Friday, August 29, 2014

Over 1100 missions, more than 600,000 miles, and 2200 passengers, TJA celebrates four years of giving back on August 29.

Four years ago, Grant Jacobson started out wanting to take his passion for flying and combine it with his desire to do something philanthropic for others.  The challenge; how to make sure 100% of his efforts and resources went directly to the persons that needed it.  The solution was creating Texas Jacobson Aviation.  TJA hit the sky flying, teaming up with some wonderful organizations to provide free air transportation to those in need.

The journey has been exciting, challenging, heartwarming and heart breaking.  Over 2,200 wounded military and cancer patients alike have taken a ride on TJA’s wings.  Nearly $40 million dollars have been allocated thus far to the TJA cause.  Yet, the list of those who need the support gets longer every day.  “Four years ago I had the privilege to start flying with TJA.  Now that we have reached the fourth year anniversary, I look back with gratitude.  I truly feel honored to have been a part of the adventure.  There have been challenges, but also countless rewards from the thousands of lives touched through Angel Flight and Wounded Veteran missions.  The cockpit is the greatest office in the world and I look forward to the next four years.” Said TJA’s Chief Pilot, Gary Standifer.

TJA started with a Beechcraft King Air, flying their first mission with Grace Flight on August 29, 2010.  Soon after, they were flying missions for Veterans Airlift Command, Mercy Medical Airlift, Angel Flight, Operation Comfort, Wounded Warriors, Patriot Outdoors Adventures , the San Antonio Military Medical Center, and the list goes on.  Grant Jacobson and Gary Standifer have flown every mission together, a partnership that is more than just co-piloting.  They have become personally invested in those lives they are helping.  Today, the TJA fleet includes the Shiksa Goddess, a Citation X, the Blue Bell, a Bell Jet Ranger 206 B3, and the Mishegas, a Bell 429. 

In the past four years, Angel Flight South Central has been an intricate partner to the TJA mission.  Over half a million miles have been flown on TJA aircraft transporting medical patients around the country, in a safe comfortable setting that alleviates a little of the stress that these people face daily.  Angel Flight SC worked with TJA tirelessly to ensure that as many missions possible could be flown weekly.  “TJA has been instrumental in helping Angel Flight increase the number of missions flown each year.  It is not often that an individual is willing to make it a daily commitment to fly patients in their personal aircraft, year round.  Grant Jacobson turned his passion for flying into a full time job helping others and we are very grateful to be considered part of his team.” Said Tim Dammon President and CEO of Angel Flight SC.

Half way through their journey, TJA realized there was an enormous need by those in uniform who were injured protecting our country and brought home to little or no resources available to get to the medical and psychological care necessary.  Additionally, their families who play a vital part in recovery don’t always have the financial means to get to them.  From medical treatment and physical therapy, to life changing climbs and weekend workshops to help them acclimate into the next phase of their lives, TJA has made it a priority to provide the wings.   “Operation Comfort is extremely grateful to Grant Jacobson for being so kind and generous in sharing what he has with others.  Flying our wounded service members to places that they need to go and may not have the funds to get there is incredible.  As an organization, the generosity that TJA extends to us is an incredible gift, and this gift comes from their heart.  We deeply appreciate everything that they have done and continue to do.” Janis Roznowski, Founder & Executive Director, Operation Comfort.

 What’s next for TJA?  The sky’s the limit.  TJA’s CEO Farrell Foley shares, “There is almost never a day goes by that Grant doesn’t put something on my desk to see if we can be of help.  What I have learned firsthand from running this company is that everyone can do something every day to help someone else.  It doesn’t have to be on a grand scale, but it does have to happen.  TJA may be providing the wings, but anyone can call up any of the partners we work with and give within their means, and it will change someone’s life.”

Texas Jacobson Aviation had another huge year, expanding their philanthropic endeavors by providing support to over ten different organizations, including trans-oceanic flights, and rolling out a new mentorship program.

2013 was a busy year for TJA. The team flew more than 75 missions (280+ hours of flight time). Some of the more memorable missions included transportation for Apollo Astronauts Walter Cunningham, Joe Engle and Fred Haise, to attend a conference at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. It was a rare opportunity for TJA’s founder, Grant Jacobson, “I got to personally thank the men who made civilian flight at 90% the speed of sound, a day to day reality.”

