The Aerospace Executive Podcast

We don’t like to talk about it often, but when it comes to safety, business aviation doesn't have the perfect record. Anytime an accident happens, it affects the entire industry. A rising tide of safety keeps more planes in the air and makes the whole industry better.   Raising the bar of safety can feel like a nebulous concept, but it’s a necessary conversation. While it’s hard to pinpoint the ar...

Operating airplanes is a TOUGH business! Complicated machines, delicate financing structures, ever changing asset values, and other complexities that can tank even the best run operations. This is why it’s impossible to democratize business aviation.   Because owning a business jet company is sexy, it is easy to become overly emotional and focus on what makes you look good. But, it is a numbers bu...

Repositioning a 60-year-old distribution company - during COVID no less - is a Herculean effort. Considering that VSE Corporation’s market cap has gone from $300 million to $1.2 billion since 2019, the mission has been successful.   For the CEO tasked with this turnaround, there’s one key ingredient to this success - present leadership. In this post-COVID era of remote work, it’s easy for companie...

What happens when the aviation industry faces the gargantuan task of catching up to a constrained supply chain? The opportunity shifts. Everyone has accepted the reality that manufacturing is highly limited and that planes have to fly longer, so the aftermarket is white hot.   If you own IP and you’re driving the aftermarket, you’ll be fine for a while, but is this opportunity being felt across th...

The most conflict-ridden, unproductive and ineffective organizations have one thing in common - a severe lack of honesty. Getting the unsaid said is critical - it’s common sense, but it’s certainly not easy.   Very often, people have valuable thoughts about the organization, but they are afraid to bring them up. Whether it’s issues or ideas, allowing people to share honestly makes our teams more e...

Running a fast-moving parts-trading business with 200 employees. Maintaining a hawk-like focus on demand, every line item and deal that crosses your desk. Capturing every last dollar of value across the supply chain.   These aren’t easy things to do simultaneously but that’s what it takes to succeed.   David Chaimowitz, CEO of Setna iO has achieved this and more in just 7 years and his company is...

Today’s workforce is teeming with high-level talent possessing a wealth of wisdom and decades of experience. Do leaders have the confidence and maturity to hire them?    Young managers can learn a lot from the veteran players but only if they’re able to see past the age gap and manage the relationship maturely.   What are some of the insecurities leaders have around recruiting people with more exp...

In many organizations, the gap between the generations is a point of conflict and friction but it doesn’t have to be.   Sure, millennials/Gen-Z see work differently to their older coworkers and superiors, but there’s a lot of value in the perspectives each generation have, and that can make for a more resilient organization.   How do we facilitate better communication and collaboration between the...

Before the pandemic much of the industry ran on cruise control. Unfortunately, covid and the post-covid era exposed a lot of underlying weaknesses. From raw materials shortages to labor and production, everyone has a headache and there’s not enough aspirin to go around.   Before new solutions can be found the real challenge is stabilizing the processes we have now while also trying to make this an...

The skilled American worker has the resourcefulness to create better opportunities for themselves, so they’re not going to tolerate being treated poorly, even if they’re employed by a mega industry player.    What will it take for business owners to stand out to recruits at a time when the balance of power is rapidly shifting in favor of employees? What can we do to not only attract, but retain th...

What separates the companies knocking it out of the ballpark and those running in place? Oftentimes it’s just simple communication.   Lack of achievement isn’t just a function of what people do, it’s what’s they don’t say…. But really need to!   The best leaders recognize the need for open communication and prioritize it, even when it’s uncomfortable.   Why is the distinction between a high-perfor...

During the pandemic, aviation was in a world of hurt and it took a long time to recover. Now that we’re out of that, everyone is making money…except Boeing and anyone tied to them.   If you’re a well-run company, executing at a high level, you’re benefiting from the industry bounce back. If you’re programmatically connected to Boeing - well, it’s complicated and will be for a while.   Is there any...

