About FlightStart Solutions
FlightStart Solutions has 20 years of vast international and domestic experience in building fully operational world-class flight departments. Building flight departments is our core business.
“Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation is pleased to recommend the services of FlightStart Solutions to its customers in connection with their start up operations. FlightStart’s experienced team is well geared to assist Falcon customers in maximizing the value of their aircraft.”
At FlightStart Solutions, our collective goal is to supply our customers with a fully operational aircraft at delivery. In order to achieve this goal, we utilize our experience to assist the customer and resolve any issues. Also, we aid sales staff to focus on providing the right aircraft to the customer, provide everything desired to place the aircraft into operation, and as a result we prevent the loss of valuable ‘opportunity time.’
Lisa Sasse, Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Sasse was the Co-Founder of FlightStart Solutions. She has 25 years of diverse experience and in-depth expertise in aviation having held various positions in corporate and commercial aviation including being an experienced flight crewmember, both cabin and cockpit. She is recognized for her distinct attributes as they reinforce quality, safety, service, and dedication.
Sasse has extensive experience in all facets of aviation. She has tremendous knowledge of aviation management, associated aviation businesses, marketing/sales, and the aircraft charter industry. She also has vast experience and understanding specialty service areas within the business aircraft industry. During her tenure in strategic marketing positions she used her industry knowledge and innate ability to significantly increase sales revenue. She serves as Chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Advisory Committee. In this position she has conceptualized and led the committee’s initiatives bringing to fruition many safety programs the Foundation is now noted for. She has served as Vice Chairperson for the Aviation Directors Roundtable Committee for the last 20 years. Her leadership in this role has greatly assisted many business aviation departments within the community to not only become more compliant with industry standards but also to become safer operators.
Her executive level experience has resulted in significant industry opportunities and relationships. As a result, she participates in recognized committees that chart future aviation as well as to help govern present aviation safety and security standards. Lisa Sasse’s character is respected universally and she is seen as a true aviation industry professional.
Mark Ladendorff, President
Mark Ladendorff is President of FlightStart Solutions having been promoted from Director of Fixed Base Operations (FBO). During his more than 25 years in the industry, Mark has developed expertise in all facets of FBO operations. He has owned and operated high-end facilities, supported the West coast ExxonMobil Avitat FBO chain, managed a state-owned airport and has provided consulting services throughout the country. Mark is well versed in providing all levels of ground support for scheduled as well as non-scheduled aviation operations. He handles logistics involving diplomatic flights, military functions, search and rescue, wide-body charters and any other aircraft operations.
Having worked with some of the largest and most complexed agencies from coast to coast, Mark is very proficient at navigating through the regulatory processes and politics within the industry. He’s also collaborated with engineering companies and specialized contractor in the design and build of fuel farms, hangar complexes and FBO terminals.
Over the years Mark has worked in conjunction with Western Petroleum Company, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil and Pacific Aviation Fuels, Inc. as a provider of aviation fuels and related services. In this position he serviced executive level FBOs, flight departments, and aircraft ranging in size from light to jumbo jets. He also specialized in fuel supply to firefighting operation in the West and global supply logistics for U.S. based charter operators. Mark attended the University of Oregon where he was certified in Leadership becoming an assistant to the director. He’s also an accomplished private pilot with unique experience in high altitude and backwoods operations.
Bob Vandel, Executive Vice President
Bob Vandel was the Co-Founder of FlightStart Solutions. His expertise in aviation was gained through 40 years of service in fixed and rotary-wing aviation, aviation safety, air traffic control and airport management where he established a reputation as a world leader in aviation safety. Vandel holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Science in Psychology. With over 9,000 hours of fight experience, Vandel has flown all types of aircraft from small single-engine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to heavy jets. His indisputable knowledge and proficiency in aviation and aircraft management comes from years of dedication within the field.
Bob Vandel served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for 23 years. He co-authored the U.S. Army’s safety program for air and ground operations. He administered the Army’s test pilot and astronaut programs. He spent 2 years in Vietnam flying UH-1 gunships. He commanded an aviation organization in Korea where he had 23 aircraft, maintenance and ground support for those aircraft, fire & crash rescue, air traffic control function and was director of the airfield and fuel farm.
