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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Security Aviation Celebrates 20 Years of Safe Flying Company continues O’Neill’s legacy of aviation integrity Susan Braund Petroleum Directory Contributing Writer
Some companies have catchy, attention-getting names, some simply describe their service, but others are right on point — like Security Aviation.
Customers who fly with this long-time Alaska-owned air charter can be secure in the knowledge that they come first, that pilots are well-trained, planes well-maintained and that safety is the watchword.
But Security’s President Joe Kapper doesn’t want you to take his word for it. He encourages consumers to do their own due diligence, “Ask about the charter company’s safety history and the pilot’s qualifications. Charter operators should freely offer you this information. Do your homework before choosing a company to fly you or your loved ones.” Big shoes Kapper took the helm of the company after the passing of his stepfather and company founder Mike O’Neill in late 2002.
“Mike lived and breathed the business. In 1994, he had his first heart attack, definitely a wake up call for our family. My wife and I had lived in Napa for 17 years at that point and decided it would be a good time to come home. Shortly upon returning to Alaska, I stepped in at Security Aviation in hopes of getting Mike to back off of work a little. He eventually purchased a cabin at Big Lake and became a commuter — in his Cessna 180 on floats. “He was finding there was more to life than work,” says Kapper, “Mike taught me a great deal, for which I’m grateful. He left some pretty big shoes to fill; I have a deep appreciation for what he built.” Security is synonymous with safety The company is based on a culture of safety. “It’s paramount to what Mike was trying to achieve. Safety has been the number one priority from day one and we have never wavered. After 20 years of accident-free flying, our customers expect it.”
Since 1998, aviation insurance in Alaska has skyrocketed. Accidents raise rates for everyone, regardless of individual safety records. Security Aviation, however, is proactive, putting earnings back into aircraft and training for pilots and mechanics. As a result, the company ranks in the top 3 percent for charter safety in the Lower 48 and Alaska combined.
Alaska requires $150,000 insurance coverage per seat, but Security doesn’t stop there. Kapper explains, “Because of our safety record, our history and the way we operate, our insurance company affords us the option to offer our clients the highest coverage currently attainable in the state at $10 million smooth.”
“Flying in Alaska is challenging. My crusade is to set the bar as high as possible so that others will follow. Aviation in Alaska is beginning to grow up — and it’s about time. There is no reason to take risks; your last great adventure should have nothing to do with air charter. A positive approach is long overdue. Credible aviation safety programs exist in Alaska, however the verdict is still out. The proof will be when insurance companies start lowering their rates based on individual operators’ performance.” Relax ... it’s a charter At Security Aviation, service starts from the moment a customer steps into the newly renovated company headquarters. The attention to detail is immediately obvious.
“Mike’s greeter board is the first thing you see after walking through the door — it’s a company tradition. The original board required hand-placing customized messages, letter by letter. It was near and dear to Mike— as it got tattered and worn, he spray-painted and repaired it. When he found a new electronic digital model he was like a kid with a new toy,” remembers Kapper. “It’s all about the customer.”
Security goes the extra mile for its clients. Accommodating dietary and beverage requests, providing courtesy shuttle vans, shopping for gear or groceries, planning logistics and on-board SAT-phones are just a handful of the services offered.
Clients include a whole gamut of folks. Author James Michener, President Jimmy Carter, golf-great Jack Nicklaus, members of Congress and state government, workers and execs from the oil, gas, mining, construction and fishing industries and Native corporations have flown with Security Aviation. The company’s U.S. Air Force Department of Defense contract is in its ninth year of transporting maintenance crews to remote radar sites, and in the summer, a steady stream of sport fishermen head for remote lodges.
Although they also fly in Canada, the Lower 48, Eastern Russia and more recently, India, the bulk of Security’s flying is within Alaska. Available 24/7, the charter is frequently called upon for emergency medical runs and to ferry critical parts from oil field to factory for immediate repairs.
Engineering firms and other agencies with multi-stop, complicated logistics planning, including ground transportation and lodging rely on Security’s flexibility. The company recently went above and beyond for an engineering firm that needed federal permits, expediting the process and saving the work season for the client. Pilots and planes Anticipating future purchases, Security keeps pulse on what aircraft best suit its expanding client base. Currently the fleet consists of a broad selection of twin-engine aircraft suited to Alaska’s environment: two Piper Navajo Chieftains, two turbo-prop Citation IIs and two Cessna Conquests.
The reliable and dependable Navajo is the twin-engine workhorse of Alaska. The fast and efficient fully pressurized turbo-prop Conquests and Citation Jet get up above the weather and work well for trips to the Aleutian Chain and Seattle. All of the aircraft have leather seats and interiors, club seating, refreshment centers and service tables.
The fleet is maintained in the 7,000 square foot company hangar, keeping four mechanics busy full time. In fact, the aircraft are so well maintained that the FAA chooses to do its proficiency training tests in them.
Security has some of the most stringent hiring standards for pilots in the industry. “We don’t hire young pilots looking to build flight time. We look for older, more mature experienced pilots with 5,000 hours total time, 2,000 hours multi-engine time and 1,000 hours Alaska time and experience in the aircraft type, plus an airline transport pilot (ATP) rating. All carry first class medical certificates, which require twice a year refreshers. All pilot hiring is done by a review panel. All pilots have commercial aviation backgrounds.” O’Neill’s credo endures “What sets us apart?” asks Kapper. “Although we are a Part 135 operator, we choose to operate as a 121 commercial operator in regard to safety operations, which makes us even more credible. We’ve been able to provide the highest level of safety and service on a day-in day-out basis because of policies and procedures set up by Mike. His safety directive, posted the day the doors opened in 1985 still hangs on the wall. It reads, simply, “To all pilots and staff: There is no flight that you have to make. If you have any reservations about the weather, aircraft load, aircraft mechanical condition, runway condition, or your own ability, do not make the flight. There will be no pressure by me, staff, or any client to push a pilot into anything that is not safe. This policy applies to all flights, even those of an emergency nature.”
Matt Thomas, director of operations and safety, joined the company in 2002. Prior to that, he flew for major airlines and air taxis and as an Air National Guard reserve pilot. Further, he spent time as an FAA Safety Inspector and Accident Investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
“Having flown in Alaska since the late ‘80s and working as an NTSB investigator in the late ‘90s, I developed a very short list of companies I would be interested in flying and working for. When Mike O’Neill offered me the opportunity to be his director of safety and operations at Security Aviation, I felt honored. Customer service, reliability and a major emphasis on safety — that says it all for me.”
Editor’s note: Susan Braund owns Firestar Media Services in Anchorage, Alaska.
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