Peter has flown helicopters commercially in Los Angeles since 1990 and has many thousands of hours sharing the amazing skies above LA with our passengers. Peter’s dream of flying helicopters began in the mid 1970’s aged 11 when he was taken up for a ride by a family friend who was a helicopter pilot during a fly in visit to his Family’s Farm in Ireland. Peter is an original founder of Group 3 Aviation at the Van Nuys airport in 1993, the name came about from the group of 3 pilots who founded the company and started the flying adventure together. Since 1997 the business has been owned and operated by Claudia and Peter who have shared the pleasure of running the operation as a husband-and-wife team, both believe in full hands-on service and making fun memories for all our customers who take rides with us.

Tom’s first interest in flying came from US Air Force flying stories his father shared with him as a child. He has always had a fascination with everything mechanical and is a keen ‘motor head’, particularly the mechanics of helicopter flight. Knowing this Tom’s wife Bonnie gifted him a helicopter lesson as an anniversary gift in 1996 with Group 3 and this launched Tom on his path into flying helicopters. He has known Peter and Claudia since 1996 and has happily flown commercially for Group 3 since 2007.

Jeff has been interested in flight since making paper airplanes as a child. This later led to a passion with building and flying remote-controlled airplanes and helicopters. In the late 90’s Jeff started his helicopter pilot training in New Jersey. After moving to LA in 1999, he met Peter and Claudia, owners of Group 3 Aviation and he has loved flying with them ever since. 

Claudia’s dream of flying helicopters started at an early age when her parents took her on a helicopter ride in Los Angeles. Her dream of flying never left her. In her search for a flight school; she found Group 3 and enrolled as a flight student, and ultimately achieving her helicopter certificate. Claudia has worked side by side with Peter in building decades of aviation experience in running Group 3 and managing a dynamic fleet of airplanes, helicopters and staff in both Alaska and California. Providing more than 25 years of expertise in Federal Aviation Administration regulations under Parts 133, 135, 136 and 141. Outside of Group 3, Claudia can be found birding and at home with Peter, in the garden, tending to plants and building on their native wildlife habitat project.