In December TJA flew Lt Col. Dick Cole, retired (98), one of the last surviving members of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders of WWII. TJA provided jet transportation for him and family members from Central Texas to Shreveport, LA for the Advocare V100 Bowl where he was honored and presented with the 2013 Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award. “It was the highlight of my year to be able to fly these missions. It was an honor and privilege to be able to give back to men who have done so much for our country,” said Gary Standifer, TJA’s Chief Pilot.

TJA partnered with many new organizations this past year, including the Kilimanjaro Warriors, Patriot Outdoors Adventures and the San Antonio Military Medical Center. The men and women the team flew were an inspiration. These organizations work to provide therapeutic care outside standard rehabilitation programs and TJA will continue to support their efforts throughout 2014.

Texas Jacobson Aviation also introduced a new member to their aircraft family, a Bell 206 B3. The Blue Bell comes with the best safety record of any helicopter in the industry and gives TJA the support it needs to take on shorter distance missions with lower operating costs. With this new addition, TJA is on target to expand their reach to include more organizations within Texas that need immediate short range transportation.

In addition to flying missions, TJA contributed over $35k to various organizations, including the NGPA Educational Fund and the Austin Food Bank, in an effort to extend their reach beyond medical and military need. One of the company’s newest goals is to provide mentorship and training opportunities to young pilots. They achieved this by providing the tools necessary for one of their first mentees to receive his helicopter license. “To be able to help, all while doing what we love,… it is truly humbling, and we will continue to expand our reach in 2014,” said Jacobson.

With just over five hundred thousand miles flown for Angel Flight South Central, Texas Jacobson Aviation is ready to take on new challenges and partner with an organization that can utilize TJA’s resources.

To date, TJA has flown over a half-million miles in 33 months, transporting over 1,600 passengers, almost 1,000 missions, and 2,000 hours. “Many of the patients we have flown have become like family and we are honored to have been able to make a positive impact on so many lives,” said Farrell Foley, TJA’s CEO.

When TJA was founded, the objective was to start a company whose business model was to help as many medical patients and wounded military personnel as possible, without any outside financial resources. The company has spent over $3 million in the past three years, not including the cost of aircraft. The Shiksa Goddess, TJA’s Citation X, can comfortably seat 8 passengers, and the more mission legs that can be fulfilled each day, the more people can be helped. Up until recently, TJA relied heavily on Angel Flight SC to help them fill their schedule four days a week. Unfortunately, Angel Flight SC has a small staff and is limited with what they are able to do administratively. Making sure the Shiksa Goddess was being utilized to its full potential was not always possible.

Texas Jacobson Aviation has decided to expand their reach and look towards other organizations that may be able to utilize their services full time. With the growing number of military men and women needing medical help upon their return, and their families who may not have the resources to visit them, TJA hopes to make an impact. In addition, there are hundreds of people every day who are medically challenged and need assistance getting to and from their treatments, and TJA is willing to be a resource. The objective is finding the right organization that has the resources to put the team to work four days a week with as many passengers as they can fit in the plane. “The money isn’t endless, everyday costs between $4,000 and $7,000. It only makes sense that the tool we offer and finance is appropriately utilized,” TJA’s founder Grant Jacobson said.

Texas Jacobson Aviation was busier than ever this past year flying over 432 missions for Angel Flight and Mercy Medical Airlift. The company decided to expand its philanthropic efforts this holiday season.

 AUSTIN, TX, January 05, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ — TJA ended 2012 with a new holiday tradition, making a family Christmas wish list a reality. With the recent rise in generosity inspired by the original Secret Santa, an un-named woman in Michigan who paid off a family’s lay away plan at Kmart, TJA wanted to find away to give back to their hometown. The week before Christmas a TJA pilot visited an Austin based Walmart and brought Christmas early to families.

 TJA chose eighty two families on Santa’s list and paid off their lay away balances. The total pay off was just under $10,400. “Our company is based on helping others, and having as much impact as possible with each person we come in contact with. It only took a little to help out a large number of people in a big way” said Farrell Foley, Texas Jacobson’s CEO. The company’s founder, Grant Jacobson, was there to see the reaction of one of the family members. “It was a magical moment to see the face on the first person who came in to make a lay away payment and realized that Santa had come early this year,” Mr. Jacobson said.

 The year ahead will be a busy one for the Austin based aviation company. In addition to working with their current partners, TJA will be expanding their efforts and looking to partner with additional organizations that may need their services.

February 21st, 2012     www.AngelFlightSC.org

 ”Grant Jacobson, his copilot Gary Standifer, and Texas Jacobson Aviation provide a tremendous service to the passengers of Angel Flight South Central.  Their dedication and generosity continue to amaze us,” says Tim Dammon, Angel Flight’s President and CEO.

