business experience and aircraft washing loyalty. Lance was waiting for a turn to go into training to be an assistant manager. Meanwhile he read Ray Kroc's book and studied every single manual and videotape in the place and how every single detail was accounted for. WOW, he thought, this is how you really do it, this is when Lance decided he would emulate Ray Kroc whenever he could. Glen Tierney later joined the Air Force five months later and left the business.Lance recontacted all the customers and went back into business under the name Aero Wash, and then set up more units at Santa Paula Airport, Van Nuys, Oxnard Airport and even got accounts in Santa Barbara. Back then we washed 135 aircraft per week at approximately $10.00 each. (Can you imagine those prices today?)

Back then Lance thought he would try aircraft sales, however he was young and naive and nobody would give me a chance. He knew he would do well, he happen to know just about everyone at five different airports, contacts for sales would be a no-brainer. Not only was he young, but he was small for his age. It was hard enough to get people to let him wash their planes at age 12 let alone sell planes at age 15. So at 15 he formed an aircraft finders fee business and asked a commission for referring buyers. This was when the ITC-Investment tax credit was taken away, America was still in the energy crisis with high fuel prices and luxury tax law went into affect the next year and killed General Aviation. We still had the aircraft washing business, but Lance now armed with a driver's license at sixteen knew no limits. He started washing fleets for utility companies, California Highway Patrol, Post Office Jeeps, anything. At the time we had several Independent contractors we called "franchisees." Of course at the time Lance didn't really understand the total extent of what franchising was, he understood McDonald's and attention to details, but was only starting to grasp what he would some day become. Lance was winning in the market in the middle of the recession, he said we do not participate in recessions. We are good at the down times too, we have been there and we won and we understand the market and the sectors we are in. Here are some articles in the beginning. www.carwashguys.com/history/beginning.html

www.carwashguys.com/history/hist2.html

www.ca rwashguys.com/history/hist3.html

www.carwashguys.com/history/museum2.shtml

www.carwashgu ys.com/history/museum3.shtml

www.carwashguys.com/history/museum6.shtml

Lance started a company he called Speedy Aircraft Finders. As part of this business he started the first Aircraft Multi-Listing Service, which was online. Although the Internet was not really being used yet and TRS 80's were just hitting the market. He used dumb terminals and watts lines to send aircraft brokers updated listings. He sold approximately 40 or so aircraft back then and assisted other brokers in doing the same. He took on two partners and later they were able to squeeze lance out of the pattern. Two years later one of the gentleman later went to prison for embezzlement when he sold the same aircraft to three people, the other reprimanded on another deal and eventually lost everything.

Lance after being forced to sell his third of the business went to work for Air Camarillo and started the Aircraft Sales Department determined to out-sell those gentlemen. He did and everyone else too. Although he really did not like to do sales, he loved to fly the aircraft for sale. Sometimes he would insist that every buyer fly every single aircraft on the line for sale and many that Lance had brokered agreements, before they were allowed to make and offer, sign a conditional sales contract or buy an airplane. Thus Lance got more flying time in lots of cool aircraft and he doubts he ever had an unhappy customer, they always gave referrals and always came back. It was through this high volume of sales that Mira Slovak, a famous Russian Defector during the Cold War, came to Lance with a proposition to help him sell Partnavias. An Italian Built Aircraft, which Mira had the North American rights to sell. Lance became a dealer for that brand too.

One day Mira shows up in an Italian Bi-Plane and asks Lance if he wants to go for a ride. Lance says sure. Lance and Mira Slovak inventor of the aircraft maneuver the Lumshovak, fly to 300 AGL and do the inverted snap roll entry cartwheel and tumble through the sky. Lance was then hooked on aerobatics. There was a time when if Lance could not cage the gyros and in a plane so he could do a spin or a barrel roll or in aerobatic aircraft do a loop or tail slide he just wouldn't fly. He got over that quick enough, sometimes it gives you a real head ache.

