Rebekah Gambrell’s grandfather, Harley Steiner, gave Rebekah her first airplane ride when she was in grade school. The ride departed from and landed at the Bluffton Airport.

That ride helped Gambrell, 37, of Bluffton become interested in aviation. When she was in ninth grade she took a trip to Spain and she was hooked.

“I got into aviation because I wanted to fly, not because of electronics,” she said. But the electronics aspect of flying took over and today Gambrell intends to launch Glideslope Aviation, LLC. It will be housed at the Bluffton Flying Service, where she took her first-ever airplane ride.

Earlier this spring Gambrell won first place in the Ropp Triplett Business Plan Competition, sponsored by Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs. She received $5,000 toward business start-up costs and a one-year BCE client program membership. This was BCE’s third annual business plan competition.

Glideslope Aviation will deal mostly in the installation of avionics in single-engine aircraft, which are the electronic devices of an airplane. Those devises include GPS, radios and navigation.

In addition, Gambrell will offer installation of new or used equipment, assist in troubleshooting of existing equipment and will help small aircraft owners with new technology requirements.

The Bluffton businesswoman grew up here, graduated from Temple Christian High School, Lima, and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in aviation technology from LeTourneau University, Longview, Texas.

When she and her husband, Ben, and their four young children moved back to Bluffton three years ago she started working part-time as a mechanic at Bluffton Flying Service.

“That’s when I saw the lack of avionic shops in northwestern Ohio,” she said. “The nearest was one hour away.” There are approximately 800 registered single-engine aircraft in nearly 25 counties of northwestern Ohio, she added.

With the avionic idea in her mind, she entered BCE’s business plan competition. “I have no business background. I entered to learn more about business,” she said.

Kathy Keller, director, Small Business Development Center, Rhodes State College, Lima, who led BCE’s business plan competition workshops, “was a huge help in directing me,” said Gambrell. “I learned how to write a business plan and other aspects needed in my start up.”

BCE’s business plan competition seminar sessions, held weekly, covered areas including launching a business, being an entrepreneur, developing a business idea, testing your idea and accounting for your business.

Gambrell credits BCE in helping her get her business off the ground. “Part of the prize money enabled me to take some training for some of the certification that I need for my business,” she said. In early August she took that training in Missouri from the Aircraft Electronics Association.

Coincidentally, while looking into that training she met Greg Triplett, Ropp’s son, who lives in Missouri and flies to Bluffton frequently in his own single-engine aircraft when he visits his mother.

Gambrell credits others, in addition to BCE, in assisting in her career start-up. The late Dottie Anderson encouraged her to attend LeTourneau University. Bluffton Flying Service has also been helpful. “They understand that Glideslope Aviation will bring more business to the airport as it enables them to offer more services,” said Gambrell.