Heading for SiberiaJoe and Sandy Cogan. Joe and Sandy married in 1967. A few short years later in 1970, they took a trip with friends in a Cessna 182 to Mexico City. Well, they were hooked. The "Adventure Bug" had bitten. Joe soloed in 1970 and got his private certificate shortly thereafter.

Tired of the hassle of renting airplanes, the Cogans decided they needed their own plane.

In 1978, Joe flew back to Nebraska and purchased a Cessna Skylane from two farmers in the Lincoln area. The Cogans still own that airplane. After several engines, avionics upgrades, paint, interior, etc., Joe says there is probably not an original bolt left.
Having fallen in love with Mexico in the early days, the Cogans have made it a point to fly to Mexico almost every year since they bought their Cessna.

Joe and Sandy in NomeThen "The Call of the Wild" hit. One day sitting around reading flying magazines, the Cogans decided they had to explore Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The best way to do that was in their Cessna. Joe says that flying in Alaska is spectacular beyond your imagination.

After several years of exploring Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, etc., another great flying adventure beckoned, Siberia. Actually, Siberia beckoned Joe. Both Sandy and Joe's Insurance Co. said "You want to fly to where???" The Cogan's trip in their Cessna to Siberia in 2004 requied three months of planning. Talk about "Red Tape". But that is another story.

Joe and Sandy joined the Del Amo Flyers in 1999. A short time later they were forced to join the DAF board. Stacy parked her truck in from of Joe's hangar and refused to move it until Joe and Sandy joined the board as Program Chairman and Club Photographer. The rest is history.