WYP Aviation Update | Shark Tank Season 9

Air sports have the potential to be a hugely profitable market, but they’ve been stuck in a holding pattern for too long. Aaron Wypszynski, inspired by this lack of innovation and his favorite childhood cartoon, Tailspin, aims to address this barrier by setting up indoor locations for customers to come in and use the boards on-site. Let’s see if the sharks will buy into Aaron’s idea in this WYP Aviation update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Wyp Aviation after Shark Tank.

Aaron Wypszynski appeared on Shark Tank Season 9 but wasn’t able to make a deal. In terms of a Wyp Aviation update, the company is no longer in business, and Aaron is currently running an Experimental Aircraft Association program.

Shark	Result
Richard Branson	No Offer
Mark Cuban	No Offer
Robert Herjavec	No Offer
Daymond John	No Offer
Lori Greiner	No Offer

Shark Tank WYP Aviation Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Aaron Wypyszynski
• Business: Indoor air-wakeboarding
• Ask: $500,000 for 20% equity
• Result: No deal
• Shark: None

Aaron’s first presentation to the sharks sparked initial excitement. He played a video of a WingBoard attached to a plane, allowing users to wakeboard through the sky. 

The sharks, intrigued by the idea, wanted to learn more. However, their enthusiasm waned as they learned the outdoor video featured a robot, not a human rider.

To address their concerns, Aaron presented a second video showcasing the WingBoard in action indoors with a human rider. 

While the indoor environment addressed the balancing question, the idea of indoor air wakeboarding seemed exciting in theory, but the video depicted the boredom that ensued in practice. 

Aaron’s business model relied heavily on the initial “plane wakeboarding” concept for marketing. He envisioned partnerships with brands like Red Bull or Virgin, capitalizing on the adrenaline-pumping image. His pricing plan involved charging customers $80-$85 per hour. 

Interestingly, despite the high hourly rate, Aaron claimed the cost to build an operating location was cheaper than an indoor skydiving facility, falling between $4-$5 million.

However, to launch the first indoor facility, Aaron requires $2-$3 million. When questioned about the discrepancy with his earlier statement regarding total cost, he said that he planned to secure a loan for the remaining amount.

This shift in perception led to the sharks’ concerns about the business’s potential, and one by one, they bowed out. 

Lori was the first to drop out of the deal. Mark Cuban, admitting his fear of heights and concerns about the high cost of operation, followed suit. 

Daymond John expressed concerns about the business ROI time frame and opted out as well. 

Guest shark Richard Branson, who enjoyed trying the product, ultimately agreed with the other sharks’ reservations and didn’t invest.

Robert Herjavec, the last remaining shark, echoed the others’ concerns. Sadly, Aaron left the Tank without securing a deal.

So, is Wyp Aviation still in business despite not getting a deal on Shark Tank? Let’s find out in our Wyp Aviation update.

Shark Tank Wyp Aviation Update 

Unfortunately, we don’t have good news regarding our WYP Aviation update. Our research suggests the business has made little progress since its Shark Tank appearance.

The reason for WYP Aviation going out of business seems to be related to Aaron’s son being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer at that time. 

Aaron mentioned that WYP Aviation was a family company, with him leading affairs and his wife coordinating activities behind the scenes. He also stated that their focus at the time shifted to helping their son fight the disease with the amazing support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Even more concerning is that we found that the business website is currently out of service. Moreover, all their social accounts haven’t been updated since their Shark Tank episode aired in 2017. 

Additionally, It also doesn’t seem like Aaron has invented any other products since then. It looks like this will be our final Wyp Aviation update.

You can find the other company updates from Season 9, Episode 1 here:

• Simple Habit Update
• Sierra Madre Research Update
• Locker Board Update

Don’t forget to take a look at our Season 9 products page!