Story & photos by Patrick P. Tulfo
Lester Codog, the man behind Foilacar Industries who started the foiling craze in the country, continues to expand his business empire.
Aside from foiling cars, yachts and even airplanes, Codog’s company now also dabbles in interior decoration and design of hotel rooms—they are currently working on a high-end hotel in the bay area.
But his latest venture, an Aeroclub aptly named “Foilafly”, maybe his biggest and most ambitious yet. To further explain his latest project, Codog, who is now a certified pilot, invited us over at a private hangar located somewhere in Bulacan.
The huge hangar currently houses four modern turbo-propeller single-engine Cirrus airplanes (two SR20s and two SR22s), as Capt. Codog expects delivery of two additional planes (a personalized SR22 with leather seats and a dashboard adorned with the luxurious alcantara wood and a high-end Cirrus Vision Jet) that will be available for use of upcoming members personally.
At a hearty breakfast inside a restaurant within the vicinity of the hangar, he explained, “The members of the upcoming club are in for treats, because aside from being able to use the planes to travel to any part of the country, he also plans to construct lodging facilities or vacation houses for their use, like in Palawan and Bohol initially.”
He added, “I envisioned the vacation houses to be a complete facility manned by courteous staff ready to serve the needs of the members. There will also be a vehicle [for] each vacation house in case they want to explore the tourist attractions in the area.”
Codog believes that the country is ready for such a club with the growing affluence of Filipinos buoyed by the strong economy. He based his opinion on the number of customers who want their high-end vehicles foiled at their facility in Pasig City.
The mechanics of the club membership is very enticing to those who harbor a dream of flying a plane. According to Codog, “Every member will undergo flight training for three months or equivalent of 40 to 50 hours of flight time before they can fly the aircraft.”
Codog himself underwent an extensive training in the US in flying the Cirrus plane and is currently the brand’s ambassador in the country.
Aside from making its members certified license pilots, they will be part owners of the plane that they’ll be using. The club also offers services to members who previously own Cirrus aircraft and other services related to flying as well, like tie-downs, 24-hour fuel availability and arrangements for a guarded hangar in airports.
And what’s a better way to explain the perks of the club membership than to experience it personally. Codog took us on a trip to Bacolod in Negros Occidental, where we had our lunch to sample what the city is offering, with Vice Mayor Gerany Suatengco playing the gracious host.
After lunch, we had a quick tour of the city’s landmark destination (The Ruins Mansion) before flying to nearby Cebu where we spent the night.
The two-province jaunt gave us a glimpse of what’s in store for upcoming club members. We would have made a quick stop in Bicol for snack on our way back to Manila the following day if not for the bad weather.
The Foilafly Aeroclub conforms to its strict Cirrus standards and is currently undergoing certification procedure, as required by the Civil Aviation Authorities of the Philippines to operate domestic flights.
Its aircraft facilities are in Manila, Bulacan and Clark in Pampanga manned by highly trained and professional personnel, while its office is along Brixton Street, Barrio Ugong, Pasig City.