Fort Dodge native Jeff Schachtner, 40, has a taste for adventure that led him away from a career in financial planning to become a commercial pilot. Later, when the airline industry was plagued with uncertainty following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, he invested more time into another interest of his, real estate. A few years ago, at a social gathering at the Brown-Camp Lofts, Schachtner was talking with a fellow loft resident, Tanner Kinzler, when they discovered that they were both interested in developing downtown housing in the former Des Moines Tire Building. Realizing that this was too massive an undertaking for either to pursue individually, they decided to partner on the project. Three years later, the Whiteline Lofts are progressing toward an anticipated completion date next summer.

As a child, did you always dream of becoming a pilot?

Growing up in Fort Dodge, I never even thought about a career of flying airplanes. My first ride on an airplane was when I was 22 years old, but by the time I was 24, I was flying for a commuter line.

How did you become a pilot?

I had been working as a financial planner for a couple of years when I decided to get my private pilot’s license. My instructor encouraged me to continue with my training to become certified to fly commercially.

What was it about flying that appealed to you that led you to change careers?

Probably the mechanical part of it was most interesting. That something so large, so intricate with all these systems working together could fly, and that I could be in command of it. I also liked the fast pace of it. It’s an unusual schedule; it’s not just 9 to 5.

I think a 9-to-5 desk job would just drive me nuts.

What’s your schedule like now?

Some people might commute to work every day from Ames to Fort Dodge, and I commute once a week to Denver. I start in Denver and mainly bounce around the U.S. – three or four legs a day of flying where I end up in any city in the country. I do that back to back for a few days and then come home for a few days.

Are there challenges to having that type of routine?

Probably the biggest challenge nowadays is fatigue. We’re consistently running 12-plus-hour days. You might have four legs a day and you get to the hotel for a rest layover. You get there and you usually can’t go straight to sleep, so you’re looking at six hours of sleep and then you go off and do it all again. Schedules have changed in the past few years, and they’re trying to make the most efficient use out of us.

Would you say then that being a pilot isn’t as glamorous as people might think?

On the surface it looks glamorous, but it has its pluses and minuses, just like any job.

What do you enjoy most about being a pilot?

The flying is the enjoyable part. You close the cockpit door and we’re in our own little oasis. I came back just the other day over Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Yellowstone (National Park). It was a beautiful, clear day and you could see the Grand Tetons. The autopilot’s on, and you have your nose to the window looking at the landmarks. It’s the best view in the house. One of the benefits of my job is that I can fly around the world for free.

Have you done a lot of traveling for pleasure?

Yes, but not as much lately. Before all the real estate stuff, I was probably traveling once every other month somewhere, from Hong Kong to Asia to the Philippines to France, Germany, South America and various places in the United States. Some trips might be as short as going to London for 24 hours and then coming back, or if I planned ahead, I might spend two weeks in the south of France or Brazil.

When did you get involved with real estate and developing?

Ever since college, I’ve owned some real estate and rental properties. I remember hearing early on in school that at that time, 90 percent of all millionaires made it in real estate. Initially, I was able to do all the work myself as far as gutting and remodeling houses. After 9/11, with the threat of United [Airlines] going into bankruptcy and me maybe losing my job, that’s when I pushed heavily into real estate.

How did you get involved with the Whiteline Lofts redevelopment project?

I was one of the first people to live in Brown-Camp Lofts downtown. Ever since then, I’ve been interested in Whiteline. It had a for-sale sign on it, and I talked with the previous owner for probably over five years. Each time I talked to him, the price went up.

I saw potential in it, but it was too big a project to undertake myself, so I partnered up with Tanner Kinzler.

How did you meet Tanner?

He was one of the first people I met at Brown-Camp. One night a group of us was sitting up on the rooftop watching fireworks, and he pointed to the Whiteline building and said he was going to develop it. I said, “No you aren’t. I’m developing that building. I had my eye on it long before you even thought about it.” We looked at each other, and we both figured that we couldn’t do it ourselves, so we teamed up. It’s been over three years in the making to get it to this point.

What did you enjoy about living at Brown-Camp that made you want to start your own development downtown?

Part of it is the people. The people who live downtown, it’s a small and eclectic group, from young professionals to empty-nesters, but they all fit into a personality of being adventurous and free-spirited.