WHEELING, ILL – In the infancy of corporate aviation, George Priester foresaw its growth potential and transformational possibility. He recognized flying as a business tool, and that vision led him to begin an aviation business in 1945.
Decades after Priester opened a flight school just outside of Chicago, George J. Priester Aviation celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025 as a multi-generational, family-run private aviation services leader, managing and operating aircraft across the U.S. and internationally.
“My grandfather, George, was an aviation pioneer,” said Andy Priester, Chairman of George J. Priester Aviation and its affiliated brands – Priester Aviation, Mayo Aviation and Hill Private Aviation. “He saw the immense value that air travel would have for businesses, communities and individuals.”
Even before George Priester began his business, he had been involved in aviation, soloing in 1928 and then becoming a flight instructor in 1938. More than 5,000 pilots ultimately attended the school. He bought the underdeveloped airport (KPWK) in Wheeling, Illinois to start a fixed base operation in 1953, and along with his son, Charlie, they transformed the airport into a business aviation hub.
From 1953 to 1986, they expanded the airport from five employees on 108 acres and gravel runways to 200 employees on 300 acres with five expansive paved runways. The airport grew from 60 based aircraft to more than 400 today, becoming the busiest privately owned airport in the world!
The company sold the airport to its neighboring communities in 1986 and its fixed base operation in 2001 to focus its growth on jet charter and aircraft management. It modernized its fleet and approach to operations, adapting again to shifting aviation trends. In 2013, Andy Priester took over for his father, Charlie.