Bob had oversight of the entire technical program for the Flight Safety Foundation for 20 years where he served as Director of Technical Programs for 10 years and then as Executive Vice President for 10 years. Bob Vandel organized and presented technical papers at over 100 safety conferences in 87 countries. He co-chaired international working groups on ultra-long-range aircraft operations; reduction of controlled flight into terrain and approach and landing accident as well as the reduction of ramp damage sustained by aircraft on the airport movement area. His leadership helped define parameters for the safe introduction of ultra-long-range aircraft in both business and air carrier global operations. He developed strategies to assist the aerospace industry in reducing the $10 billion annual losses due to ramp damage. In 1996, Vandel was awarded the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award for his work in eliminating controlled flight into terrain. In May 1999, the Foundation’s Board of Governors elected him Executive Vice President. He served in that position until he retired in 2008 to become President of FlightStart Solutions.
Terry Yaddaw, Vice President, Business Development
Terry Yaddaw has over 30 years of successful experience in Business Aviation with over 20 years in various levels of management. His management positions include Aviation Director for Xerox Corporation’s flight department and Director of Training for Bombardier Business Aircraft Division in Montreal. Yaddaw has served on multiple industry committees with the National Business Aviation Association and the Flight Safety Foundation. His pilot experience includes 19,000 hours with seven type ratings in Business Jet Aircraft.
His aviation management accomplishments with Xerox include the implementation of a “self managed work team” within maintenance operations. This was the first time attempt with a corporate maintenance department and it became a benchmark throughout the aviation industry. He acquired and placed into service the first Corporate Regional Jet in a thirty-seat configuration for shuttle operations. Terry Yaddaw completed the Xerox Leadership Through Quality Program. Xerox achieved the highly acclaimed Baldridge Award and the corporate flight department scored the highest quality service of all 14 departments in the division.
Management accomplishments with Bombardier Business Aircraft Training include complete start up of the organization with development of the organization structure, hiring of office staff, maintenance instructors and pilot flight training instructors. He was responsible for installation of full flight simulators and full certification of the FAA approved training programs.
Yaddaw’s education includes a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technologies, all four levels of Xerox Management Development Programs, Training for Effective Aviation Management with Flight Safety Incorporated, Managing the Corporate Aviation Function at the Colgate-Darden Graduate School of Business Administration University of Virginia, the Developing Executive Leadership Program at Duke University Fuqua Graduate School of Business Administration and Accident Preparedness at the University of Southern California.
Jack Stockmann, Vice President, Operations
Jack Stockmann has over 35 years experience in corporate aviation. Following his service in the United States Marine Corps during Vietnam, Jack flew for Hansa Jet Corporation. He then joined Xerox, where he held management positions within flight operations for 25 years.
Following Xerox, Jack joined Wayfarer Aviation, where he served as Director of Operations. Stockmann changed the operating culture and significantly grew their client base. Stockmann was Vice President of Operations during the initial setup of StarShares before he worked as Vice President of Client Services and Vice President/General Manager of the Private Fleet of Gulfstream Aircraft with Jet Aviation.
Jack Stockmann led the start-up of aircraft operations for Citizens Communications, where he oversaw the operation of Bombardier 604. Stockmann followed that assignment by joining Atlantic Investment Management where he led all aspects of a start-up operation for the company including the purchasing process and the international operations fo their G-IV SP. Jack has provided mentoring ot various companies to foster operational integrity, distinguished levels of service, and acute fiscal responsibility.
Jack Stockmann is a Certified Aviation Manager. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management from the State University of New York. H also has been awarded an Aviation Safety Certificate from the USC Institute of Safety and Systems Management and he has completed the Darden SchoolÕs Corporate Aviation Management Program. Jack Stockmann is an Airline Transport Pilot with 12 type ratings having flown over 19,000 hours. His is currently the Vice-Chairman of the CAM Certification Board of Directors. He is a member and past Chairman of the NBAA Corporate Aviation Management Committee.