Makani Kai Air

We have built our aerial tour business to be the very best possible by assembling the most experienced pilots and the best aircraft. We backed these with the most comprehensive maintenance program and with a total commitment to safety. Over the years, we have developed the most comfortable and efficient ground transportation system possible between the airport and Waikiki. We have constructed a modern, airy, clean and esthetically pleasing passenger terminal and shopping area to maximize passenger satisfaction.

But in truth, our most valuable asset is our people. The Schuman philosophy is to hire the most qualified individuals for the job, individuals with heart, and then strive to retain those employees by paying them well and treating them with the respect they deserve. Which explains why our employees tend to remain on the job so much longer than workers at other tour companies. We know that there’s nothing quite so confidence building for an agent as being able to deal with the same reservationists year after year, that drivers who have been making the trip into Waikiki for a decade are unlikely to get lost, that happy support personnel are more apt to do their job with passion and commitment. It is our promise to you that we will always be a family, gracious and professional, to provide you the service excellence you deserve.

	Richard Schuman – Owner Richard’s family has been in the transportation business in Hawaii for more than a hundred years. His great grandfather emigrated from Germany and began making carriage wheels here and then founded the Schuman Carriage Company in 1893. Richard began flying helicopters in 1992 and, four years later, he bought Makani Kai Helicopters. Richard believes in providing nothing less than the very best in customer service, a philosophy we hope you will notice when you fly with Makani Kai.			Diane Schuman – Chief Financial Officer The former Diane Haglund was born and raised in Harrisville, Michigan. She majored in Business and Accounting at Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) in Midland, Michigan, where she met her future husband, Richard Schuman. Following graduation, she moved to Oahu in 1981 and was an accountant for an auto accessory company and then a law firm. She and Richard were married in 1984 and had their first daughter, Kaleo, in 1988. Her interests include tennis, hiking and riding her Harley Davidson.
	In Memoriam Cindy Makalii Crawford It is with sadness that we report the passing of Cindy Crawford. Cindy was a terrific person who was loved by everyone on staff and by the many, many agents in Waikiki she would deal with on a daily basis. She started with Makani Kai Helicopters in 2001 when the company bought her previous employer, Rainbow Pacific Helicopters. Cindy was very handy in so many ways, able to sew and carve and cook and get even the most stubborn plant to flourish. She made Polynesian print covers for our furniture, tablecloths, even blade tie-downs for the helicopter. She created a beautiful garden in the covered waiting area by the heliport and, when we moved into our new building in 2009, she did it again in the new premises. Her laugh was infectious, her smile genuine. If there was one outstanding quality she epitomized, it was generosity. She would share anything and everything. We are poorer for her loss, yet richer for having known her. Cindy, you are missed.
	Chuck Lanza – Manager of Operations Chuck is Makani Kai’s manager of operations and chief safety officer. He arranges everything from charters to group movements and organizes company meetings, oversees haz mat procedures and schedules maintenance. A veteran of the helicopter tour business, Chuck started with HeliTrans in Honolulu in 1991, joined Papillion in 1992, and he’s run the show at Makani Kai since 1994. Chuck is a Black Belt in multiple martial arts disciplines and is a devotee of Japanese swords.			Donna Bermea – Bookkeeper Donna was born and raised on Oahu and attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She worked as an assistant manager at a fast food franchise, a savings counselor for First Federal, then joined local real estate firm Marcus & Associates as an administrative aid. The finance part of the business caught her attention and she worked her way into the world of accounting. Donna then joined Equity Properties and handled that company’s accounting for a decade. A techie at heart, Donna enjoys the challenge of working with anything that makes the rest of us scratch our heads. She’s also quite handy, having learned to lay flooring, put up drywall and other home improvement tasks, although she steers clear of power tools.
	Kauwela Kalawe – Customer Service Representative Kauwela helps run the Makani Kai Air desk at the Molokai Airport. One of eleven children, Kauwela was born and raised on Molokai and attended Molokai High School. “I didn’t have what you would call a ‘normal’ childhood,” she says. “My dad is an entrepreneur and always had jobs for us to do after school, whether it was scrubbing tires on the wheels of the family taxi and limo service or working at the family-run Pizza Café, there wasn’t a lot of downtime.” Kauwela, a mother of four, moved to the Big Island with her husband and family where she taught a Hawaiian Immersion program and was a teacher’s assistant at a Montessori school. To our great fortune, the Kalawes eventually returned to Molokai and Kauwela became a part of the Makani Kai team. In her precious spare time, Kauwela like to hunt shells on the beach.			P.J. O’Reilley – Sales and Marketing P.J. was born in Carmel, California, and has been interested in aviation since childhood. He went to school at the University of California at Santa Cruz where he majored in Theater and Politics, which, he later discovered, turned out to be the same thing. He soloed a Cessna on his 16th birthday and started flying helicopters once he came to Hawaii. He is best known among activity agents in Waikiki as The Brownie Man because he delivers the home made treats on his visits.
