By Akers Editorial
40 Under 40: Ryan Benaglio
A challenge that shaped me: Enlisting in the United States Navy as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer at the age of 25. It’s a special operation field in which the initial training took two years and then another two years in the fleet before I was fully qualified. The attrition rate is over 70 percent. I can honestly say it was the first truly difficult thing I had ever done. It gave me the confidence and drive to keep pushing to try harder and bigger tasks. Learning how to jump out of a helicopter in pitch black water with waves crashing over me was more physically and mentally taxing than I ever could have imagined.
What I’d like people to say about me: He had an uncommon last name paired with an uncommon work ethic. He said what he meant and meant what he said, while always keeping honesty a priority.
Fun fact: I used to own and operate an actual alligator farm with over 300 Florida swamp puppies.
Pilot and entrepreneur Ryan Benaglio, 38, has built a life fueled by curiosity, courage and a willingness to do hard things.
The owner of Fly Umatilla jokes that he’s not just the boss, but also the guy who gasses up the planes, which reminds him that no job is beneath him.
Before aviation, Ryan lived a very different kind of Florida story. He owned and operated an alligator farm with more than 300 “Florida swamp puppies.”
But the real turning point came when he met his wife.
“Having a real partner made a real difference in my life,” he says. “She’s the positive driving force behind every thought and action I’ve taken.”
Ryan’s path has been challenging. At 25, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer, one of the most demanding special operations fields. Training alone took two years, followed by two more years in the fleet before he was fully qualified. With an attrition rate over 70 percent, the program forced him to dig deeper than he ever had before.
“Learning how to jump out of a helicopter into pitch-black water with waves crashing over me was more physically and mentally taxing than I imagined,” he says. “It gave me the confidence and drive to keep pushing.”
Today, he wants to pass that mindset on to others.
“I want to encourage people to take bold actions and make brave decisions,” he says. “Open your dream business. Learn to fly. Explore the world. Chase whatever motivates you.”
Ryan hopes to be remembered for his honesty, work ethic and consistency when people look back on his career. “He said what he meant, and meant what he said,” is how he hopes others describe him.
As for what gets him out of bed every morning? “You only get one life and one body,” he says. “Today is the last time you get to enjoy this moment. Use it or lose it. I don’t want to tell my wife at night, ‘I didn’t do nothin’ today.’”