Based in Austin, Texas Jacobson Aviation, Inc (TJA) was founded in August, 2010, by business man Grant Jacobson. Their sole purpose: to take Mr. Jacobson’s passion for flying and pair it with his desire to make a difference in the lives of others.  Grant inherited his love of flying and his philosophy of helping individuals rather than large organizations from his father, Harvey.  Harvey Jacobson was a successful entrepreneur and business man who passed away in 2010, leaving Grant the means to be able to give back in an impactful way.

Mr. Jacobson approached Angel Flight South Central (then Grace Flight of America), an organization that works with those in need to provide air transportation when conventional transportation is not an option, and offered his help.  In the two years since that offer was made, TJA has flown over 500 missions on behalf of Angel Flight South Central patients.  Grant has personally flown on every trip and takes great pride in his company’s true philanthropic focus.  “I love to fly and I have been very fortunate in life.  I need to give back and this is my chance to do something meaningful that most people and companies don’t have the resources to do”, Grant said. He continues to be touched by the lives of those that TJA flies.  “It is an amazing thing, to see the determination and spirit that many of our passengers have, and an honor to be able to serve them” says Gary Standifer, Senior Pilot.

TJA extended their charitable aviation partnership in the summer of 2011 with Mercy Medical Airlift’s Air Compassion for Veterans division, with hopes of providing more support to our veterans.  The symbiotic relationship has allowed TJA to further expand their efforts to support our men and women in uniform.

In January of 2012, TJA added a new Cessna aircraft, the Citation X.  Named the Shiksa Goddess, the newest member of the TJA family is the fastest civilian aircraft in the sky, cruising just shy of the sound barrier at Mach .92. Patients are treated to a first class travel experience, complete with beverage service, a well stocked DVD library, and plenty of room to stretch out and relax for a minute from their often turbulent lives.

Grant lives in Austin and spends the majority of time flying missions. He and his co-pilot Gary Standifer fly four days a week, often bringing some humor and comedic distraction to their passengers. Grant has an MBA from Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business Management, a vibrant personality with what many have called that “Hollywood blinding smile,” and enjoys spending his free time with friends or a good book.

Direct Approach Cessna Customer Spotlight Jacobson 9-21-11 

Grant Jacobson has a heart as big as Texas.

After the self-described Austin businessman “fell into money” on the passing of his entrepreneurial father in 2010, his spending became admittedly self-indulgent.

 The spending quickly grew tiresome and, inspired by his father’s legacy, he decided to do something much more important.

 Grant’s father, Harvey, founded what became widely known as The Jacobson Group, in 1949. By 1998 the manufacturing firm had grown to be worth $270 million, the cash price Cordant Technologies Inc. paid for it. The older Jacobson, who was 91 when he died, enjoyed aviation, and infused his son, Grant, with the love of flying, a philosophy of helping individuals rather than organizations and giving back – in a decidedly Texas way.

Texas Jacobson Aviation

His company, Texas Jacobson Aviation, exists simply to provide free air transportation for military and civilian medical patients – to, from or within Texas. The company supports children and adults in need of medical attention, and brave military men and women who have served America – the country’s wounded warfighters.

 “Yesterday for example, we flew from Austin to South Carolina, to Georgia, to Houston and back to Austin. We picked up a patient and his family in South Carolina, and then a patient and her husband in Georgia, and brought them all back,” Jacobson says. “I get to fly and truly impact people’s lives.”

Since founding the company a little more than a year ago, Texas Jacobson has flown more than 400 individuals on more than 360 missions totaling more than 200,000 miles. Jacobson, 55, began the operation with a King Air, quickly moved to a Cessna Citation XLS+ for longer missions and will replace that jet later this year with a Citation X.

Giving Back

The company flies four days a week and Jacobson makes it a point to fly almost every mission personally. Since picking up the company’s Citation XLS+ in April, Texas Jacobson has flown it more than 350 hours. “My father worked very hard for a very long time. He raised me to give back. Now I get to give back and do something I enjoy,” Jacobson says.

After getting his MBA from Pepperdine in 2002, he moved to Hawaii, where he learned to fly in a Cessna 172. “I got my single engine, then my instrument, then my multi.” He flew Caravans commercially for a time there and since relocating to Texas has accumulated a total of more than 1,800 flight hours. Texas Jacobson Aviation co-pilot Gary Standifer is a career pilot with more than 8,000 flight hours, and his ratings include Airline Transport Pilot, Single and Multi-Engine and Certified Flight Instructor, Fixed Wing and Rotor. 

