David Warner believes he was born wanting to fly. As a child, he dreamt about flying (still does) and tried jumping off the crib rails and stair banisters. His first plane ride as a sophomore in high school sealed the deal and he got his pilot’s license in 1975 while studying forestry at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois (KMDH). David obtained a MS in Forest Ecology, moved to West Virginia in 1979, and started his own consulting forestry firm, TimberLand Consulting, (TLC) in 1989. As a forester, his experience, knowledge, and love of the outdoors kept him focused on practicing good forestry and on protecting farms and forests from excessive development through his work with the Cacapon and Lost River Land Trust. He served as president of the Trust for eleven years and still serves on their Board. He also served on the original Board of Trustees for the WV Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund and was its president in 2013.
David and his wife Ann (high school sweetheart) have been married 35 years and reside on their wooded tract in Hampshire County, West Virginia. They enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing, and of course air-camping from the plane. The whole family is oriented toward nature and the outdoors. David learned to identify trees and wildflowers from his mother and grandfather on their Illinois farm. The farm has been in the family at least four generations, and David and his sister put a conservation easement on the property in 2007. His niece works for The Nature Conservancy in San Francisco and his daughter has a MS in Natural Resources Stewardship from Colorado State University and works for the Potomac Conservancy in Winchester, Virginia. His son is an avid skier, backpacker, and graphic designer living in Denver, avoiding avalanches and other mountain mishaps, and making custom graphics for snowboards and skis.
David has over 1700 hours, mostly in Cessna 172’s and owns a 172 which he keeps on a private grass strip on a ridge in West Virginia. Besides his flying in the east, he has taken his 172 to Illinois numerous times and as far as Denver, so far. He has sailplane time and a seaplane rating and particularly enjoys backcountry flying. He enjoys sharing the unique perspective of seeing the land from the air and has flown for various local conservation organizations. He is a Volunteer Pilot for both LightHawk and SouthWings.
