About

Hi…My name is Jim Holdeman

I am an active Private Pilot with Tail Wheel, High Performance, and Complex endorsements. I have experience in 24 different single engine aircraft types plus one twin…a Brittan-Norman Islander. I have about 700 hours total flight time. I am also an A&P. My professional aviation career started in 1970 when I was hired by Delta Airlines as a ramp agent at O’Hare International (ORD) and then temporarily ended in 1977 during the beginning of airline deregulation.

From 1977-1981 I began my second professional career in the car business ( yeah, I can already hear you thinking…a car guy). More on that if you read on.

1981 through 1985 I was active duty Navy with VT-23 ( The Professionals) based at NAS Kingsville, TX. I was assigned to VT-23 as an AMS ( Aircraft Structural Mechanic) rebuilding T2C air-frames that had been scavenged for parts, low/high power turn qualified, rigging, troubleshooting, and eventually becoming backseat qualified in the North American T2C Buckeye. Late 1985 I returned to the car business and stayed in Navy active reserves assigned to VP-90 NAS Glenview, Chicago, IL maintaining P-3’s.

1985-2004, I was the guy you loved to hate…a used car manager, for a couple of prominent suburban Chicago car dealerships. I stopped counting after appraising over 50,000+ cars, trucks, motor homes, occasional boats and airplanes. I was also a buyer for several car collections buying 450+ classics, muscle-cars, high performance trucks, and motorcycles. The purchase of those vehicles helped support my enjoyment of owning, building, restoring, and racing my own unusual taste in performance cars.

I have a respect for any brand, type of car/truck, import or domestic that someone has spent, time, money, and good old fashion hard work modifying or restoring cars or trucks. But I like to make cars or trucks go fast that most folks would not think were performance oriented.

My favorites are Rambler/AMC’s followed by Studebakers. I have had the privilege of owning/racing a 1970 AMC Rebel Machine, 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360, 1974, Javelin 360, Go Package/4speed, 1962 Rambler Classic, and my present odd ball, a 1963 V-8 powered, Studebaker Lark. My wife loves pick up trucks, so her current performance ride is a potent 340 powered 1978 Dodge D-100 with factory A/C.

2004-2011…Operations Director/FBO Owner modifying Cessna 182’s for overseas mission work. My wife and I provided flight training for missionary pilots, apprentice mechanical work leading to an A&P license to maintain them, and prepare the families spiritually while providing alternative health practice training to stay as healthy as possible under less than ideal circumstances. We operated a flight school for anyone seeking a Private Pilot’s License and FBO working on “civilian” customer’s general aviation airplanes as a self-supporting ministry to place our missionary aircraft and families in the field.

2012-2016…Became an over the road truck driver to pay the bills when our airport lease expired ending our mission aviation phase of life. It is amazing how similar churches and car dealerships are so alike.

2016 – 2019 …back in aviation as the Director of Development for a prominent FAA Part 145 Repair Station/Refurbishment center upgrading airplanes ranging from popular piston singles/twins, warbirds, turbines, to jets with a core business of aircraft such as the King Air, Citation, Challenger, Lear, and Beechcraft Premiers.

2019 – Present…Director of Sales and Marketing for a major aviation on-line media company.

Currently, my wife and I own, maintain, and fly a 1953 Beechcraft D-35 Bonanza equipped with a 225HP Continental E-225-8, Beech 215 electric prop, pressure carb, speed slope windshield, “M” tips, S-TEC 30 auto pilot with altitude hold, and a host of old and older avionics/instruments stuffed all over the now 67 year old panel. It is not a rat nor a show queen. It is, however, a very economical 185mph airplane, that is an absolute hoot to fly. I am five months older than the Bo. We understand each other quite well.