End Part I

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

ABC News
Warning issued on some GE jet engine seals
The Gazette (Montreal), Canada - 57 minutes ago
The US Federal Aviation Administration said today seals on some General Electric turbofan engines should be replaced. It cited a 2004 fatal crash of a ...
House Passes Air Safety Bill To Limit FAA, Industry Ties Washington Post
Legislation limits aviation inspector moves The Associated Press
American changes instructions on lightning damage CNNMoney.com
Bloomberg - Wall Street Journalall 179 news articles

Aviation Takes Its Woes to Capitol Hill
Wired News - 52 minutes ago
Also behind this effort is Bob Crandall, the outspoken former CEO of American Airlines, who made waves last month by suggesting that US aviation be ...

Wavelit, Inc. Subsidiary Precision Aviation, Inc. Acquires ...
Earthtimes (press release), UK - 3 hours ago
About Precision Aviation, Inc. (wholly-owned subsidiary of Wavelit, Inc.) Precision Aviation, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation that develops, and manufactures ...

Gambling911.com
Emergency landing forces congressmen to miss aviation bill vote
USA Today - Jul 23, 2008
Ironically, the congressmen -– all from Texas –- were trying to make it back to Washington in time to vote on an aviation safety bill. ...
Congressman Ron Paul Was Flying to Vote on Aviation Safety Bill ... Gambling911.com
Congressmen from the Houston area were aboard the flight to DC Houston Chronicle
Congressmen Flying To Vote On Aviation Safety Bill Make Emergency ... FortBendNow
Seguin Gazette-Enterprise - The Associated Pressall 515 news articles

Aviation growth may return by Dec: Boeing
Sify, India - 12 hours ago
The number of airline passengers in India will continue to fall, at least until the end of the year, a senior executive with aircraft manufacturer Boeing ...
Slowdown in Indian aviation may end in a year: Boeing Hindu Business Line
Boeing raises India sales forecast by 10% Business Standard
Air India Unlikely To Buy More Planes In Current Government Tenure CNNMoney.com
Reuters - Sifyall 36 news articles

AFP
Qantas: 100000 aviation jobs to go this year
Transport and Logistics News, Australia - 9 hours ago
On the verge of peak oil, the global aviation industry will be forced to opt for consolidation with 100000 job cuts by the end of this year, Qantas chief ...
QF's Dixon: 'New aviation world order' ahead ATWOnline
Globalisation: Preparing Australian Aviation for a new world ... Peanuts! Low Cost Airline News
100000 tipped to lose jobs in aviation The Canberra Times
AFP - Sydney Morning Heraldall 103 news articles

Satyam Computer in aviation services alliance
Reuters India, India - Jul 23, 2008
4 software exporter, said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement with US-based Infospectrum to provide services for the aviation industry. ...
Satyam, Infospectrum join to serve aviation cos Moneycontrol.com
Satyam and Infospectrum Partner to Enhance Maintenance, Repair and ... MarketWatch
Satyam and Infospectrum sign agreement Trading Markets (press release)
all 27 news articles

Works Management
Rolls-Royce shrugs off civil aviation downturn with profits boost
Times Online, UK - 8 hours ago
An upbeat interim statement from Rolls-Royce, the aero-engine manufacturer, has largely shrugged off the effects of any downturn in civil aviation because ...
Rolls warns on civil aviation downturn Manufacturing Leaders Club
Rolls-Royce Group plc Interim Results 2008 Edubourse.com (Communiqués de presse)
Rolls-Royce Earnings Increase on Jet-Engine Orders (Update3) Bloomberg
Forbesall 39 news articles

Hyundai Heavy Industries to Set Foot in Aviation Industry
Trading Markets (press release), CA - 4 hours ago
The shipbuilding giant shows interest in China's air transportation industry because it is confident in the country's economy and regional aviation, ...

Experts: Greater Miami can support new aviation manufacturer
Miami Today, FL - 23 hours ago
By Risa Polansky A new aviation manufacturer could really take off in Greater Miami, experts say, supported by plentiful training programs, existing repair ...
Invasion of fig whitefly threatens South Florida ficus plants Sun-Sentinel.com
all 5 news articles

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Flying With Your Dog