company president Ben Hamilton, AE 05. They also were ImagineAir's first two pilots. Six more full-time pilots were hired after the business got off the ground.
Frank Park, Aaron Sohacki, Ben Hamilton Straight Shot to Success
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ince being cleared for takeoff in April 2007, ImagineAir has booked more than 600 flights to hundreds of airports throughout the Southeast. The metro Atlanta air taxi service was launched by CEO Aaron Sohacki, Mgt 06, and 32
"We are changing the way people think about regional travel," Hamilton says. Chief technology officer Frank Park, CS 04, MS InfoSec 06, wrote ImagineAir's software program, which enables passengers to schedule personalized flights just hours prior to takeoff and immediately spells out the mileage, flight duration and cost. When a flight request is submitted, the online reservation system sorts through potential routes in seconds and comes up with the best options.
Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine • Summer 2008
"We are offering a product that was previ-
ously available only to the rich and famous," says Park, who also is a doctoral student at Tech. "By utilizing advancements in technology, it is now affordable to a much larger segment of the population, just like computers in the '80s and cell phones in the '90s." ImagineAir opened the hangar doors at Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville, Ga., for business with two brand new Cirrus SR22-GTS planes, equipped with plump leather seats and satellite radio. Now with five aircraft and 15 employees, ImagineAir expects to soon take delivery of its first Eclipse 500 jet, a sixseater capable of speeds of more than 400 mph. The three ImagineAir executives — all turning 25 this year — met through the Yellow Jacket Flying Club. Sohacki and Hamilton both were club officers and instructors. Park earned his wings through lessons with the club. KIW