WHERE STRENGTH TAKES FLIGHT

Hi, I’m David Kinkel.

I’m an airline pilot, husband, father of three, and the founder of Afterburner Strength Club.

For years, I knew I needed to make changes to my health, but I kept putting it off. Like many people, I told myself I would focus on it later when work slowed down, when life became less busy, or when the timing felt right.

The reality was that there was never a perfect time.

For a long time, I convinced myself that being overweight, tired, and out of shape was simply part of the airline lifestyle. I saw it all around me and assumed it was an unavoidable consequence of the job.

The reality was that it wasn’t.

Over time, those small decisions added up, and at my heaviest I weighed nearly 285 pounds.

What started as a goal to lose weight eventually became a complete transformation in how I approached nutrition, training, recovery, and long-term health. Through sustainable habits and consistent effort, I was able to regain control of my health and completely change my lifestyle.

That journey inspired me to create Afterburner Strength Club and help others achieve sustainable, lasting results of their own.

Why Afterburner Strength Club?

As pilots, we spend countless hours studying systems, procedures, and performance to operate aircraft safely and efficiently. Yet very few of us are ever taught how to apply those same principles to our own health and performance.

Long duty days, changing schedules, fatigue, crew meals, hotel stays, and time away from home can make maintaining healthy habits incredibly challenging.

Afterburner Strength Club was created to help pilots and busy professionals navigate those challenges with practical, sustainable fitness and nutrition strategies that work in the real world.

What I Believe

  • Nutrition comes first.

  • Strength training builds more than muscle.

  • Consistency beats perfection.

  • Sustainable habits create lasting results.

  • Fitness should enhance your life, not consume it.

My Mission

To help pilots and busy professionals build strength, improve their health, and perform at a higher level through simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition strategies.

Where Strength Takes Flight

David Kinkel
Founder, Afterburner Strength Club

A family of six, including two adults and four children, standing close together on a rocky path with an ocean in the background under a clear blue sky.
A man in a black suit and tie standing inside an airport next to a model airplane labeled 'Alaska Airlines.' He is smiling and has one hand in his pocket, with elevators and modern interior decor visible in the background.