The Sky’s the Limit

“Aviation is just something that gets in your blood.”

Brazilian-born Danielle Silva Adornato, owner and chief executive officer of FBR Aviation, was born to fly. Tracing her aviation roots back to her great-grandparents, her great-grandmother was a pilot while her great-grandfather was a flight instructor. The family passion for airplanes continued when Adornato’s own father started a business re-selling aircraft parts when he was just a teenager.

“We found a newspaper from 1947 featuring a photograph of my grandmother standing by an airplane,” shared Adornato. “She was only the second female to hold her pilot’s license in my state in Brazil.”

Adornato officially began working in her father’s business alongside her siblings as a teenager. The company was importing most of the aircraft parts from the United States and was growing rapidly. After earning her bachelor’s degree in international business from Centro Universitario, Adornato decided at the age of 25 to move to the U.S. with her young daughter.

“I came to the U.S. as a single mom and didn’t speak English at all,” said Adornato, who wanted to create her own identity and legacy for her family.

Building Her Own Legacy

Adornato founded her company in 2007. An internationally known aviation company, FBR Aviation specializes in supplying special multi-mission projects, aircraft, aeronautical parts and components for the entire Latin American market.

“In the beginning, I was doing it all,” said Adornato. “My vision at that time, since I was starting small, was the perfect scenario to bring a team on board and for everyone to grow with me.”

But it wasn’t always easy.

“Early on, when I was looking for financing, my English was so little and I couldn’t fully explain everything about the projects and my vision,” Adornato said. “I started dealing with rejection, getting declines from financing companies. But through that I really learned how to present exactly what I knew I could deliver.”

And deliver she did.

Today, FBR Aviation is a respected brand in the industry and has the portfolio to prove it.

As a leader in the sales and support of Diamond Aircraft for the market of all Latin America, FBR is an exclusive and strategic partner for this premier brand.

“Some people give up not knowing that at the next turn someone is going to believe in you and see the potential in this business,” shared Adornato. “I never gave up.”

A Journey of Growth

“This journey of the last 10-12 years was a lot about creating – taking the opportunities and not giving up,” said Adornato. “After successfully delivering on big projects it is ultimately the journey that matters. You can open your mind to create new business and new opportunities when challenges pop up, such as economic factors, supply chain disruptions and more. You adapt.”

In recent years, FBR has developed a network of customers and suppliers to attend to diverse types of market in the national and international scope, including armed forces, public security and rescue operators, air taxis, agriculture, maintenance companies and pilot schools.

Working with resale parts, aircraft sales and complex systems integration, FBR provides an array of products and services in the aviation industry, and is recognized as a turn-key solution provider in this very challenging market.

“In 2015, we saw some decrease in the projects and started working with firefighter department for aero-medical including organ transports, life flights/patient transportation out of remote areas in Brazil.”

The dynamics of the market is closely monitored by the strategic team, changing the route as soon as the conditions change. The value of this approach can be seen by the results achieved on business: more than 100 private aircraft, almost 20 multi-mission aircraft and dozens of aircraft modification projects.

Adornato has been working with Iris Hirth, Regions Commercial Banking relationship manager in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the past few years, and credits Hirth’s guidance with helping support her vision for growth.

With Regions, it was not just looking at selling a product, but focusing on the products that make the difference in our company.
Danielle Silva Adornato, owner and chief executive officer of FBR Aviation

“If I had given up, we may not have gotten there,” said Adornato. “I feel grateful that Iris had patience with me – we’d be talking since 2019 and there were challenges. Ultimately, Iris’s guidance helped make it work and Regions has been really important to us as far as advising the company on how to get the better product and manage that.”

Adornato noted that the success of the last five years and learning from the rejection from pitching her first projects for financing really helped her grow.

“It was really a victory when we started our relationship with Regions. Iris was the one who helped me see where we could grow. With Regions, it was not just looking at selling a product, but focusing on the products that make the difference in our company.”

The admiration between the two is mutual.

In recalling some challenges with a prior lender, Hirth shared one of the early things that impressed her most about Adornato.

“Danielle never got stressed out, flustered or impatient with the situation.”

The Sky’s the Limit

Always looking ahead, Adornato has navigated FBR into new horizons in working with private clients.

“Our success is built around bringing all of these resources together,” said Adornato. “We are creating a culture and with private owners we want to build a family and a loyalty.”

Adornato saw the success of the aircraft from Diamond in Brazil, and she has also seen where private planes can fly to the smaller airports and cities where commercial airlines cannot.

Enter her newest venture, Vowe. A membership-based aircraft use-sharing program, Vowe extends the possibility of using executive aircraft to a much larger number of customers. The company’s mission is to democratize the market and revolutionize the scope of business aviation by building a regional air travel ecosystem.

Vowe already has more than 500 individuals signed up with the intention to purchase into the membership, which will provide them with access to quality private aircraft for their personal and business travels.

A Decade of Self-Development

“When I first came to the U.S., I was working 16 hours a day,” said Adornato, who is now a mother to four girls. “About 10 years ago I decided to dedicate part of the time to my self-development. To grow emotional intelligence, learn how to better manage my time and have a balance in my life.”

As many career women can attest, finding balance isn’t always easy.

“I gradually started moving to spending more time with the kids, studying and attending seminars, learning how people do things and how I can learn from that,” shared Adornato. “If I have someone who is able to do it better than me, I’m happy to hand that over and let them have the success.”

Adornato noted that when we have balance, we fill ourselves with more energy and can dedicate our time with more focus.

If you have a purpose and are persistent, you’re going to get there.
Danielle Silva Adornato

“Most of my balance is because I took that time and allowed myself to improve so I can give back to the company,” she noted. “I can give the team more and be a better leader for them.”

Adornato shared her insights on navigating challenges and the value of persistence and perseverance.

“Don’t give up if you have a dream. I believe, especially in the U.S., it is a country that gives you opportunity. Along the way you find angels in your life, connections and people who will really help you. It is a balance of everything.

“If you have a purpose and are persistent, you’re going to get there.”