Fayetteville, W.Va. (WVDN) – Bill and Ashley Chouinard of Wild Blue Adventure Company and Aviator’s Lounge at the Fayette Airport want you to not only fly with them, but also to stay at their grand three-bedroom residence available to rent for vacations and specialty events.
In December 2024, the Chouinards were selected by a panel of judges as the WV Hive Entrepreneurs of the Year. Their story is unique as we celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week from February 15-22.
Bill’s lifelong dream of flying from his days of “co-piloting” with his father, a trained pilot in Canada, led to wanting to pursue it personally and professionally. In coming to the United States, he could not afford flight lessons, so he started paragliding to scratch the flight itch. After he gained his U.S. citizenship, he secured his license to fly and has logged hundreds of hours of flight time and mentoring from experienced pilots in aerobatics and stick and rudder skills. His current passion is passing on old school flying skills to make better new school pilots. Bill also feels his deep grounding in the fundamentals of flying have made him value safety above all.
The parents of three started their aviation business venture with a smaller company – Bravo Charlie Aviation — in 2015, offering introduction to flight lessons and tailwheel endorsements. In 2019, the owner of another sightseeing flight company — Wild Blue Adventure Company — approached the Chouinards about acquiring his company. The deal included a vintage plane, a World War II Stearman biplane. During World War II, the Boeing Stearman was a primary trainer and was the aircraft most pilots spent their first hours in learning to fly – later moving on to a more advanced trainer.
At the time of the offer, Ashley, a science teacher at Oak Hill High School, had just completed her master’s in teaching at West Virginia University (she also earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from WVU). The Chouinards took the plunge in purchasing the assets (plane, machinery, and company brand and logo) of Wild Blue Adventure Company.
Ashley recalls the new company’s first flight happening on September 21, 2019 (her birthday). “Because the Stearman is an open-cockpit plane, once the temperature drops below 55 degrees, our flying season is over,” she said. “We anticipated we would start again around mid-April the following year, but Covid happened.”
She said the first paying flight in 2020 was in June, and the company has been on a steep climb since. She said at the time word of mouth was the primary way they secured business. Tourists would see the plane flying and ask around how they could fly. While nearly 50 percent of their business still comes from word of mouth or referrals, the company is active on social media and sees the other 50 percent of their business come from there or visitors traveling to the New River National Park and Preserve.
In 2022, the Chouinards acquired the hangar they used to lease and several more acres of property, plus the Aviator’s Lounge (rental property suitable for entertaining). “This allowed us to expand from an exclusive flying operation to a multi-purpose facility,” said Ashley. “While flying is still a priority for us, transforming from solely a unique attraction to vacation rental and event venue has been a big adventure for us. We love sharing the magic of the airport with people and have always been about flying first but now we get to share this special place in new ways.”
Ashley adds, “We have hosted weddings, birthdays, as well as retirement, anniversary, and graduation parties – and welcomed guests from all over the country and dozens of international visitors.”
Bill, who is from a small town outside Calgary, Canada, earned a nursing degree from Bluefield State College and works full-time as a flight nurse for Air Evac Lifestream. A freelance corporate pilot and aviation instructor, Bill also teaches at Marshall University’s Flight School to prepare future aviators how to recover an aircraft that is losing an engine or if something else has failed.
The Chouinards first met at Active Fitness Center in Oak Hill. Bill was coaching Crossfit and Ashley was working at the front desk. They have been married 13 years and have three children — Will, Alex, and Annalee — plus 12 pets (two dogs, one cat, four snakes, three leopard geckos, one tarantula, and a rescue turtle).
Ashley said one of the major initiatives this year is to promote the Aviator’s Lounge so that the space can be utilized year-round. Transitioning the rental house and venue from a seasonal attraction to an activity hub throughout the year will benefit locals and guests alike. “We have a gorgeous vacation rental on site,” she said. “Most people know they can fly with us, but most are surprised that they can fly with us and stay with us! Plus, we are located minutes from the national park and downtown Fayetteville. Tourists are surprised that there is still a lot to do here even through the winter and early spring.”
She added that the company employs three seasonal employees now and they would like to add more staff. On the aviation side, Bill would like to add another plane and a second pilot to their team.
Bill has been preparing for a life dedicated to flying since childhood. He said, “Since I was a kid, I have loved everything about flying — riding in airplanes, shooting bows, paragliding, anything that flies. I even broke my arm as a kid jumping out of a barn trying to fly. Ashley knew about my dream and was supportive of it. We bought a hangar at the airport years before we could afford a plane. That hangar sat empty for almost five years while we saved the money for our first plane. When we finally purchased it in 2015, that led us to founding Bravo Charlie Aviation for introduction to flight lessons and instruction.”
