By Michelle Adserias

Carollyne’s husband, Eric, flies at least three times a week and often invites her to go with him. When he first began flying, she was eager to join him. But, as time passed, they fell into the habit of flying to the same three airports where they knew a crew car was available. As much as she loved spending time with Eric, she was a bit bored with their routine. “It got to the point where I would say ‘As long as we don’t land, honey, yes, I’m coming with you.’”

It was out of Carollyne’s personal experience that Fly-Inn. com was born. It began small, with a parcel of their own land that was suitable for a landing strip, which they made avail­able for guests. They provided tie downs for the plane and a campsite for the pilots and passengers. They hoped those who enjoyed their hospitality might return the favor, giving them new destinations to explore. The idea caught on. Before long people were asking Carol­lyne to help them rent out their aviator-friendly properties and bring in additional income. Fly-Inn’s original website only provided information about various properties available to aviators. Carolynne and her daughter, Kenya, were soon busy keeping a growing business running

After four years of working out the legalities, Fly-Inn.com was updated last year to include an online booking feature. As customers were using the site, some had questions or en­countered problems. Since Fly-Inn’s business motto is, “You SQUAWK, we WILCO,” Carollyne addressed these concerns in their recent website redesign, making it as user-friendly as possible. It now includes an interactive map with all their current locations and filters that allow pilots to locate only properties with their specific needs in mind.

Become a Host

Those interested in becoming Fly- Inn.com hosts or hostesses can choose the Become a Host option at the top of their website and fill out the registration form. There are four things you and your property must offer to be part of the Fly-Inn community.

Hosts Must Provide

Accommodations: From campsites to mansions, Fly-Inn hosts offer it all. Camp out for as little as $10 a night or enjoy a luxurious mansion for $800 a night. Most stays fall somewhere in be­tween these two extremes and average about $100 per night.

Cancellation policies are determined by the property owner, so they vary. However, most hosts are part of the avia­tion community and understand the im­pact weather can have on travel plans — so the cancellation terms are usually very generous.

A Place to Land: Many Fly-Inn prop­erties are on a runway or in an airpark. Some have their own runway, helipad, or float pond. Others offer a place to stay within a short distance of the near­est airport. Pilots can filter the listings to eliminate any options they don’t find appealing.

Secure Storage: Each location offers either tie downs or space in a hangar. Tie downs are more common.

Access to a Vehicle: Each host agrees to make a vehicle available, either as a courtesy or a low-cost rental, to their guests. This is a crucial part of the ser­vice. It gives pilots and their passengers freedom not only to explore new places but to go adventuring once they are on the ground.

Fly-Inn Locations

Fly-Inn currently has 120 prop­erties in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Carollyne noted there are some family-friendly locations, such as the property in the Florida Keys (Marathon, Florida) with its lazy river or the Monroe, Wisconsin farm with its interactive farm tour and trail rides. There is also a filter for finding pet-friendly facilities.

Carollyne is actively seeking out new locations in the Caribbean Is­lands and in U.S. territories, such as Guam and Puerto Rico. Expanding overseas might also be an option, though that can be a little more complicated because of the varied laws defining residential and commercial properties.

The “Why”

Every company has a reason for existing, a purpose that drives their work’s why. Fly-Inn’s why is not just to offer pilots more options for adventures — though that’s a big part of it. Carollyne and her team do work hard to build camaraderie in the flying community. Their why also incorporates their compassion for those in this world who are suffering.

Fly-Inn is actively helping to eradicate poverty in often forgotten villages across Asia, Africa, and South America by donating 10% of their profit. They invest the remaining profits back into the company to make it as successful as possible so they can help as many impoverished souls as pos­sible. They are currently planning a late summer trip to Pakistan.

Final Thoughts

“Fly-Inn is a family of pilots — built by pilots for pilots. We’re all in the same boat. We have these airplanes. We want to be able to go places. So, we’re making our spaces available to each other so we can all enjoy going somewhere and using our airplanes the way they were meant to be used, instead of sitting in the hangar. It opens up all sorts of possibilities and you get to make friends along the way — with people who share the same pas­sion for aviation.”