Denise Wilson
President and CEO, Desert Jet
Pilot Denise Wilson landed in the Coachella Valley in 2006 for a private flying job. “Once I arrived,” she says, “I saw how diverse and vibrant the aviation community is here, and I could see the need for growth.” A year later, she founded Desert Jet and opened its headquarters at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal.
“It’s a combination of three companies that offer services as diverse as aircraft management, aircraft charter, fixed base operator private terminal services, and mobile aircraft maintenance,” Wilson explains. Desert Jet boasts its own fleet of aircraft and a range of clients. “Our private flyers can make one phone call to us and we can take them anywhere in the world with as little as two hours’ notice.”
Next she’ll build out her five-acre, 32,000-square-foot Desert Jet Center with a state-of-the-art aircraft terminal, hangar facility, and office space. The expansion will add at least 20 employees. She plans to draw on talent by partnering with local high schools and College of the Desert. “As a woman-owned business, we’re looking to hire more women at Desert Jet and provide opportunities to move up into lucrative careers such as aircraft dispatchers, aircraft pilots, and aircraft mechanics.”
VIDEO: Denise Wilson talks about the diversity of Desert Jet and its services.