PilotMall.com Is Flying High

Neil Glazer's business has one of the best views at the Albert Whitted Airport, overlooking Tampa Bay to the east and downtown St. Pete to the north.

What works for Glazer's business, however, is its presence on the virtual highway, rather than its airport location.

Glazer owns and operates PilotMall.com, a 13-year-old aviation superstore that relies on a web presence and mail-order catalog to do business. And business is good.

A pilot himself, Glazer is well-versed in the industry, and offers almost anything a pilot or aircraft enthusiast would want ("everything for the pilots, nothing for the planes," as he says), whether it is head phones, a flight simulator, GPS unit or educational materials.

On a recent visit to the Whitted Airport, Glazer was focused on the three large-screen monitors at his desk as he conducted business; several employees packed supplies for shipment in the 1,800-square-foot warehouse. The staff works in close quarters inside the crowded warehouse, going about business pulling and stocking as many as 5,000 different products PilotMall.com sells.

Glazer and his employees just returned from EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisc., where they had the largest independent pilot supply exhibit. The week-long air show is attended by up to a half-million aviation enthusiasts each year.

Originally from Rockland County, New York, Glazer moved to St. Petersburg six years ago, looking for a change and taking advantage of a good deal on office and warehouse space at Whitted Airport. He holds a commercial pilot's license and ratings. He founded PilotMall.com in 1998 while he was in flight school. It has had an online presence ever since.

Glazer is on an advisory board for Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation Alliance at University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He and his brother Max also co-own Men's Direct Luxury Grooming Products, which are available online and in the PilotMall.com retail store.

He answered questions about the business and AirVenture.

Q. How did PilotMall.com participate at EAA AirVenture?

A. We actually set up a retail store. We have two locations at that show, about 2,000 square feet of exhibit space. We mainly promote our company and sell at the show. We bring out a truckload of inventory and set up shop. It's a really big show so it's easy to get lost. Every hotel within a 60-mile range is sold out.

Q. Did you always plan on getting into an aviation-related business ?

A. While I was in school at the University of Buffalo I wanted to learn how to fly. After I got my economics degree I went through a professional pilot program with the goal of going into the airline (industry). PilotMall was originally just a side business and just took off, and flying became a hobby.

Q. Do you fly much these days?

A. I own a plane, and I fly regularly. I'll be in the Bahamas mid-month for a trip, and in September I'm flying to Haiti on a mission with Bahamas Habitat.

Q. Does PilotMall.com offer any other services?

A. We don't do any instruction. The only kind of off-shoot thing we do is called Bahamas Pilot Challenge. It's a joint marketing program between PilotMall and the Ministry of Tourism in the Bahamas. It promotes tourism out there with a flying adventure that we set up.

Q. Would you consider opening more retail locations?

A. I've tried to do retail in the past, and it's never really been successful on its own. We've found over the years it's just a small percentage of our business. The mail order business is what makes it succeed.

Q. Are you involved with any outside activities, with the business or not?

A. (PilotMall.com) is involved with Angel Flight Southeast, which is a not-for-profit in our industry that provides free transportation for those in need, whether it's for medical needs or for whatever humanitarian reasons. I'm also on its board of directors.

The PilotMall.com retail outlet at Whitted Airport is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: 727-209-2586. PilotMail.com also has a Facebook page.