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Allen Wood with three of his six grandchildren.
In addition to providing a platform for impactful relief trips, aircraft ownership has benefitted Wood per- sonally and professionally.
“I have always flown as a hobby, though occasionally f lew to attend meetings. I was in the lumber and building material business for 40 years, and through friendships and profes- sional associations, I started exporting building materials to the Caribbean, primarily The Bahamas.”
Throughout his 50 years of f lying, Wood owned two aircraft prior to the 2016 Kodiak. “I first owned a Cessna 182Q and flew that for 18 years. I then wanted to get my multi-engine rating and started flying a Piper Aztec. Coin- cidentally, I also flew the Aztec for 18 years until I sold my businesses and bought the Kodiak.”
Wood’s f lying is the byproduct of an introductory flight lesson from when he was a teenager. “I got into aviation when my mother got me an introductory f light when I was prob- ably 15. I soloed as soon as I legally could, shortly after my sixteenth birth- day, and I’ve been flying ever since. I think next year will be 50 years of fly- ing. That introductory f light sparked something for me.”
Just as a parent stoked his interest in flying, the same has occurred to both of his children. “My daughters are both interested in f lying, and my oldest daughter has her private
pilot license. They grew up flying to The Bahamas for weekends and vaca- tions. I now fly with my six grandkids, and it’s a planeload with only half the family onboard.”
In addition to the sweeping views from the eight cabin windows, Wood is confident that the cabin experience in his aircraft is first class for all his passengers. “My aircraft has the ‘Sum- mit’ interior, which is the executive interior package. The airplane has big, comfortable leather seats in a club configuration plus another two. The seats recline and the cabin is roomy. Everybody has a USB plug, cup holder and a little pocket to store stuff in on the cabin sidewall, so it’s extremely comfortable with a full plane.”
He also mentioned that he has yet to be forced to utilize the cabin’s full util- ity. “I’ve hauled freight and cargo in the cabin after taking all of the seats out. But I don’t think I’ve ever put luggage in the plane. The exterior cargo pod has 750 pounds of payload capability.”
Between work and leisure, the fam- ily has flown to The Bahamas hun- dreds of times over the years. Ever quick to talk about the islands, Wood explained a few of his favorites.
“I love the Abacos and have a lot of history there. Staniel Cay is another really good one. Those are a couple of my favorites, but there are a lot of good islands down there. It’s an easy trip, and it’s a very aviation friendly
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October 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 27