Every morning this week at AirVenture, Rob Riggen and his crew at Flying High Coffee are brewing 25,000 cups of coffee to give to exhibitors, volunteers and EAA staffers. That’s just a small amount of the coffee consumed by pilots, notes Riggen, a CFI and coffee aficinado, who estimates that aviation consumers drink $100 million annually in coffee — and a lot of that is bad coffee.
Worse yet, the profits from all those cups of coffee go to non-aviation companies. Riggen is trying to capture some of that revenue to build his company, but also to help GA. He’s committed to giving 30% of his profits to aviation non-profit organizations. To prove that point, Riggen presented checks to officials from Able Flight and Girls With Wings this week. “These two organizations are near and dear to my heart,” says Riggen.
He hopes to add more charities as his start-up business grows. “I think we can touch many non-profits with this project,” he said.
Riggen, who sells his coffee over the Internet, is also selling some coffee-related products at the show. But his big push is to raise awareness of the difference between his freshly brewed coffee and the stuff served in most FBOs are at most airshows. “We all tend to suffer through bad coffee where we travel,” he said. “The key is freshness.”
He notes his company roasts the coffee in small batches when it is ordered and ships the bags to FBOs, companies, flight schools, or any place that really appreciates a good cup of joe.
“Aviation should have its own brand of coffee,” he says. “We can help grow GA and all we have to do is drink Flying High Coffee.”
If you’re at Oshkosh, you’ll see Flying High Coffee booths between Hangars A and C and at the Main Gate. You can also find out more FlyingHighCoffee.com
