Full Transcript for Episode 116: Why Quality Maintenance Protects Aircraft Value | Joe LaRue

00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:12.080 Yeah, it's been I uh and we'll talk a lot about that on the podcast and your business and why I trust your business and why I like working with Prairie Air and all that fun stuff. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.360 But I don't know like who you are all that well, to be honest, right? 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:17.279 We have never had those deep conversations. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.480 So I'm gonna use this opportunity to just kind of dig deep. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:21.279 So we'll start there. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:22.800 Born and raised in Georgia. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:23.519 I was, yeah. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:27.439 So I was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, just outside of Fort Bidding. 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:38.319 And family had a military background, and um my stepdad was from Minnesota, and as life progressed and his family was getting older, it was like, hey, let's move back to Minnesota. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:40.879 Uh move there, it's a big agriculture area, right? 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:55.920 So right smack dab in the middle of the corn belt, and uh farming, uh, crop dusting is going on all over, and uh started to learn about flying a little bit, and we we went flying and um I was hooked immediately, and then we started going to like air shows, things like that. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.680 My next door neighbor was a crop duster, cool, and that thing's flying over the house. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:01.279 I'm like, I gotta go see what this is about. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:06.079 So I started working for him in high school, and um I'm like, this aviation thing's pretty neat. 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:08.560 So learned to fly at um 16. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:09.360 Nice, yeah. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:12.240 So fixed swing, fixed wing, yeah, fixed wing. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:23.839 And um then uh I had a lot of influential people in my life, and they're like, you know, your mechanical aptitude is way higher than you you enjoy flying, not um not as a job, right? 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:32.959 So I listened to them and went to a tech school up in Thiefer Falls, Minnesota, really well attended place, uh supported well by big airlines. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:43.839 And when we got there, um they had like three hangars of you know, big iron in one hangar, engines in another hangar, and then they had this other hangar, and it was full of helicopters. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.800 Like, these things are cool, and nobody was paying attention to them. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:51.040 Yeah, so the teacher of those classes was like, Hey, we want to get this one running. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:52.879 And I'm like, pick me, I'll do that. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:58.319 And then so we got to work on those, and all of a sudden, I'm uh just a helicopter bug bit me. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:05:59.120 That's so funny. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:02.399 Uh Columbia Helicopters uh was hiring. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:02.879 Cool. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:12.560 And other than coming from Georgia to Minnesota, I hadn't really seen much of the country or the you know, world for that matter, and uh Columbia was like, hey, we're going everywhere. 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:17.519 And so just on a whim, I packed up and moved all the way to Portland. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:22.800 Yep, and uh started working on um the uh 107s, yeah, very cool. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:29.519 Yep, and uh the 46s were you know Alaska to Florida and everywhere in between. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:34.160 I didn't do any of the overseas work, um, but I volunteered for Alaska a lot and East Coast. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:34.560 Cool. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:39.839 Enjoy that uh 30 days on, 30 days off break schedule, yeah, and firefighting and all that. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:46.560 Learned um a lot of stuff, met a lot of the cool people that you still have connections with, you know, like Kim and Andre with uh Bolo Mission. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:52.639 Of course, they're wonderful and a lot of great people Columbia and you know relationships that still have now, right? 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:57.360 Yeah, I mean Columbia is like uh I call it a legacy brand for sure, right, in our industry. 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.720 And I've actually talked about this on the podcast, so it's a repeat, sorry. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:05.199 But you know, I grew up in Lake Oswego, which is right outside of Aurora, right? 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:14.079 So I always talk about the helicopter bug was not necessarily because of Columbia, but I used to go to a pumpkin patch right there near the Aurora Airport. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:14.639 Yep. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:19.600 And seeing those big helicopters back then was like, oh my god. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:27.839 You know, so I feel like that was kind of my first uh recognition, you know, recognizing helicopters was the the orange and white Columbia birds. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:29.360 Uh so that's really cool. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.319 Again, I didn't know that you were at Columbia, so this is what I'm talking about. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:34.720 We work together, we don't even know some of this stuff. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:43.920 So this is this is one thing I want to touch on real fast before I forget is I was talking to a maintenance friend of mine recently, Mike Underwood, I think you know Mike. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:44.480 Yep. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:52.399 And you know, he was talking about how when you when you go to school to get your AMP, that so much of it is focused on airplanes. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:53.040 Oh, yeah. 00:07:53.279 --> 00:08:06.319 And it's kind of like this idea like, oh, there's an old Schweitzer in the corner, or there's there's an old jet ranger or something, and that people end up just kind of falling into helicopters, and I would say that that's kind of a problem. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:07.600 It is a problem, yeah. 00:08:07.759 -->