Helping patients in distress does take an emotional toll. “There’s one lady that we got really close to. “When she got sicker, it was difficult. She’s just a lovely, lovely woman. And her daughter, her son-in-law, her grandkids, are all just lovely people; couldn’t be nicer.”

The company works through several partners: Grace Flight of America, Mercy Medical Airlift, and Air Compassion for Veterans, an organization whose mission sums up an approach that Texas Jacobson Aviation embraces:

The mission and purpose of Air Compassion For Veterans is to ensure that no financially-stressed wounded warrior / veteran / or their adversely affected family member(s) is denied the ability to access: distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, counseling, rehabilitation or any program that will promote healing and restoration for reintegration into a productive life.

Lives on the Line

“On our last military mission we took six guys from San Antonio to Florida for scuba diving as  therapy;  they were all amputees. It was really kind of funny. One of the guys, he seemed like he was whole. And I said, ‘What’s your deal?’ He said, ‘Well, they wanted to take my foot, I wouldn’t let them, but it’s really useless.’… I am so proud of the people that actually put their lives on the line.”

 “One of the first vets we took was Patrick Ziegler from Fort Hood, one of the shooting victims from the attack. He was really messed up and in a wheelchair, but he was just a great kid. We took him to Tallahassee in the King Air to surprise him with a football game.  I heard that when they walked him on the field, the whole stadium stood up and cheered. There was another vet without legs and he could get in and out of the King Air and in and in and out of his seat faster than I could,” Jacobson says.

With the heavy Texas-based missions that it flies, the company spends $50,000 to $70,000 monthly just in fuel. The cost for aircraft acquisition, operation and management are also substantial, a $20 million investment since the  company’sinception.

Citation X Coming

But that’s not enough for Jacobson. With the new Citation X coming online soon, he is looking to expand the charitable efforts by partnering with other businesses that want to also make a difference in the lives of people whose medical solution may only be a flight away.

“Cessna’s been very supportive. It has stepped up more than once. The people in Cessna’s San Antonio Citation Service Center – Bobby Jones and the guys – are all just amazing, cooperative, agreeable, and they help us with our mission.”

In addition to a heart of gold Jacobson balances the poignant with a funny, albeit edgy side. In the official photo on his Website, he poses next to his Citation looking very much like a successful country and western singing star, complete with cowboy hat, long black duster and shiny snakeskin boots.

Far from a Texas cowboy persona, though, he calls the Citation XLS+ the “Yom Kippur Clipper,” which reflects his Jewish heritage. The Citation X will soon become his “Shiksa Goddess.” 

Single, he currently lives in a converted commercial building in downtown Austin, three blocks from the capital. He never flies the airplane for personal use and doesn’t go out much, preferring to focus his energies on his charitable missions.

For a guy who “fell into money” and loves flying, Grant Jacobson is certainly doing the right thing.

This Citation XLS, owned by Texas Jacobson Aviation, makes a careful landing for Grace Flight as it delivers its patient to Portland Municipal Airport Friday afternoon. (Leader photo/Sonya Thompson)

Grace Flight, Texas Jacobson Aviation donate trip to Houston

By Sonya Thompson, Editor

And as the plane taxied around, stopping near the fueling station, Donna Yoakum could hardly contain her excitement at seeing her husband carefully exit the plane, stopping to kiss their daughter before planting an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

It’s been two weeks since they’ve seen each other. Two long weeks of waiting while Tom Yoakum, 56, underwent a critical transfusion of a synthetic, corn-based plasma in a Houston hospital.

It’s a procedure he endures every six to eight months, but this trip was different.

This trip was taken courtesy of Grace Flight and Texas Jacobson Aviation.

And it’s one round-trip flight for which the Yoakums are forever grateful.

Yoakum suffers from myasthenia gravis, which is “a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that is characterized by fluctuating weakness of the voluntary muscle groups.

The prevalence of MG in the United States is estimated to be about 20/100,000 population,” according to www.myasthenia.org.

Yoakum receives plasmapheresis, which removes the abnormal antibodies from the plasma of the blood. It has to be performed in Houston because the hospital there is the only one who will treat his incredibly rare condition — Yoakum is allergic to human plasma.

Instead, he gets a transfusion of Hespan, a synthetic plasma expander that produces expansion of plasma blood volume.

Even though he’s attempted to receive the transfusions locally — and was refused due to the rarity of the procedure — he continues to have to travel to Houston.

