July 12, 2022 Fueled by Coffee

The Liberty Gazette

July 12, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Linda: A good cuppa joe is so popular among aviators that entrepreneurs have formed small businesses based on such a pair. I’ve ordered samples from the following companies, and we’ll update with our evaluations soon. Meanwhile, here’s a peek at who’s competing for our caffeine fix (most have decaf, too). 

First up, Aviation Coffee, from Havana, Illinois. Joe Coppick is an aerial firefighter, and his lovely bride, Juliana Turchetti, is a crop duster and ferry pilot. She is Brazilian-Italian and has access to great coffee sources. Between flights, the couple roasts coffee and recently opened Aviatori Coffee House in Springfield, Illinois. They will celebrate their first year in business next month. I was happy to see several light roast options in whole bean and pre-ground. You can even put your own brand on the bags. Great idea. I ordered “Brazil Cerrado Light Roast Whole Beans.” Check out their cute love story at aviation-coffee.com. 

Next, JetFuel Coffee. Their slogan is “Coffee made with aerospace perfection.” They offer three kinds of “delicious whole bean coffee roasted fresh to order” and have a good start on catchy product names. Their medium roast is “Blend 747, Jumbo Jet,” and the dark roast is “Blend 16, Fighting Falcon.” I ordered a bag of light roast, “Blend 172, First Flight.” They ship from Orlando, Florida, and you can find them at jetfuelcoffee.co.

Threshold Coffee comes from Vancouver, British Columbia, and also opened in 2021. When they began, they declared, “V1 has been called, and there’s no turning back.” (Explanation: V1 is “decision speed,” the maximum speed at which a take-off can be rejected and the minimum speed at which a pilot can continue take-off following an engine failure. The co-pilot calls out “V1,” giving the captain critical information if there’s a problem.)

Their coffee is “sourced from routes of old,” meaning early aviation airline routes. Intriguing! They have classic medium and dark roasts, but their light roast is flavored – French Caramel – so that’s a no-go for us. I ordered the medium roast (no fancy name). Shipping was almost as much as one pound of whole beans. If we find a randomly-placed “Golden Flight Ticket” in our order, we’ll get to claim an aviation-themed prize. More important, they donate to aviation charities for children, disabled, and vets, as well as air ambulance services. Find them at thresholdcoffee.co. 

Finally, Lost Aviator Coffee Company, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, founded in 2020 by two airline pilots. They also have a vintage aviation-themed coffee bar in Guelph, about 26 nautical miles west-southwest of Toronto. With a DC-3 on the homepage, theirs is my favorite website of the four, and they have the best coffee names. This is where I ordered the most. All whole beans. I can’t wait for delivery of their light roast, “Aurora,” their medium roast, “Constellation,” “Destinations,” a Kenya single-origin medium roast, and “Prohibition Roast,” a small batch, Brazilian dark roast aged in a Canadian whisky barrel. For this kind of excitement, go to lostaviatorcoffee.com. 

Have a brew-tiful day!

ElyAirLines.blogspot.com