Mary Legg, Senior Business Advisor at West Virginia Hive, has been working with the Wild Blue Adventure Company for the past two years. Bill said, “Mary has been a great advisor to work with. She is straight up. She has helped us navigate the technical assistance process, encouraged us to apply to the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program, and keeps us in the loop if there are events, webinars, or other development opportunities that would fit our needs.”
Wild Blue Adventure Company was one of 60 rural businesses selected by the Goldman Sachs 10KSB Program to send their owners to Washington, D.C. in March to participate in the Rural Advocacy Conference at the U.S. Capitol. Ashley will represent the company, saying, “I am very excited for this opportunity to advocate for education and rural businesses. I have spent my entire life in West Virginia, deeply rooted in rural business. As a teacher, I see firsthand how education and local economies are closely connected. I am really honored that I have the opportunity to speak with legislators about the vital relationship between the two.”
Ashley added, “The Hive recognizes the essential tools people need to operate their businesses and provides access to countless doors to support that journey. It is up to YOU, as a business owner, to be willing to take the step — walk to the door, open it, and walk through the door to new opportunities. The Hive has given us access to so many doors.”
As the Chouinards look back on their experiences, Bill encouraged entrepreneurs just getting started to “do their homework, develop a growth mindset, keep your circle tight, and dream big.”
As for lessons learned, Bill offered,” Do not be afraid to stick your neck way, way out. Think of what you want most and then work backwards. It’s amazing what a good business plan and a good relationship with a lender can allow you to do. This business is a dream come true and something I hope to do till I die — not till I retire.”
Ashley added, “We have a saying at our house, ‘You don’t need to know all the steps. You just need to know the next step.’ It is really overwhelming when you are standing at A and need to get to Z. Just focus on A to B, then B to C. It really helps.”
In discussing turning points and successes, both Bill and Ashley had some meaningful insights: Ashley said, “We didn’t quit when Bill shattered his ankle in a paragliding landing (in the middle of our 2023 season). We had to cancel all of our Stearman flights from mid-July to mid-October. At the time, it was devastating to lose three months of flight revenue overnight. I really wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue the businesses. Everything was so heavy but then someone referred us to the WV Hive, and we started brainstorming other options, working on our business instead of in it, and the dominoes started lining up. I think we would’ve regretted walking away. The successes we have had this year are a reminder of that.”
They also cited the benefits of sharing their journey with WVU students in the College of Business and Economics. “We are working with a group of students this semester,” said Ashley. Even though we haven’t completed the semester yet, I have enjoyed every minute of working with these eager students at my alma mater, and I’m excited to learn from them.”
Bill offered the benefits of networking as a major achievement. “For me it’s all the friends we have made. All the connections with people who call us and know us by our names, not the names of our company. People who bring their loved ones and friends to share in an experience that is incredibly unique and changes people’s lives.”
Bill and Ashley want to thank those who have helped them along the way. “The aviation community has been amazing,” said Bill. “It’s a small group of people and you quickly develop a reputation and lifelong friends.” Ashley said family and friends have been incredibly supportive. “When we run into a roadblock, I can call them and they say, ‘have you thought about this? Or have you talked to that person?’ Or sometimes, they just listen,” said Ashley.
When asked about their customers, Bill said they have flown with people from 94 years of age to a four-year-old child. He said, “We are amazed at the number of people who come back and tell us their flight experience inspired them to get their pilot’s license.”
Queried about the most outrageous request they have received from a customer, they shared one they could do and another they cannot do. Ashley said their friends who coordinate Bridge Day asked them to drop a sky diver over the region a few years ago. Bill said of a request they cannot attempt, “We get asked at least 100 times a year to fly customers under the New River Gorge Bridge.”
Bill and Ashley agreed on the most heartwarming clients. They said, “We love flying everyone, but flying older Veterans is really special. They are so proud to tell us about their service – what branch they served in (some of them multiple branches) where they were stationed, and what they did. There is something really sweet, and truly patriotic, about flying them in a piece of living history. They all know the history of the Stearman. Their entire families come to watch. They inspire us and we are grateful for their service.”
Bill & Ashley Chouinard can be reached at:
Email: wildblueadventurecompany@gmail.com
Phone: 304-574-1150
Wild Blue Adventure Company’s website: www.wildblueadventurecompany.com
Link to lodging-airbnb.com/h/theaviatorsloungewv
direct website coming soon; www.aviatorsloungewv.com
- Wild Blue Adventure Company
- Facebook & YouTube: Wild Blue Adventure Company
- Instagram & TikTok: wildblueadventurecompany
- Aviator’s Lounge
- Instagram & TikTok: aviatorsloungewv
