About Us

Company History.

3 Amigo’s Flight Club was founded in 2013 by its owner and president, Roger Beck. Roger’s passion for aviation is family generational. His grandfather served in WW1 as a mechanic on Curtis Flying Boats. He passed his passion on to his son, Roger’s father, who served in the U.S. Navy during WW2 as a pilot in fighters and PB4YA Catalinas during the Battle of the Atlantic. After the war he remained in the reserves and returned home to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy N.Y.

Although he sought an education in engineering his passion for aviation did not fade. While there he was instrumental in forming the RPI Flying Club. The club flourished and is still going strong today. 

Through several family moves due to career opportunities. Roger and his siblings experienced the passion and joy of seeing their father form several more flying clubs. This passion became ingrained. 

The oldest brother joined the Navy and became a RIO (Radar Intercept Officer) on F4 Phantoms and later in F14 Tomcats. He retired from service after 26 years and worked in the private sector.  During his second career he formed a flying/soring club in Indiana.

Roger purchased his first airplane in 1983 and attained his pilot’s license in 1985.

Roger Beck leased Falwell Airport after retiring from a successful career in the automotive technologies education field in 2013. 

Roger’s vision was to use the facility to start several enterprises focused on education for the younger generation. 

The vision was three-fold,

· Continue training automotive technologies to the younger generation as paid entry level employees using a “For Profit” automotive maintenance facility and seasoned ASE certified technicians as team leaders. 

· Provide “Real World” aviation mechanic experience to recent graduates of Airframe/Power Plant schools in the area and assist them to complete the FAA A/P mechanic certification requirements.

 These individuals are paid entry level employees in a “for profit” general aviation maintenance facility supervised closely by senior Inspection FAA Authorized Airframe-Power Plant mechanics and seasoned A/P mechanics.

o McLaren Corporation in Lynchburg, VA. Was founded February 1st, 2013, to achieve these goals.

· Form a non-equity “for profit” flight club to provide an opportunity to non-owner pilots in the area to exercise their pilot privileges without the burden of aircraft ownership. The flight club relies on monthly dues and hourly maintenance contributions for funding.  

3 Amigo’s Flight Club was founded in August 2013.

The early years of the flight club, 

The club was founded around 1 aircraft and with 4 members. The founding members were all private pilots with various levels of experience. The aircraft was a 1979 Cessna 172N. 

Interest in the club grew quickly with the local pilot community. Very soon we started training primary flight students on a limited basis due to insurance limitations. Many of these primary students went on to Liberty University School of Aviation to further their training. 

More recent history,

Upon their graduation several have returned to the flight club to build hours to meet the minimum requirements for transition into commercial and military aviation careers. Many pilots use the flight club to build hours to move forward to airline, charter service or freight operations such as FedEx.

Currently there are thirty-one active members. Many of these members are Liberty University students building flight time. 

During the 11 years of operation the club has been able to acquire four more aircraft. 3 Cessna 172’s and a Cessna 150. Currently there are four aircraft in the club, one being lost to a non-fatal incident. 

In addition, the club sponsors several aviation meetings and events throughout the year such as AOPA’s rusty pilots’ seminar, The annual “Bob Walker” pilots’ breakfast and provides a site for military training when needed. 

The success of the flight club was noticed on a national scale in the March 19th, 2023 edition of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association magazine.