MICHAEL RAINEY IS THE OWNER OPERATOR OF BEAUFORT BIPLANE TOURS. HE IS A RETIRED MARINE AVIATOR WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE. AFTER BEING AWARDED HIS WINGS HE SPENT 20 YEARS IN THE MARINE CORPS FLYING F-4 PHANTOMS AND F-18 HORNETS. WHILE FLYING PHANTOMS HE WAS DESIGNATED AN AIR COMBAT TACTICS INSTRUCTOR AND WAS SELECTED TO ATTEND TOP GUN, THE FAMED NAVY FIGHTER WEAPONS SCHOOL. DURING A TOUR IN THE NAVAL AIR TRAINING COMMAND AS AN AERIAL GUNNERY AND CARRIER OPERATIONS INSTRUCTOR HE WAS SELECTED AS THE AIR WING NAVAL "FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR."  HE ACQUIRED HIS FIRST ANTIQUE AIRCRAFT IN 1991, AN AWARD WINNING PIPER J-3 AND PURCHASED THE DeHAVILLAND TIGER MOTH IN 2005. HE HOLDS COMMERCIAL, MULTI-ENGINE, INSTRUMENT RATINGS AND HAS OVER 6000 HOURS FLIGHT TIME