Mark and Janie Oberman. Courtesy photo.
CAMARILLO — Channel Islands Aviation’s founder Mark Oberman, retired from flying after 46 1/2 years of serving the island community at the end of last month, his daughter Sarah Oberman Bartush confirmed.
Oberman, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, founded the charter flights company alongside his wife, Janie Oberman, in 1975, taking his first charter flight to Santa Cruz Island on January 1, 1975.
The family-run business at the Camarillo Airport has served the area faithfully for 45 years, offering trips to the islands as well as a Cessna pilot center and a Cessna, Beechcraft and Cirrus Service Centers, along with CI Jets, the jet charter operation. Oberman continues duties as General manager overseeing the business’ daily operations and as logged over 15,000 flights hours.
Oberman was awarded the Federal Aviation administration’s most prestigious award, The Wright Brother’s Master Pilot Award, in 2017, honoring 50 years of accident, and violation free continuous flying. His name is published on the Roll of Honor on the FAA’s website.
The tight-knit business is also run by Oberman’s son, Mike Oberman, and his daughter, Sarah Oberman Bartush; Oberman Bartush serves as the business’ chief marketing officer and director of business, while Mike Oberman work as the business’ director of Operations and COO.
For more information about Channel Islands Aviation, visit flycia.com, cijets.com or call (805) 987-1301. Channel Islands Aviation is located at the Camarillo Airport, at 350 Durly Avenue.