WELCOME to my world. I discovered flying in a typical way for the time -- as a kid bicycling out to Belgrade's Gallatin Field and strolling the ramp. This without the intimidating barbed wire fences or locked security gates.

In 1977, at age 16, a solo scholarship from Montana Wing Civil Air Patrol enabled me to start flight training at Flight Line Incorporated. Aviation soon turned into a family affair; my father, brother and I all began lessons within a year of each other. I obtained my private certificate in 1978.

In 1981 brother Joe and I purchased Cessna 152 N5528B, formed Nagorski Brothers Aviation (NBA), and leased our plane to a local flight school. That venture turned into a financial horror when the company's renter totaled the plane and the FBO went bankrupt. After licking our wounds we purchased another plane in 1984 -- Cessna 170A N9198A -- with the goal of flying it to Alaska. We did, and what an adventure! After fulfilling its mission, the 170 was sold.

NBA's next endeavor was to produce and market Tuff 'Nuff headset carry cases. In this dark age of pre-internet we found international customers and made it into several pilot supply catalogs. The biggest benefit from this project was the hands-on education it provided. I call it my degree from the school of hard knocks. Others might more graciously call it "failing forward."

Also in 1981 I enrolled at Montana State University. Work and college kept me occupied until graduation in June 1986 with a Bachelor's in Modern Languages - German and a minor in Geography.

The degree was obtained to fly for the Air Force. Well, that didn't go as planned. So, I had to decide on something else for gainful employment. My goal has always been to become a professional pilot. The hardest part has been funding. It was 1988 before loans were secured to continue training. I obtained my commercial single-engine, instrument, and flight instructor certificates in Hillsboro, Oregon, before running out of money. Returning to Montana to regroup, I caught my banker on a good day, signed on the dotted line, and resold my soul to this mistress called aviation. Off to Bolivar, Tennessee, I finished multi-engine airplane and instrument instructor training.

From Spring 1989 to October 1996 I was self-employed freelancing in the Pacific Northwest. Ok, I did work as a line instructor for a small FBO in 1992, but returned to self-employment after 15 months. Glider Instructor credentials came in 1995. In October 1996 Paragon Air Adventures LLC was incorporated, leasing space on Gallatin Field (KBZN) in Belgrade Montana. And in February 1999 I became an instructor in multi-engine aircraft, training in Riverside California. Anticipating the needs of pilots transitioning into sophisticated singles and very light jets (VLJs), in April 2008 Paragon became an approved vendor to teach Rich Stowell's Emergency Maneuver Training Program. Combined with a leased Micco aerobatic aircraft, we served the market like never before, with high performance, complex, tailwheel, TAA (technically advanced aircraft), and aerobatics handled out of a single airplane.

The period after 9/11 2001 brought change to the entire industry. Paragon's strengths of high quality specialized training kept pilots coming through our door while other flight schools folded. Unfortunately, just when General Aviation was beginning to return to normal, the economic crash threw everyone off balance. People stopped traveling. Old businesses closed their doors. Housing foreclosures soared. Pilots stopped flying. Facing this reality, I moved Paragon off airport into a home office. And since most clients were using their own aircraft, I retired the rental fleet. I dearly miss having a variety of aircraft in the stable. And I especially regret not being able to provide pilots with different aircraft to support their interests, expand their skills, and grow GA.

One acquires non-aviation competencies along the way. I grew up around small business. My father was a custom gunsmith, so I have an appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. I was employed by a printing and photocopy franchise, so I can find my way around desktop publishing, design, graphics, production, visual communication, and Macintosh computers. Because of the post-9/11 economic tumble I have had the opportunity to live a double life as a Software Technical Support Engineer. I took a break from full-time teaching and worked for RightNow/Oracle for a couple years. Following that, my experience landed me a position with Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply as a Corporate IT Specialist. So add to the skill bucket a handful of disciplines associated with such work. I call this IT period my PhD in business, as I learned how to support numerous clients and thousands of their employees across the US and the world.

I did earn an aviation PhD of sorts. In June 2016 I finally earned an Airline Transport Pilot certificate (ATP) for multi-engine airplanes. That was an education in poor service and instruction as much as it was about advanced aviating. Regrettably, I've had a few similar experiences since then.

As of April 2023 I am also an employee of the great State of Montana, serving its citizens as a seasonal Fixed-Wing Fire Detection Pilot for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). I rotate between three different land offices flying a couple 182s and a Cessna 185. Challenging work, safely transporting an observer into the backcountry over terrain and in conditions which Mother always told me to avoid. This is "Hunter / Killer" work. We find the hot spots and the Helitack teams make them go away.

I have a sensitivity to value, service, safety, and excellence as found General Aviation. You expect maximum quality for your purchase. You don't accept second rate performance from other vendors. Nor should you tolerate it in flying. You're not just a student, you're also a client, my boss, the person who keeps the bills paid. I appreciate that you're spending hard-earned money and could take your business elsewhere.

Oh yes... Why a degree in German? It was the hardest thing I could have studied. I was (and am) inept with that strange tongue. A foreign language takes students out of their comfort zone, exposes them to a new way of looking at the world. It forces discipline. And it is a study best guided by a patient and talented teacher. Foreign language training is excellent background for flight instruction. In the airplane I see bright, intelligent, competent individuals face the same apprehensions and frustrations as I did when tackling something odd. None of us are born with wings. It's my job to make the training as safe, efficient, inspiring, effective, and enjoyable as possible.

Glad you found us. Check out the gallery for pictures of Paragon's air adventures.

Happy (con)trails --