They are considered “too small”! That is, until there’s an issue with a critical component they supply. Then they become the backbone of the industry. Small suppliers play a big role in aerospace.   With the addition of some “scale,” TLC, and robust business systems, there is also ample opportunity for growth. And this is exact what Scott Ashton is doing with Aerox.   From “big company” to pursuin...

There are two ways to build company culture:   The first is intentional and proactive. The second is by winging it with the hopes that nothing goes wrong, which never happens.   Culture is more than a set of words that hang on the wall. It is a collection of behaviors that permeate so deeply that people do them automatically, even when no one is looking. Hiring those desired behaviors is the key t...

The commercial aircraft and engine market may be dislocated but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for discerning investors. In many ways, the lack of efficiency is the opportunity.   Where are the opportunities right now?   In this episode, co-founder of Inception Aviation Holdings, Adjunct Professor of Finance at NYU Shanghai, and author of Aircraft Valuation: Airplane Investments as a...

From pilot pay and recruiting to acquisitions and maintenance scope - OneSky Flight has seen a steady stream of BIG wins. These are huge feats accomplished against the backdrop of a tumultuous industry, and they speak to the leadership of the organization.   OneSky’s success has been done in stages; formulating the strategy to make the company a successful career destination, hiring accomplished “...

Efficiency is mission critical in the high-touch, high-mix, low-volume world of mid-sized MROs. Doing the job right and doing it quickly is the name of the game.   Leaders have to drive velocity and streamline processes and they have to do so while operating in a technical talent-constrained environment.   That’s the job Elliott Aviation’s CEO, Dan Edwards walked into. His perspective: MRO is a fu...

Most organizations don’t put enough time into the culture and mindset that makes them a great place to work and they miss out on talent because of it.   It’s one thing to post a job and wait for applicants to start rolling in. It’s another thing to proactively make your company a destination - a place people would beat down doors to join.   Maybe it’s HR laziness or an inability to determine your...

“I’ve got this job, want it or not?” is the absolute worst way to recruit an A+ player. Whether you’re a recruiter or a company looking for talent, the approach you take matters.   Ignoring their motivations or not caring about them at all means that you will risk losing those who can help you the most. Leave a negative impression at the start and you’ll guarantee the role will never get filled.  ...

We’ve all seen the flash-in-the-pan companies that take the market by storm but then burn out fast. It’s rare for a privately held company to stay relevant for 5 decades in one of the most volatile industries on earth. But that is exactly what Clay Lacy Aviation has done.   BizAv operators are constantly threading the needle between growth and stability. Rapid expansion at any cost can be deadly,...

Private aviation saw a huge COVID boom and many people who decided to fly private aren’t looking back.   This is a double-edged sword.  Private aviation is a complex industry where staying profitable is like walking a tightrope. There are high client expectations counterbalanced by complex machines and operational challenges. There are also plenty of business models which fail to pan out.   More d...

The vulnerability of the aerospace supply chain is something we’re all well aware of. But when focusing on specific commodities, a worrying picture emerges.   Considering that the industry gets its titanium from Russia, and that there hasn’t been much effort put towards de-risking the supply, we have a major issue. At the same time, with 18-24 month lead times, high strength steel is also clogging...

The dust up between American Airlines and JSX is an interesting airline industry development. The pilot’s unions say it’s all in the name of safety, but that couldn’t be further from reality.   What’s up with FAR Part 380?   Smaller airlines are trying to take the suck out of flying and continue service for small communities. Why are the majors so dead-set against these small players? Can we reall...

Many people talk about wanting to be leaders, but a very small number actually turn that dream into reality.   The harsh truth is, most people won’t become CEOs or even grow their careers to a higher level, because they’re just not thinking the right way.   So, how does a leader think, and how are their habits different from those of the average Joe? Is there a way to change our mindsets so they’r...

Economic fragility, long-running supply chain woes, long lead times, and labor. These are just a few forces exerting massive pressure on aviation.   In this highly chaotic market, operators and suppliers have been put through the whipsaw, and that shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. With the new aircraft market still heavily backed up, ripples are being felt across the entire industry - espe...