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and incorporated dealerships in Piper and Beech aircraft, and Elliott became the first independent contractor to offer twin-engine charters from the Quad Cities. In 1947, they became an exclusive dealer of Beechcraft prod- ucts. During this time, Elliott added aircraft maintenance services to its sales and flight instruction portfolio.
In 1954, Herb and Arlene welcomed their son, Wynn, into the world. Wynn would go on to become instrumental in tremendous growth at Elliott. He
Herb and Arlene Elliott.
would also lead the company into its third era as an independent aviation powerhouse. The company opened a location in Des Moines in 1958, moved its headquarters to Moline, Illinois, in 1961, and debuted its Minneapolis facility in 1972.
Over the years, Herb and Arlene received numerous civic and indus- try awards. In the mid 1970s, Beech- craft presented the Elliott’s with the first-ever “Team of the Year” award to replace its “Man of the Year” award. The couple is listed in the Beechcraft Hall of Fame and has re- ceived the National Air Transportation Association’s Distinguished Service Award. Herb and Arlene were also the first married couple to share induc- tion into the Quad City Area Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.
In 1974, Arlene was appointed to the Board of Directors of the First Trust & Savings Bank in Davenport. She was the first female board member of any
Quad City area bank and served as a member of the board for more than 20 years. She also served as board secre- tary for the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend in the 1990s.
Arlene chose to focus on promoting general aviation and is widely cred- ited with persuading banks to finance purchases of business aircraft, which enabled a broader range of entrepre- neurs to gain access to these power- ful business tools. She also served as the primary financial officer for Elliott Aviation for much of her career and treasurer on the Elliott Aviation Board of Directors. In recognition of her more than 60 years in the indus- try, in 1999, Arlene was inducted into the Women In Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. The Elliotts’ passion for aviation enabled the com- pany to grow from humble beginnings to nationally recognized prominence as a full-service business aircraft sales and technical services company
with facilities and dealerships in the Quad Cities, Des Moines, Iowa, Min- neapolis, Minn., and Omaha, Neb.
Wynn assumed the company’s helm in 1993, overseeing its entire network of operations and extensive expansions. And in 1995, Elliott Flying Service changed its name to Elliott Aviation, a decision by Wynn to better position the brand in the ultra-competitive business aviation environment. After all of the changes during the 1990s, Beechcraft became Elliott Aviation’s largest customer. Elliott’s list of STCs and exclusive noise-canceling sys- tems installed on new King Airs po- sitioned the company well to weather all of the changes.
A new aircraft completion center and a paint facility opened in Mo- line in 2003. The completion center offers turnkey custom interior de- sign services, custom woodworking, cabinetry, avionics installations and modifications, noise reduction instal- lations, and paint.
Then in December 2005, we lost a true aviation pioneer and success- ful entrepreneur in Herb Elliott. His recognitions and affiliations includ- ed receiving two of the National Air Transportation Association’s awards, the Distinguished Service Award and the William A. Ong Memorial Award, as well as induction into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame. His 90 years were dedicated to his family, his community and to the aviation indus- try he loved. Don Herrman, a former Elliott employee and friend of Herb’s, said, “Herb frequently expressed his belief that the most important word in the dictionary is imagination.”
May 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 19