00:08:10.720 We uh I I could echo the same the same sentiments. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.759 Um we had a big class when I was in tech school. 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:21.839 There was like 400 kids in that tech school on the first year class, and nobody wanted to go do the helicopter stuff, and they had a great big hanger with all of them. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:26.959 It was kind of like, well, a few of us, and we we got to do kind of whatever we wanted because of that. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:31.519 And um, as far as learning about them, being bound, the teacher just kept feeding us. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:44.320 But um, yeah, there's not um everybody I kept in really good contact with the um secretary at that tech school, and she's been really influential on hey, these these are new kids coming through. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:47.519 There's a you know a good class coming through, and we try to get them interested. 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:49.279 That's cool, and uh bring them in. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:56.399 We have all the tech schools in the area come to our facility because everybody says, Oh, I never knew there was a place like this with helicopters here. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:57.600 I never knew you guys were here. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.720 I think if I had a dollar for every time I heard that, we'd be retired. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:10.720 Yeah, but um, yeah, they'd come in and uh oh, people are like, hey, and so then we started taking interns in and you know, just starting to get people interested that way. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:15.919 And through the high school, we started the EA organization that's local to us. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:21.120 Um, they're phenomenal, the people that run that, and they fly upwards of a thousand kids a year. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:22.080 What's EA? 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:22.320 Sorry. 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:22.879 EAA? 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:23.679 Oh, EA. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:25.039 Yeah, sorry, Young Eagles program. 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:25.519 Yep. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:35.919 So and they go around to the local communities and fly the kids, and so we go to the different towns and help them, and then when they come to our town, they tour the hangar. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:43.360 Every kid gets to fly, they get to talk to some retired military uh individuals that are in the area, so they come talk about. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:51.039 We have uh a local retired um Vietnam era pilot, and uh he was actually in the Top Gun first movie. 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:56.639 Nice, and so he's his call sign's big bird, and he talks about all that kind of a thing, and it gets the gets the kids all fired up. 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:57.360 Yeah, it's so important. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:08.159 And uh, so then we use that kind of as a feeder for our business where kids come in and they're doing uh general labor stuff, shop rounds, we call it, and they use a checklist just like for aircraft. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.480 Yeah, but hey, this is kind of the flow that we get into. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:11.759 Checklists are super important. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:12.480 I like that. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:17.360 And um, then after they're there a little while, and we're like, hey, do you like what you see, what we're doing here? 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:18.639 Does this interest you? 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.399 And um, it's actually been a really successful program for us. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:24.159 It's a long game, right? 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:29.039 You don't just put out an ad and you've got a new mechanic on board that's ready to rock and roll. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:37.279 Um, I'd say it's probably like a five-year commitment because you get them when they're first able to drive in school and they come and then um we help out with school afterward. 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:39.519 We of course go back to Thiever Falls. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:44.320 We say, hey, you know, the one that I graduated from, we we're we'll uh we'll encourage you to go there. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:51.519 And then um I'm uh the president of the Minnesota Aviation Trades Association now and advocated for some scholarships. 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:55.600 And so uh our organization does scholarships for maintenance now. 00:10:55.840 --> 00:11:01.200 So if you're interested in going and to school as a mechanic, I understand the pilot side of things. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:06.159 Everybody talks about the shortages there, but the mechanics are kind of forgotten about a little bit. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:09.120 Oh no, I think it's um very forgotten. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:09.679 Yeah, yeah. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:20.080 So I think it's and and I think aviation as a whole has done a horrible job at recruiting pilots, and if pilots are bad recruiting, then the maintenance side is ten times worse. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:20.720 Yeah, right. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:21.679 It's just not there. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:25.679 And I don't know if a lot of kids even know how to get into the pathway. 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:34.080 Like if someone was interested in helicopter maintenance, or they might not even realize that they're interested in helicopter maintenance because they don't even think about it, right? 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:36.320 So out of sight, out of mind. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:49.120 So I think it's really neat that you have taken some initiative because you as a business employing mechanics, it's one of the hardest things to do right now is keep good mechanics and have good mechanics, right? 00:11:49.360 --> 00:12:02.480 And so by you having the Yeah, well, it's uh it's all about workforce development and this industry is about people. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:20.960 Um from you know, when you're thinking about safety, you're I'm thinking about the people that are gonna be flying in the aircraft, but then also developing the people that you want in your organization and um

you know coming here and all the people that you meet and all the things that are going around and the chance to connect with uh you know the vendors that you use all the time, but you never get to put that face with it. 00:12:21.120 --> 00:13:25.679 And my whole team, it was so cool to see them just light up on I talk to this person, I work with this person all the time, and you know, get to shake hands and ideas and you know there's a chance that you know they're not gonna come be a mechanic, but they're interested in aviation, and oh, they either buy an airplane or a helicopter or they learn to fly or they know somebody that is. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:31.440 And uh if they've come through an experienced organization some, yeah, it just kind of leads to the next thing. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:31.759 Yeah. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:38.639 And um I think aviation has always been bad at at just that we essentially just live in the moment, right? 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:44.480 We're living here now, and we haven't done a good job at bringing people in. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:47.039 Uh and it's such a niche thing, right? 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:53.440 Whether you're flying airplanes, you're flying helicopters, you're working on airplanes, or you're working on it's just so different, right? 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:56.559 There's a pathway of being a a business person, right? 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:57.600 You go to business school. 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:01.759 There's a pathway to being a dentist or an engineer. 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.759 Um there isn't a clear-cut path, right? 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.919 You know, of how you get into this. 