THE DREAMLINE FAMILY
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
In February 1983 Mark L. Schmaltz and Kurt Kohler flew their first charter. They began with one plane and one pilot. At that time their company, called Spirit Aviation, operated from a small office and hangar at Van Nuys Airport - off of Woodley Avenue. Before too long they had acquired several more King Air turboprops and had hired a team of talented young pilots. By the end of the 1980's they had gained the reputation of being the "go to" guys for turboprop charter.
​
In 2009, Mark and Kurt along with former Spirit managers Jana Erland and Todd Kunkler formed a new company, Dreamline Aviation, LLC.
​
A number of pilots and maintenance personnel from the Spirit days also joined the new company. In June of 2010, Dreamline received worldwide aircraft charter certification from the FAA.
Meet The Team
MARK L. SCHMALTZ
President of Dreamline Aviation
Mr. Schmaltz is President and co-founder of Dreamline Aviation. Prior to this, he was co-founder and President of Spirit Aviation, one of the leading jet charter companies in California.
Mark's expertise in aircraft management, maintenance management, mechanical systems and charter services has made him one of the most respected leaders in business aviation. Mr. Schmaltz is a commercially rated captain with over 8,000 flight hours. He holds an Aeronautical Operations degree from San Jose State University.
KURT KOHLER
Senior Vice President
Mr. Kohler is a co-founder of Dreamline Aviation. Prior to this, he was a co-founder of Spirit Aviation, one of the largest private jet charter companies in California. A former airline pilot with over 25,000 flight hours, Kurt oversees flight operations, client services and safety. He holds a degree in history from UCLA.
ALLAN ATHAS
Director of Maintenance
Mr. Athas joined Dreamline Aviation in 2011 as a lead mechanic. In 2019, Allan became Dreamline's Director of Maintenance. Mr. Athas has over fifteen years experience aircraft maintenance, repair and inspection.
​
​
BARRY SNYDER
Chief Operating Officer
Barry Snyder is a respected and recognized C-Level leader whose track record spans more than 25-years in digital technology, media, entertainment, content creation, and intellectual property development.
​
​
​
​
JANA ERLAND
Vice President, Aircraft Asset Management
Ms Erland is co-founder of Dreamline Aviation and Vice President of Aircraft Asset Management. Prior to her present position, Jana was Vice President of Aircraft Management for Spirit Aviation overseeing a fleet of 27 aircraft. She has developed comprehensive administrative and information management systems for the management of large fleet operations.
JONATHON SCHMALTZ
Vice President, Flight Sales
Mr. Schmaltz joined Dreamline Aviation in 2010 where he served as Flight Sales Manager. In 2015, Jon became Vice President of Flight Sales. Prior to joining Dreamline, Jon worked for Spirit Aviation where he served as a flight sales director.
STEPHEN CASEY
Senior Flight Sales Director
With over 35 years of experience in private aviation and charter sales, Steve creates experiences with unmatched industry knowledge and a client-first approach. His focus on long-term relationships and transparent service ensures every client receives world-class support from inquiry to touchdown.
MELISSA GORDON
Flight Sales Director
Melissa brings a decade of aviation experience. Her background in customer service and operations gives her a unique edge in delivering seamless flight experiences tailored to each client’s needs.
Dreamline's Safety Management
ARGUS Platinum Rating
For nearly four decades the Dreamline team has made safety the number one objective of every facet of our operation.
Dreamline holds the Platinum rating from ARGUS.
​
This rating is awarded to operators who have incorporated the industry’s highest Best Practices in flight and maintenance operations.
Dreamline Aviation's Safety Management System (SMS)
Dreamline’s Director of Safety oversees the Company’s Safety Management System (SMS), which provides every department with ever-improving processes for identifying and mitigating potential safety risks. Through these efforts, each and every employee understands his or her role in adhering to industry “best practices” while always seeking ways to improve them.
​
The Director of Safety also chairs a Safety Committee which meets regularly to review every department’s adherence to safe practices and to implement or improve operational safety procedures.
​
An important component of our SMS is our Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT). Prior to each flight leg, the FRAT component of our Flight Operations Software calculates a safety score based on the airport data, crew experience, aircraft performance, and input from the pilot-in-command. It then analyzes this information and produces a risk assessment score – for each flight leg.
Dreamline Aviation Pilot Training
Dreamline’s pilots receive the same simulator-based training as required by the Nation’s leading airlines. Additionally, each receives intensive initial and recurrent training in Dreamline’s stringent operational and safety procedures.