When Ron was growing up in Burlington, Iowa, he fantasized about becoming a pilot. Not only did his dream come true, having logged more than 20,000 hours of flight time, he is the sole owner of a very successful airline which today operates nationally and internationally employing over 800 people.
In 1968, Ron moved to Wichita to become the chief pilot for a real estate developer and, shortly thereafter, he formed a jet charter service company specializing in corporate executive travel.
In 1981, Ryan Aviation Corporation upgraded its FAR Part 135 certificate to a Part 121 air carrier certificate. At that time, Ryan International Airlines was formed to operate large aircraft; and today this company operates forty-four aircraft and, by December 1997, will operate forty-nine in its fleet of operations.
Ryan International derives the largest portion of its revenue from transporting express and priority mail for the U.S. Postal Service and overnight airfreight for Emery Air Freight Corporation. Mid-Summer of 1997, Ryan was contracted to transport professional sports teams and entertainers in four Boeing 727s that are passenger configured. Ryan International will also be based in Chicago providing air service to many vacation spots in the Caribbean, Mexico and various stateside locations. Ryan International Airlines boasts an on-time service rate of better than 98 percent, which is excellent by any standards.
Ryan has been the recipient of many awards over the years. Most recently, he was selected to receive the “1996 Entrepreneur of the Year-Services Division” award in a national competition.
Ron is a Board Member of the Kansas Aviation Museum and is an active member of several other civic organizations. His philanthropic attitude is demonstrated through his many charitable contributions and the giving of his time and talent in helping others.