Dear Fellow Pilot,
As King Schools approaches our 50th anniversary, you may enjoy the story of how we got started. Starting business meant putting posters up in December 1974 for classes at local flight schools in 
San Diego. John still remembers how his contact lenses absorbed the chalk dust, requiring him to replace lenses on a regular basis. We were airplane-less due to a business and personal bankruptcy the previous year. It wasn’t long, though, before we joined the San Diego Flying Club and started flying their Debonair to the classes.
Soon we began direct mail advertising to pilots saying we would teach weekend ground school courses in the meeting rooms of a hotel, often at a Holiday Inn with a swimming pool. Pilots would bring their families into town for weekend relaxation while the pilot took their ground school course. Martha would teach Instrument and Instrument Instructor courses in one meeting room, and John would teach Private, Commercial and Flight Instructor courses in another room. We would arrive at the hotel on Friday evening and teach the classes on Saturday and Sunday with overhead projectors. The FAA would come to the hotel on Monday morning to administer the knowledge tests.
Soon we realized we had found a customer need we could fulfill profitably. We designed a lifestyle that we enjoyed very much, flying around the Western U.S., eventually in a Cessna 340, and talking to pilots about their flying. We were happy to have found something that we could do together that was fun. It became even more fun as over a decade we polished our courses and then began delivering them on video.
In the early 1980s, when home video first showed up, we began selling our courses on video throughout the U.S. and internationally. Even then we hadn’t yet considered that our business would grow to have over 50 employees, deliver course material to over a million customers, and persevere for over 50 years. We are honored and appreciative to realize that King Schools has had a positive influence on the entire aviation community, especially in the area of risk management.
My first introduction to John and Martha was on Microsoft Flight Simulator back in the 1990s. I used your instruction there and it taught me the basics of aviation. Then back in 2006, I was pleased to see that my local FBO had a Cessna flight training syllabus that coordinated with King Schools flight training. I’ve used your training for Private Pilot Certificate, instrument rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, and last year I purchased the CFI Course at AirVenture. When I retire from my real job, I will become a CFI while using your course. Congratulations on 50 years of impacting so many lives in the aviation world!
Congratulations and big thank you for what you’ve done for the civil aviation with your unprecedented commitment and love to fly!
Congratulations! You guys helped me with my private pilot written and an instrument rating, spoon feeding me all the information I needed to pass and fly safely. I still have a few of my old VHS tapes from the early days. You have certainly come a long way. Thanks for sharing your journey.
I love the way you guys teach. Sometimes I laugh out loud watching you guys videos. There isn’t anything like it. I used to teaching for private pilot tests in São Paulo Brazil.
I first purchased your videos back in the 90’s and I am studying again to convert my Brazilian license to America license.
Still you guys are the best. It is a honor to learn about your modest starting. Makes me appreciate even more your contributions.
Happy 50 years celebration
An amazing story! Thank you for the years of dedication and great content!
You got me all the way through form zero to CFII.
Thank you again for helping me achieve my lifetime dream!
Congratulations on 50 years in aviation education; a very impressive milestone. I still have my private, instrument and commercial VHS tapes that I began purchasing in 1990! Your courses enabled me to achieve a 96 on my private and a 100 on my instrument written tests. Thanks for all you have contributed to aviators around the world.
still waiting to treat you two to dinner in florida. flew a small bran new cessna 172 across the north atlantic ocean in 2007. got a little exciting. remember my first flight instructors rule about inflight emergencies. his single rule for ALL EMERGENCIES has never been taught anywhere. not your classes, not in the FAA literature. nowhere. yet this has saved my bacon so many times it should be hand written on the page of every logbook of every pilot. surpasses PAVE, CARE, RISK MANAGEMENT. 54 years of accident free flying and qualifying for the wright bros master pilot award.
Wow I remember watching those tapes when I was a kid. Too undisciplined To complete it on my own. The modern King stuff on the IPad is great and easy to carry around.
Thank you. You absolutely deliver the best remote aviation training. Regards.
Wonderful American success story.
You put out a very good product, easy to follow, easy to retain, and very effective.
Wishing you continued success for the next 50 years.
Thanks for all you do.
I remember meeting the Kings in 1978 when as a brand new FAA inspector in Juneau Alaska my boss told me I needed to go to the Hilton and give some written tests to pilots that had recently finished a weekend course. I thought I was to deliver the test to them as I thought the Kings were written test examiners (the FAA had them back then). The Kings said thanks for coming and departed. I had no idea how to give the test, but I figured it out. With only 2 weeks in the job and no training, it all worked out and I heard everyone passed!
I remember meeting the Kings in 1978 when as a brand new FAA inspector in Juneau Alaska my boss told me I needed to go to the Hilton and give some written tests to pilots that had recently finished a weekend course. I thought I was to deliver the test to them as I thought they were written test examiners (the FAA had them back then). The Kings said thanks for coming and departed. I had no idea how to give the test, but I figured it out. With only 2 weeks in the job and no training, it all worked out and I heard everyone passed!
Great story about a wonderful couple! Among many other of your courses, I’ve been using your CFI recertification course for decades and have enjoyed all of them. My naval aviator son did his private with your course and I’m hopeful my grandkids will want to take the aviation path to a fun life. You guys are the best and you did it your way!
I used your Private Pilot course on VHS in the late 80’s and attending one of the courses at a hotel. In the past 2 years, I got my Airframe & Powerplant Certificate. While going through classes, I purchased your mechanics classes and found it helpful to bring clarification to subjects that I was struggling to fully understand.
Congratulations on 50 Years!
You guys are a God send. Your videos helped me nail my exams. You both were very kind to my son and myself when we visited your business.
I still show “Let’s Go Flying” to young folks when ever I can.
Thanks for all you do.
Heart warming story. I completed ALL my ground school courses with you guys!! I am now an ATP, CFII. I fly a Beech Bonanza on long trips. We have made it to 12 countries in the BO.. A few years ago, I completed the assembly and testing of my “fun” airplane, a VANs RV12 light sport aircraft! On Jan3 2024 I completed the Flight Instructor refresher courses with you guys!!
Great story! Happy New Year! All the best wishes for continued success.
Great story, great achievement. An aviation American dream. I’ve used many of your courses over the years, and even crossed paths with you in my tenure at a well known part 142 training center. I am now finishing my career as a 787 Captain for a major airline here in DFW, after medical-ing out of that airline gig in 1994. 28 years is a long time to be earthbound, but your courses were extremely helpful in overcoming the odds.
Best of all, my young son is now on his way to a possible career as well, and I just set him up with your private course. Wouldn’t start him any other way.
God bless you both
Great story. Take care.