	Quinten Sherbert – Reservationist Born and raised in Honolulu, Quinten is one of those guys who can tell you anything and everything about the world of telecommunications and information technology. In fact, he began installing phones and troubleshooting network systems right out of high school. Some people just have the knack, eh? Quinten currently attends Kapiolani Community College part time and is working towards his MBA. Driving on the weekends for Makani Kai is, “interesting because I meet people from all over the world and hear so many intriguing stories.”			Bryson Takata – Reservationist Born and raised on Oahu, Bryson epitomizes the outdoors lifestyle, loving to fish, hike, paddle board, and just hang out at the beach. “It’s where I like to be,” he says. A graduate of Kailua High School, Bryson worked in the Kaneohe MCBH commissary for several years before moving to Mokulele Airlines as a customer service agent. More like a utility infielder, Bryson took reservations, hauled bags and, in general, did what needed doing. His favorite part of the job? The people, “I really enjoy interacting with people, taking care of their needs and making sure everyone’s happy.” When he’s not on or near the ocean, Bryson spends his free time traveling, his favorite destination being Las Vegas. He also adores Italian food, sushi and spending time with his Chihuahua Hurley.
	Bruce Mayes – Chief Pilot, Fixed Wing; Safety Management Consultant Bruce is the son of a lifelong aviator and has continued that tradition his entire life. A former 737 pilot for Aloha Airlines, Bruce provides technical analysis and consultation to Makani Kai as well as airline, corporate, government and general aviation flight departments as president of his own aviation consulting firm. Bruce has flown over 60 types of aircraft and is one of a handful of pilots to hold eight National Aeronautic Association and Federation Aeronautique Internationale world records in multiple types of aircraft including single engine aircraft, air transport jets and helicopters. He has seven of the eight Certified Flight Instructor certificates issued by the FAA. In addition to the Airline Transport Pilot certificate in airplane and helicopter, Bruce has certificates for commercial operations in single and multi-engine seaplanes, gliders, and gyroplanes. Bruce served as the design developer for the prototype FAR Part 135 Aviation Safety Management System for helicopter operations, served as the President of the Hawaii Helicopter Operators Association, and developed the operational safety standards for Makani Kai.			Andy Yee – Pilot Andy was born in Sarawak, Malaysia, but doesn’t remember much about the country except the humidity, seeing as how his family moved to Oahu when he was a wee lad of seven. After graduating from Moanalua High School, he accepted an invitation from his aunt to come live and continue his schooling in Dayton, Ohio. After brief stints at Wright State University and Ohio State, Andy decided he liked Hawaii better than the Midwest and moved back to take a job as a sterilization tech at Kaiser Permanente. A decade later, he went flying with a friend and found the experience interesting, if not earth shaking. Nonetheless, he invested in a small block of time and started his flight training. After becoming a CFI and instructing for a few years, Andy went to work for Kamaka Aviation flying the wonderful Beech 18 and then the Cessna Caravan before coming to Makani Kai. In his precious spare time, Andy works out and enjoys going out to eat and traveling with his girlfriend.
	Nick Voge – Fixed Wing Pilot Nick was born and raised in Southern California, where he spent his youth as a professional motorcycle racer and occasional hang glider pilot. Racing behind him, he returned to school to study foreign languages, receiving an AA in German from Santa Monica City College and a BA in Japanese from U.C.L.A. After a short time living and working in Germany he moved to Japan to work as a translator and riding model for the motorcycle manufacturers. He speaks, reads and writes both languages. Nick's flying career began at Dillingham Airfield where he spent five years giving sight-seeing and aerobatic rides. This was followed by two years flying inter-island cargo, then two more years flying jump planes and glider tow planes. When asked why he came to Hawaii, he says, "It is the ideal middle ground between East and West and is as close to paradise as we're going to get on this earth."			Robert “Mac” Smith – Pilot Mac, our assistant chief pilot, was born and raised in Honolulu but his first remembrance of wanting to fly came at age five when his dad was based at Sangley Point in the Philippines. “Our house was two blocks from the end of the runway and there was always something flying overhead,” recalls Mac. After a brief stint flying gliders at our own Dillingham Field, Mac attended the University of Colorado and enrolled in the aviation training program. He has since logged more than 10,000 flight hours and held the roles of designated pilot examiner, chief flight instructor, flight school manager, airplane owner, cargo dog and all around good guy.