The process of flying commercial for his transfusions is arduous, exhausting and exposes Yoakum to untold germs. Due to his compromised immune system and the risk of exposure to infection by flying commercial, the family contacted Grant Jacobson of Texas Jacobson Aviation.

“Regardless of how much money you have, sometimes it is not in a person’s best interest to fly commercially, especially with a compromised immune system,” Yoakum added.

Texas Jacobson Aviation, which is partnered with both Grace Flight and Mercy Medical Airlift, was happy to provide the transportation to Yoakum, a former U. S. Marine.

“I love to fly and I have been very fortunate in life,” said Grant Jacobson, CEO of Texas Jacobson. “If you are fortunate, you are obliged to give back. I love to fly and I can do what I love to do and help others. That’s a great thing.”

“These people are gold,” Yoakum said as he shook Jacobson’s hand after the flight. “Somebody has to give it back. They say go to church and give to the Lord — that’s what they do. These people took good care of me and brought me right to the door of the hospital.”

“I’m very grateful,” Yoakum added. “I look at them and know it will come back to them. I, for one, will give to the Lord by giving to this organization. They are there for you no matter what, if a commercial flight is too difficult for you and you have a medical problem, then they will fly you without asking anything in return. This is true Christianity.”

Yoakum and his family moved to Portland last year from Houston. It was a difficult decision to make, knowing he would be leaving the hospital where he receives care, but he made the move to support his daughter’s music career.

“That’s my baby,” he said as he reached over and took Kimberly’s hand in his. “I moved here to support her.”

Yoakum is thankful that, if need be, he’ll have Jacobson to fly him to Houston for future treatments.

Grace Flight of America flew more than 1,600 missions last year and is on track to increase that number by 50 percent for the current year. The volunteer pilots and aircraft owners who serve with Grace Flight provide their time, their equipment and even their own fuel and operating costs with no reimbursement.

Grace Flight works with hospitals; care facilities; and social, community and religious workers to identify people whose access to critical care is hampered due to location or transportation difficulties.

All Grace Flight services are provided free of charge to those in need. Grace Flight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation headquartered in Addison, Texas, and operates nationwide either directly or through cooperation with other volunteer pilot organizations.

For more information, visit www.graceflight.org.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) August 18, 2011

TJA, Inc. closed out its inaugural year of operation with unprecedented records in charitable flights, contributing over $20 million in resources. Founded in late August 2010, the year-old company has flown over 200 thousand miles in its King Air and Citation XLS+ planes, enough to circle the planet eight times! With over 360 missions flown for Grace Flight and VAC, TJA announces a new partnership with Mercy Medical Airlift’s Air Compassion for Veterans division with hopes of providing more support to our veterans.

Earlier this year, TJA completed phase one of its expansion efforts, purchasing a Citation XLS+. The new plane offers significantly greater flight range capabilities, increase passenger capacity, and will shorten the travel time significantly. This has allowed TJA to accept missions that may otherwise be declined or cause added stress to the patients.

Having seen first-hand the injuries our men and women in uniform have suffered on our behalf, TJA is stepping up its efforts to give back. The company is very excited about its new partnership with Mercy Medical Airlift, a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based organization that has administered service to over 22,000 patients in 2010, with a public benefit in excess of $4,200,000. The Air Compassion for Veterans (ACV) division provides medically-related air transport services to troops, veterans and their immediate family members. “Mercy Medical Airlift is a well-respected and seasoned organization that has done an amazing job giving back on so many levels. It is an honor to be a part of their efforts,” said Grant Jacobson, CEO of TJA. “Their mission is right in line with what Texas Jacobson hopes to provide, and we looking forward to a rewarding partnership that will allow us to serve those who have fought so bravely for our country.”

Edward R. Boyer is the founder, CEO and president of Mercy Medical Airlift. He, too, sees great benefit in the partnership with TJA: “Texas Jacobson Aviation is providing a valuable transportation resource for use by Mercy Medical Airlift (MMA). Charitable long-distance transportation is provided nationwide by MMA for poor patients needing access to a distant medical specialist or for wounded warriors and their adversely-affected family members to reach distant specialist care or rehabilitation facilities or appointments. It is a joy to partner with TJA folks who sincerely care about people in need or veterans seeking healing.”

The year ahead promises to be as exciting as the first. TJA will be looking to expand its charitable efforts by partnering with other businesses and corporations who want to help make a difference in the lives of those men, women, and children whose medical solution may only be a flight away.

