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entertainment, zoos, aquariums, re- sorts, museums and corporate ven- ues. Many of his clients and job sites are not close to major airports, which was a core reason behind getting a plane. Travel time is shortened by private flying, with more time for face-to-face meetings to discuss and view plans and models.
Getting started as a pilot had more challenges than just money. Wick claims his first flight instructor tried to fire him a few times. He started his training at Hayesfield in Ellicott City, Maryland (which has since closed). The instructor was incredibly knowl- edgeable and patient, but originally only wanted to do one lesson per week. Wick was more interested in getting his license as quickly as pos- sible and didn’t want bad weather on his “one day” to throw him even farther behind. He also wanted to learn how to fly and not just learn what he needed to know to pass a test, and he felt this instructor was the best person to help him do that. Finally, they negotiated a schedule that worked for both of them and Wick got his license in about a year.
Wick bought his first plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza A36, shortly after getting his license. He flew the Bonanza for about 12 years be- fore moving up to a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron. His appreciation for the quality of Beechcraft planes started with a Beechcraft V-tail at the airfield where he learned to fly. Ultimately the A36 won him over because compared to the V-tail it has a little more room and a better center of gravity (CG) envelope, which gave Wick more flexibility when loading the plane.
His current plane, a Cessna Citation CJ1 (CE-525), is his first Cessna and his first jet. As you would expect from an engineer, Wick did a lot of research before buying the plane and ultimately settled on the CJ1 primar- ily due to the quality of construction, longevity of the model’s production, and because it was certified for sin- gle-pilot operation. He was impressed that the 525 was designed to Part 25 standards, which are the standards used for transport category airplanes.
J. Wickham Zimmerman and his wife Allison with their Citation CJ1.
He and his wife, Allison, have been flying their CJ1 for about six years.
On average, the Zimmermans fly between 150 to 200 hours per year, though they are expecting a slightly busier year this year. Most of those flights are for business. Their company is headquartered in Ana- heim, California, with an office in Dallas, so they do many flights be- tween the two cities. They also travel to Boise and Salt Lake City regularly and make a trip to the East Coast ev- ery few months for work and family visits. Working on up to 20 projects or more at a time like Wick’s team does means efficiency is so important.
Wick’s engineering background and track record of problem-solving for his clients fit well with his pilot sensibilities. The math and science that go into constructing a function- ing fountain that shoots water 150 feet into the air and is choreographed to music follow the same rules in- volved in the aerodynamics of flight – movement, gravity and resistance. That is combined with the beauty of the final product, whether it is a spectacular light and water show or a natural-looking home for a family of penguins. It is easy to compare that creative vision to the majestic beauty
you see looking out of an airplane as you come over a mountain or watch the sunset from the sky.
While Wick is the official pilot, he is encouraging Allison to consider getting her license. She took a brief course at last year’s Citation Jet Pilot (CJP) Convention and is considering more lessons. However, Wick said there is a big benefit to having her on the radio – the controllers always like her better and are generally nicer.
In August of 2019, Wick said they made a change to their CJ1 that has had a big impact on their flights: they added Tamarack Aerospace’s Active Winglets. He was familiar with the science behind winglets and had flown a Beechcraft Duke and King Air with passive winglets, though ulti- mately didn’t buy those planes. He liked that the Active Winglets didn’t require any structural modifications. The fuel savings he has seen has been most apparent on his frequent trips to Dallas. Typically, they use 150 lbs less fuel each way to make the trip. And while they could typically make the trip from California to Dal- las without stopping, on the return flight, it was always a 50/50 chance of whether they would have to refuel because of the headwinds. Because
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