A leader and pioneer in aviation, Ms. Wilson is a longtime member of Women in Aviation International
Deidra Wilson has owned Spectrum Aero, LLC, an aircraft maintenance facility at Kissimmee Gateway Airport, since 2014.
KISSIMMEE, FL, March 16, 2022 Senmer News Wire — Deidra Wilson has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Imbued with ambition and a passion for aviation, Deidra E. Wilson’s career in flight training, airline services, and educating others in the field first took off more than 20 years ago. Through hard work, perseverance, and the support of those around her, she has since defied the odds by becoming the owner of the only aviation school operated by a woman who is not a pilot herself—as Chief Executive Officer of AeroStar Training Services, whose mission is to serve the needs of those seeking a career as a successful airline professional. Having had to prove her worth in a male-dominated industry by being more dedicated than anybody else, Ms. Wilson advised to any and all professionals, “When you get to where you’re going, turn around and help the girl behind you.”
Ms. Wilson, for as long as she can remember, has gravitated toward a career in the clouds—with her first dream job being a flight attendant. When she was young, her parents and grandparents would take her to the airport to witness planes taking flight and to air shows. She has always found each aspect of aviation so exciting—the flights themselves, the different models of airplanes, being able to travel the world and meet people from different cultures—and her love for it led her to become a customer service representative at American Flyers, a flight and pilot school in Kissimmee, Florida. There, she had great and inspiring mentors who helped show her all aspects of aviation—the exciting side and the more difficult, technical sides, which motivated her to pursue different careers within the industry. Although she never completed college, she was committed to learning everything she could, including how to read financials, how to do marketing, and how to deal with such factors as the area forecast. Over the course of her career, she has never stopped taking courses and growing her knowledge, and is today certified in Aviation Advance Marketing, sales, and Flight Schedule Pro, among other related programs.
Ms. Wilson ultimately received an offer to work in an office position and focus on administrative tasks, serving in the role of Operations Manager at American Flyers from 2001 to 2007. She then was active as a Training Center Coordination Manager in the accounting department at SunState Aviation for two years before joining AeroStar Training Services as its Director of Admissions from 2009 to 2012. Founded by airline professionals the year before she started, AeroStar was once just a small office with three people and six students a month, but over the years—and as she continued to excel at the company as its Chief Operating Officer from 2012 to 2014 and Chief Executive Officer and owner since 2015—it has grown into a Federal Aviation Administration-certified and 142 Training Center that contains two flight simulators, 70 students a month, 20 employees, and sub-contractors. Focused on high-quality and affordable airline pilot training, the school provides a wide range of educational services—as well as maintenance, charter, and airline management—to individuals, universities, government agencies, and airlines. In addition, Ms. Wilson has owned Spectrum Aero, LLC, an aircraft maintenance facility at Kissimmee Gateway Airport, since 2014.
As a leader, and a women in aviation, Ms. Wilson faced plenty of opposition as she was establishing a name in the field. For instance, when she and her company were obtaining their first flight simulator—an asset that wasn’t the norm at the time, especially in a small school—and reaching out to major airlines for their business, “a lot of them laughed at me,” she remembered. “To me, when I got all these laughs, it made me want to try harder.” She ultimately acquired the simulator, which she said she saw as validation “not just to myself, but to the world that was watching. Once I did that, it was a different ballgame.” Operating on a “don’t bring your problems, bring your solutions” approach to the job, she has not only grown the school’s reputation into one of great respect, but is currently in the process of expanding the facility into a 33,000 square feet campus.
On top of her primary administrative roles, Ms. Wilson has extended her desire to help others—especially young women interested in aviation—through several mentorships, scholarships, and grants; she has also been involved in reinvesting in her old neighborhood by creating jobs and flight training in order to invite visitors from all over the world to stay in the local hotels and dine at restaurants. She has also been a longtime member of Women in Aviation International and Sandler Training’s President’s Club. Reflecting on her career, she recognized how difficult and stressful her work can be—in teaching people to master a high-stakes role—but that overall it was tremendously rewarding, especially when the end result is success. In regards to her specific journey, and the industry in which she navigates, she advised that in order to survive, “You have to be aggressive, you have to be persistent and you have to be your own advocate. Stand up for yourself.”
Above all else, she said, “You have to be dedicated and can’t quit, but you have to love what you’re doing. I loved what I was doing, even in my worst moments.”
About Marquis Who’s Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who’s Who titles, including Who’s Who in America®, Who’s Who in the World®, Who’s Who in American Law®, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who’s Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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Source: Deidra Wilson Excels as Chief Executive Officer of AeroStar Training Services
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