After a dismal failure in a business for which they did not have a passion, John and Martha King decided to relax and indulge their love of flying for a while. In the early 1970s, they began teaching flying to mark time while looking for a "serious business."

Originally the Kings launched their flying business out of a spare bedroom in their house. Today their company, King Schools, Inc., operates out of an 18,000-square-foot complex in San Diego, California that includes a dedicated television and software production facility.

Over more than 30 years, King Schools has delivered many millions of videotapes, CD-ROMs and DVDs to pilots in training. In addition to running King Schools, John and Martha also share the limelight as talent in the company's courses and television productions. With their clear, simple and fun teaching, the Kings have revolutionized the flight training industry.

It's no surprise that pilots throughout the world know John and Martha and regard them as their personal aviation mentors. Nearly every pilot has viewed a King course at one time, and almost half of each year's crop of new private and instrument pilots in the United States use King Schools' educational materials. King Schools continues to revolutionize pilot training by pioneering the development of multimedia training programs on many aviation subjects including ground-breaking programs on aviation risk management.

Through the years, the Kings have retained their enthusiasm for flying. They fly their own Dassault Falcon 10 jet wherever they go, swapping captain and copilot duties on each leg. They have flown their Falcon on many international journeys, including a trip completely around the world via the length of Russia.

John and Martha are the first couple to both hold every category and class of FAA pilot and instructor certificates. Martha is the first and only woman to achieve this complete ratings sweep. They remain active in many categories, regularly flying everything from jet and piston airplanes and helicopters to weight-shift trikes and powered parachutes. They have enjoyed periodically serving as back-up pilots for the Fujifilm blimp. They have flown the blimp over such events as the Kentucky Derby, the Davis Cup, the Super Bowl, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, and the Experimental Aircraft Association convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Their airship adventures have been part of national television coverage on the Fox, ESPN, CBS, and USA networks.

The Kings appear frequently on national TV as aviation experts. They also have starred in numerous video presentations on Microsoft's Flight Simulator program providing instruction for the "Getting Started" Wizard and for numerous informational topics. Plus, they were featured on CNN's "Business Unusual."

John and Martha have been crusaders in the cause of improving the risk management practices of general aviation pilots and they speak to thousands of pilots each year on aviation safety. They work with the FAA's National Aviation Safety Program in producing safety videos. They also volunteer their time to speak to college classes on starting a small business.

Both John and Martha serve on the Board of Directors of the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation.

In 1996 the Kings were named "Aviation Educators of the Year" by Professional Pilot Magazine.

In 2001 Martha was appointed by President Clinton to the First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board to help promote celebrations of the 100th anniversary of flight.

In 2002 the Kings were recognized for their contributions to aviation by being inducted into the International Forest of Friendship in the hometown of Amelia Earhart, Atchison, Kansas.

At Kitty Hawk on Dec. 16, 2003, Martha was honored along with 99 others by the First Flight Centennial Commission as one of the 100 Distinguished Aviation Heroes in the first century of flight. Of the 100 heroes, only 32 are living and 18 appeared on the stage at Kitty Hawk to accept the recognition. Among those present along with Martha were Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yeager, John Glenn and Patty Wagstaff. Martha was also named one of the "100 Most Influential Women in Aviation" by Women in Aviation International.

John received the 2004 "Excellence in Pilot Training" award from the National Air Transportation Association.

Martha King was awarded the prestigious 2005 Cliff Henderson Award for Achievement from the National Aeronautic Association. The award is presented annually to a living individual or group whose vision, leadership, or skill has made a significant and lasting contribution to the promotion and advancement of aviation or space activity. Previous Cliff Henderson Award recipients include Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, General Curtis LeMay, Frank Borman, Scott Crossfield, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and Ernest K. Gann.

Although they each graduated with distinction from Indiana University and have received other academic honors, the Kings believe their real education has come from the life-long study of entrepreneurship that they have made - and from the "school of hard knocks." It is apparent to the Kings that they have learned as much from their failures as from their successes.

John and Martha credit King Schools' continued success to the enthusiasm for general aviation that prevails throughout the organization. They also emphasize the importance of knowing their customers well, in order to seek out and meet their needs.

The Kings have given up their search for a "serious business."