Brett's journey into aerial application. It began in June 2021 when I purchased my first aircraft, a Cessna 172. My cousin Shalyn Marchetti introduced me to flying, providing my initial lessons and ground school instruction, with Audrey Glass helping me complete my private pilot certification by September of that year.
The more time I spent in the air, the clearer it became that flying wasn't just a hobby, it was my calling. With my passion for agriculture and aviation, and some encouragement from my uncle, I decided to pursue agricultural aviation as a career.
Knowing I needed specialized skills for agricultural aviation, I sold the Cessna and invested in a tailwheel aircraft, the configuration used in all ag planes. This transition built on the foundation my brother, Layton Campbell, and I developed growing up in the logging industry with our father. Though we eventually established our own logging operation, we continued to collaborate regularly, carrying forward the principles our father instilled in us: persistent hard work leads to success.
I approached my brother about launching an aerial application business based at Queen City Airport, which is owned by our aunt and uncle. After he agreed, we began seeking financing. Our mother, experienced in creating business loan proposals, helped us prepare our presentation for FarmBank in Kirksville, who proved to be excellent partners in this journey.
While building flight hours in my Aeronca Champ, I enrolled at Eagle Vista, an agricultural aviation school in Florida, in November 2022. There, skilled instructors refined my abilities and taught me how to safely handle loaded aircraft, execute efficient turns, and operate with precision.
After completing training, we purchased our first agricultural aircraft from Georgia, along with the necessary ground equipment to establish our operation. I gained invaluable experience working with Scott Tennant, a 20-year veteran in the industry who mentored me through my first season in Georgia before returning to Missouri for our corn application season.
Following our successful first year, we expanded by acquiring another aircraft from Colorado. In 2024, we were fortunate to have Matthew Wheeler join us as our second pilot, his exceptional skills were a tremendous asset to our operation. After the 2024 season, we further grew our fleet with an additional aircraft from Nebraska. Our fleet is now up too 3 and we hope to keep it growing into the future.
If it wasn't for our family, friends, and everyone who came together to make this happen, we wouldn't be here today. They deserve all of the credit! Looking ahead, we're committed to continued growth while maintaining our focus on customer satisfaction and service excellence.