In October of 1973, Dale Byrom returned from Albert Whitted Airport, in St. Petersburg, Florida with a brand new Private Pilot Certificate in his pocket, dreaming about the ways he could use his new "ticket". Since he had been a camera enthusiast for many years, taking pictures on land and underwater, it would only be a matter of time until he and his camera took to the air together.

Dale's flexible schedule, as a member of the St. Petersburg Fire Department, gave him the time he needed to fly and take aerial pictures. So it was, Byrom Aerial Photography officially began in June of 1976, when Dale took his first pictures from an airplane to fill the orders he had sold to several businesses in St. Petersburg.

Calling on business owners and showing them his sample pictures that he had taken earlier, brought about those original orders. The first pictures were in black and white, that Dale developed and enlarged in a darkroom, he had built in the corner of his garage.

It did not take long to see that flying an airplane and taking pictures was difficult and probably not all that safe, since a pilot needs to be always watching for other airplanes. That is why Dale enlisted his wife, Carole, to take the pictures, while he concentrated on flying the airplane. They have worked as a team ever since.

In 1980, Dale resigned from the St. Petersburg Fire Department and moved to Beavercreek Ohio to take over as Pastor of a small Baptist Church in suburbs of Dayton. Several years later, needing a diversion from the pressure of the church schedule, Carole suggested that he take up flying again. With that encouragement, Dale returned to flying as a change of pace, and before long, aerial photography was once again part of his regular activities.

After completing the church ministry in 1995, and starting a new ministry to help people get involved with Missionary Aviation, Dale and Carole continued the aerial photography business. The new ministry, along with other things, also included flight Instruction. Being at the airport nearly every day, worked out well to continue the aerial photography.

This combination became "Byrom Aerial Photography and Aviation Services", but after a while "Byrom Aviation" became a much more manageable name to go by. In 1999 the operation was moved from Ohio to Indiana, to be closer to the Byrom's children and grandchildren.

For tailwheel instruction, Dale purchased and refurbished a 1946 7AC Champ. The slow speed of the Champ works out great for taking pictures, as does the easy to open "big" side window. So, if you are ever at the Franklin Flying Field, in Franklin, IN and you see a blue and white Champ soaring into air from the grass strip, it is most likely Dale with a student working on a tailwheel endorsement, or Dale and Carole, heading out on a photo assignment.

If you are still there when the plane lands, be sure to come over and say "hello".