Aiming for the Sky

Singer-songwriter Katy Perry scored a mammoth hit with “Teenage Dream,” but her litany of what makes a teen tick leaves out one very important quality: getting as far away from every­day problems and monotony as possible. As a 14-year-old, Cory realized without a doubt that leaving the ground was a goal he wanted to chase. His attraction to flight wasn’t inherited, but it was inherent. It just always resided within him.

“I did not come from an aviation background family. I was just drawn to wanting to be around aircraft at a young age. I loved air shows, static displays, really anything to be able to see them. I grew up in Belton, Texas, and the local airport was KTPL, Draughon- Miller Central Texas Regional. It’s always been a very small but busy local airport. There’s very often lots of corporate flying, so I was always excited to watch the jets come and go. I really have to thank my mom, Linda Rance, for dropping me off at the airport when I was 14 just so I could watch all the planes take off and land, and also to get to meet the people around the field,” Cory shared.

That experience was a pivotal one for the young man, who im­mediately began his quest to learn the ins and outs of aviation. “I started flying that year, at 14, back in 1998. I began washing airplanes and trading labor for flight time, and I actually took my first flight lesson out of the hangar I’m in now.”

Rugged Terrain Meets Rugged Individualism

One of the benefits of owning one’s own aircraft is that you can decide when and where to go at a moment’s notice. For Cory, that frequently includes a backcountry trek. “I have been a fanatic of backcountry flying since I was young and Levi Noguess took me in his Kitfox and landed on the side of a lake. He then did a 180 and took back off. It was then that I realized I was hooked! I had no desire to be a corporate or an airline guy. All I wanted to do was go flying, camping, and fishing,” Cory recalled.

Interestingly, just as Cory had his aerial epiphany, he simul­taneously had an economic one. “I suddenly realized I needed to make money to do any of that.” This homegrown blending of pragmatism and escapism underscored his professional devel­opment, too. “I have been doing HVAC work since I was young. It would allow me to save up some extra cash so I could rent the local 150 or 172 and fly it to lunch. In 2009, I started the Qual­ity Air Services business. We are based in Temple, Texas, and we are a 24/7 heating and air-conditioning service company. We run around 12 technicians at any given time. It keeps us extremely busy. Needless to say, it’s very demanding, but rewarding as well. It allows us and our employees to live great lives outside of work.”

Among the upsides of being a business owner is that it gives him the liberty of autonomy and mobility. “Being a pilot and be­ing self-employed go hand-in-hand. If a job comes in, yes, it takes priority over any weekend getaway. But on the other hand, when I have free time, we can pack up last second and then just get away. We can fly to Florida from our front yard,” he explained.

There’s Something About a Cessna 180

On Nov. 17, 2018, 20 years after he started his teenage aviation hankering, Cory purchased his 1980 Cessna 180K, N180PG. He found it on a Facebook page that he followed, and immediately began to track the responses to it. “It was 9 p.m., and there was a ton of interest very quickly. I started really blowing up the seller’s phone, really just not wanting to miss out on it. Luckily, he chose me to be the buyer because I know there were plenty of potential purchasers in line,” he recollected.

“Before I bought N180PG, I owned N9024M, which was my first Cessna 180. It was a 1970 H model, and it really ‘ruined me’ into knowing that 180s are truly the best all-around aircraft to own. When N180PG came along, it was 10 years newer, had the upgrad­ed P. Ponk 520 engine, and a nice IFR platform.”

Seeing the Cessna in person confirmed his positive reaction to its online photos and description. It lived up to its hype: “When I picked up the airplane, it had great paint, interior, and engine, so I really just wanted to upgrade to a glass Garmin panel with an auto­pilot. Temple Electronics Company, in Arcola, really worked their magic with a full custom panel, dual G3X screens, 750Xi, GFC 500, and the remote transponder. It’s very clean and very functional.”

His confidence was also bolstered by the plane’s meticulous pre-purchase inspection, which he encourages all potential Cessna owners to commission. “Always, always, have a good pre-buy done. The tails have stress-cracking issues that can easily be done in an annual. Aircraft are expensive. But if you buy a bad one, they can get extremely expensive.”

Cory’s Vision Launches Big Time

Cory and N180PG were beautifully suited for one another, but as often happens, the longer he spent inside the plane, the more he thought about altering and improving it. “I really had no plans on ‘fixing it up.’ It was the nicest one I had ever owned. But after a few months of flying it, I wasn’t any less excited about it. I just wanted to add more to it. I wanted the Alaskan bush wheels, the baby bush tail wheel setup, and, of course, the Beringer aero wheel and brake STC,” Cory admitted. “All of these have been great additions to how well the airplane has performed on- and off-field flying.”

With patience and willingness to reach into his pocket for the renovations, Cory has made the Cessna 180 his very own. “I re­ally wanted to put together the perfect backcountry setup. That is, minimal interior for plenty of room to carry whatever I need and big tires to handle whatever terrain I decide to land it on. Al­though I like working on things, I love flying way more, so I have not done any of the work myself on the aircraft. I am not an A&P. Every year I have made it a point to fix everything if anything is needed, and to upgrade perhaps one or two things. This has made an incredible difference overall.”

The pilot cannot say enough complimentary things about his preferred mode of transportation. “Cessna 180/185s are great fly­ing airplanes. I wouldn’t say they are harder to fly, but they do keep you on your toes literally. If it’s gusting crosswinds, they can be sporty — but I wouldn’t change a thing. They are also very respectable. Not many airplanes can haul 1,000 pounds and fuel in and out of your front yard or an off-field strip.”

Home Is Where the Hangar Is

Today, Cory is living his very best life. He has a “lovely and much better-looking better half” named Nicole. “We have been together for almost 10 years and married for four.” They have no children, but they do have two dogs that keep them busy and involved. The Rances also have a “small hangar home with a charted 1,800-foot grass strip.” He gets to live up close and personal near his beloved pastime each and every day, and he acknowledges that his wife isn’t as smitten as he is.

“Nicole is my biggest supporter, even though she doesn’t have the love of flying like I do. I’m sure she just ‘loves’ me following barnstormers or looking for the next new listing. And I’m sure she just ‘loves’ when I drag her to Reklaw, Texas, to freeze in a sleeping bag so we can be around other airplanes. She’s a very good sport.”

In addition to his trusty, faithful Cessna 180, Cory also owns a B55 Baron. This plane has proven to be a money magnet: “I didn’t plan on buying an airplane that required a full restoration, but that is what it has turned into. I’ve done full paint, interior, avionics, and engines. It is now a great cross-country machine.”