	Brittany Rego – Pilot Born on Oahu, Brittany was raised on Maui and first fell in love with helicopters, not airplanes, right out of high school when she went to work for Pacific Helicopters. She logged a few hours in the venerable Huey and decided she wanted to fly for a living. She enrolled in the University of North Dakota’s commercial aviation program and graduated four years later with her CFI-I and multi-engine ratings. Back on Oahu, Brittany landed a pilot position with Alpine Air flying the mail in Beech 99s. When Alpine lost the mail contract, Brittany started flying Cessna Caravans for Mokulele Airlines, which eventually led to her current position. Brittany’s passion is travel as she enjoys meeting people and seeing new places.			Sean Rodrigues – Pilot Born in Hilo and raised on Oahu, Sean first became interested in flying after his grandmother gifted him with an intro ride in a small plane. He decided to pursue a career in aviation and enrolled in the University of North Dakota’s commercial aviation program. He subsequently received his BA in professional aeronautics from Embry Riddle. After graduating, he flew Beech 99s for Alpine Air for a year and then spent the next three years flying Cessna Caravans for Mokulele Airlines. In his spare time, Sean enjoys surfing, diving and spending time with family.
	John Harvey – Pilot Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and raised in the Atlanta area, John entered the Air Force right out of high school. There, he became a helicopter mechanic and plied his trade everywhere from England to Albuquerque. He continued working as a mechanic when he rejoined the civilian world, first with Cutter Aviation and then with Aircraft Services International. (Sorry: where are these located?). John was a truck driver delivering gasoline when he was bit by the flying bug and enrolled in a flying school in Fresno, California. After earning his CFI, he spent a few years instructing for Super Sonic Aviation in San Bernardino, California. Then came a four-year stint at the Lufthansa training facility in Phoenix. He then flew regional jets for Mesa Airlines on the mainland before taking a position with Ohana Airlines in Hawaii, finally winding up at Makani Kai. John enjoys an outdoor lifestyle surfing, kiteboarding, mountain biking and scuba diving. He has the distinction of once being Arizona’s mountain biking state champ.			Travis Shilling – Director of Maintenance Travis hails from Nebraska but spent a considerable amount of his youth in Arizona. He attended Arizona State and then received his Airframe and Powerplant training at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Travis’ experience belies his years: he worked at Heli Support in Phoenix, Trans Alaska in Anchorage, Papillion on Kauai, St. Louis Helicopters, Hawkins & Powers and others before coming to Makani Kai to run the shop. He has nearly 20 years of experience with A-Stars. In his off time, Travis enjoys golfing, fishing and taking his Harley for a ride.
	Mike Stroup – Assistant Director of Maintenance, A&P Apprentice Born in Darby, Pennsylvania, in 1962, Mike was in ROTC in high school and joined the Navy upon his graduation in 1980. He first saw Hawaii when he came to Pearl Harbor in January of 2000 aboard the nuclear attack submarine San Francisco. An electrician and Chief Petty Officer by training, Mike was stationed here until his retirement in 2004. He immediately began training for his helicopter license and eventually earned his Private, Commercial, Instrument and Instructor ratings. An avid cyclist, Mike frequently engages in friendly competition and will pedal around the island just for fun. He enjoys meeting the different people he brings to and from the airport and looks forward to his turn on next season’s “Dancing with the Stars.”			Mark Straeter – A&P Mechanic Mark was born in Evansville, Indiana, and attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where he earned his Bachelor’s in Aviation Maintenance Technology. He was hired by Emery Air in Rockford, Illinois, a company specializing in business and regional aircraft maintenance and avionics. Even though he appreciated the firm’s confidence in his abilities and the fact that they moved him from line maintenance into advanced composites, he yearned to work on helicopters. Accepting the job with Makani Kai Air was a natural decision based on Mark’s devotion to scuba diving and body boarding. In his own words, Mark is, “crazy about motorcycles, fast cars, cliff jumping, hiking, swimming and traveling.”
	Val Kalaoa, Sr. – Driver One of ten children, Val was born and raised near what are now the grounds of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. “It used to be bungalows back then,” he says, “and we’d sneak into the swimming pool out by the pier.” An ILH medalist in golf when he attended Kaimuki High School, Val recalls caddying for the likes of Ted Makalena and Francis I’i Brown. He entered the Army after high school, did his basic at Fort Ord, California, his advanced infantry training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and did a tour of Vietnam. He worked for Dole Pineapple in Iwilei for 27 years as a can manufacturing mechanic until the factory was phased out in ’96. He began driving for Makani Kai in 2003 and says the best part of his job is meeting tourists from around the world. He and his wife Charlene have 6 kids, 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild.			Kevin Pedersen – Driver Kevin is a local boy, born and raised on Oahu. Following high school, he became interested in auto body repair and enrolled in Honolulu Community College’s program to learn the trade. But the toxic dust and debris inherent in that profession soon convinced him to move on and he became a courier for the banks, hauling cleared checks and other documents around the island. A fondness for food preparation led him into the restaurant trade where he honed his culinary skills. But eventually he elected to join the Makani Kai team as one of our ace drivers. Kevin truly enjoys what he does, especially meeting people from around the world. “It certainly provides me with perspective on what’s going on out there.” In his spare time, Kevin enjoys hiking, camping and other outdoor pursuits, as well as building and flying radio control helicopters.