About Texas Jacobson Aviation, Inc.
Texas Jacobson Aviation, Inc., TJA, was founded in 2010, by businessman Grant Jacobson. The primary mission of Texas Jacobson Aviation is to provide free air transportation for ambulatory military and civillian medical patients – to, from or within Texas, supporting those in need of critical medical attention, and the brave men and women who have served our country. TJA Inc. is a privately owned company based in Austin, Texas.

About Air Compassion for Veterans:
The mission and purpose of Air Compassion For Veterans (ACV) is to ensure that no financially-stressed wounded warrior / veteran / or their adversely affected family member(s) is denied the ability to access: distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, counseling, rehabilitation or any program that will promote healing and restoration for reintegration into a productive life.

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Austin, Texas- January 14, 2011

TJA, Inc. closed out it first year of operation with unprecedented records in charitable flights.  Founded in late August 2010, the four month old company flew over 90 missions in their King Air C90GTx, clocking in over 300 hours of donated flight time, and absorbing over $300k in costs.  The company is on track for contributing over $2.5 million in resources in 2011 in support of its charitable mission.

Currently TJA is partnered with Grace Flight and Veterans Airlift Command (VAC), two organizations that work with those in need to provide air transportation when conventional transportation is not an option.  The goals TJA has set for 2011 include working with VAC in a greater capacity in order to help service the growing need for assisting our men and women in uniform.  Part of the expansion efforts includes the acquisition of a 2011 jet, estimated purchase price of $12MM, with significantly greater flight range capabilities than the 2010 King Air C90GTx, they currently use, for all their missions TJA is currently in negotiations with two manufacturers and expects to make a decision by the end of the month. The new plane will allow Mr. Jacobson and his crew to fly patients from or to Texas across the United States without having to stop for fuel, shortening the travel time significantly.  With the addition of this new plane, TJA will be able to increase the number of flights, increase  passenger capacity, and provide Grace Flight and VAC with another valuable resource to help them carry out their missions.

TJA has consistently received support from Destin Jet Center located in Florida.  In an effort to help TJA, Destin Jet Center provides a significant discount on fuel.  “Destin Jet has been amazing to work with.  They run a beautiful, top of the line facility, with experienced and courteous staff.  When you are spending all of your days, and resources, helping others, it is worth recognizing those who are in the background helping you make it happen,” says Grant Jacobson, founder of TJA.

The first half of 2011 promises to be an exciting one for Texas Jacobson Aviation as they continue to grow as a company and reach out to as many of those in need as they can serve.  The arrival of the new plane is scheduled for March of this year and TJA will be looking to expand their charitable efforts by partnering with other organizations who want to help make a difference in the lives of those men, women, and children whose medical solution may only be a flight away.

 Austin, Texas – Nov. 3, 2010 – based in Austin, Texas, Texas Jacobson Aviation, Inc, TJA, was founded in August, 2010, by business man Grant Stuart Jacobson.  Their purpose: to take Mr. Jacobson’s passion for flying and pair it with his desire to make a difference in the lives of others. 

The company purchased a Beechcraft King Air C90GTX, now known as the TJA, Inc. Work Horse, with its main purpose to services those in need.  The plane is a custom built, state of the art, aircraft that allows the passenger to reach their destination in one flight instead of several stops, in a safe, clean and comfortable plane. Mr. Jacobson approached Grace Flight and VAC, two organizations that work with those in need to provide air transportation when conventional transportation is not an option.  In less than 2 months TJA Inc. has more than tripled what the average private pilot or charitable flight organization flies each month.  He has personally flown on every trip and takes great pride in his company’s true philanthropic focus.  “I love to fly and I have been very fortunate in life.  I need to give back and this is my chance to do something meaningful that most people and companies don’t have the resources to do”, Grant Jacobson said.

TJA teamed up with Grace Flight for its first mission on August 29, 2010. Grace Flight of America relies completely on volunteer pilots and donations from individuals, foundations, clubs and corporations.  Since then, TJA has flown over 30 missions for Grace Flight, logging over 100s of hours and 1,000s of miles, with no cost to the patients or veterans who are in need of help. 

In October TJA, Inc. flew their first mission with Veterans Airlift Command, VAC, transporting a wounded vet from Fort Hood, TX, to Tallahassee, FL. Based in Minnesota, VAC provides 90 passengers monthly with air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes to wounded warriors, veterans, and their families, through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots. The alliance with Texas Jacobson Aviation was a natural fit, and Mr. Jacobson plans to expand his efforts to become more of a resource to our men and women in uniform.