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:11.200 And so I think hopefully, and that's one of the goals of the podcast. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:37.759 And you know, kudos to uh Vertical Plus here, because you know, I think that by them giving a platform like this, whether it's my podcast or John Gray with the Hanger Z uh or the Vertical MRO podcast, of course, on the maintenance side, I think hopefully that's maybe now giving some voice and some pathway of how folks can get into this uh unique career path, which is a very uh it's a very special place, right? 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:39.919 I love this industry and it's cool to be a part of. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:45.600 I was shocked within the so um in my spare time I I've become a wrestling coach. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:50.240 Okay, and uh my my youngest daughter came into the house one day and says, I'm gonna wrestle. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:52.240 Once upon a time, I wrestled as well. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:15:02.159 And so she talked me into coaching, and for the last couple of years, and I've I've got to be involved with a lot of young kids, and um I was shocked to hear that they thought it was unattainable. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.080 Yeah, like, oh, I can't go do that. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:05.679 I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm doing it. 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:06.639 You absolutely do it. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:07.519 I hear it all the time. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:10.639 Yeah, it was just right blew me away to hear that that they didn't think it was. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:12.879 And there's a lot, there are hurdles, right? 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:17.440 I mean, uh on the pilot side, especially, it's very cost prohibitive, right? 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:22.000 I I'm 37, I just paid off my debt last year for flight school. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:31.120 You know, um, and actually that same debt from flight school put me in a horrible financial position early on in my life because I couldn't pay it. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:31.360 Right. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.279 I had to default essentially on my loans for two or three years. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:37.840 You can imagine what that did to my credit, right? 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:38.639 It's not pretty. 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:39.600 It's not pretty. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:42.639 It got me the career, and I'm here now, and I'm and I'm thankful for it. 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:49.039 I think at that point was a little lack of education, of understanding what it means to borrow money, yeah. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:59.679 Uh what it means to owe a bank money, you know, so there's just blind spots, and that's probably a bigger conversation of some of the blind spots that we have in our society. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:06.240 Uh, but yeah, I just think that we haven't done a good job at fostering that next gen, but I think we're getting better. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:06.639 Yeah. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:11.679 I think with um social media as a whole specifically, not a great place. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.000 Yeah, but there are some good places about it. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:20.399 And there's oh, there's a nice announcement happening at the Verticon Connectbooth. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.720 Uh but you know, there's uh there's some great influencers, you know. 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.919 I think of like uh Faith Ortega, how no helicopters. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.279 You know, uh talk about even more niche, right? 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.039 A female wrenching on aircraft. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:35.360 You don't see that, specifically at helicopters, right? 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:45.279 Right, and and so it's cool to see people like her and other influencers that are positive influencers for the industry, because I think that that's hopefully going to start driving that pathway, right? 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:49.200 Where then people won't hear, oh, I didn't even know that was a thing. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:50.480 Didn't know that was a thing. 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:54.399 So you you work at Columbia Helicopters, that's cool again. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:55.120 I didn't know that. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:57.039 So you're familiar with my hometown area. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:57.679 Yeah, yeah. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.279 Where did you live in Oregon? 00:16:59.600 -->

00:17:01.120 Well, um, on the road. 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:06.319 So you were but uh for the first little bit, uh, there was another new hire. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:22.559 I lived in a hotel in uh uh right down the road from Wilsonville, probably and uh another new hire was like, Hey, I have a trailer out back that using so I rented that trailer for a while and again got my first field position, and then after that, it was just on the road all the time. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:23.599 Yeah, yeah. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:32.240 And so as being a a young uh new mechanic there, um break schedule was like it was a thing, but not a thing, you know. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:33.759 It's you wanted to work all you could. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:37.920 So I think my first year I went from July to Christmas. 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:38.559 Oh my gosh. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.480 And you know, it was a big fire season that year, so I was like, yeah, I'll do that. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:43.599 I'll go here, I'll go there. 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:46.240 And so that's what you have to do though, when you're young, right? 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:47.039 You gotta go and do it. 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:51.599 It was it was a lot of fun, got to see a lot of places, and I actually got to meet my wife because of that. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:52.160 Really? 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:54.079 Uh she was from Salmon, Idaho. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.759 Okay, and uh our machine, uh the fire season in 2000 was enormous, right? 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:20.799 There's everybody was dispatched out, the uh National Guard was and um in Salmon, Idaho, they had like 3,000 troops in there, all kinds of type one helicopters, and uh my machine was in Alaska, and they dispatched us all the way from Alaska, and so I spent like three months long enough to claim residency, I think, in Salmon, Idaho. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.039 So and you met her there, yeah. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:29.599 Met Laura there, and um then wherever she was at, it kind of ended up being my home from that point. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:30.079 That's cool. 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.799 With a break schedule, and you know, you could you know, two weeks off or a month off, it didn't matter. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:38.079 Yeah, you're able to spend some time and build that relationship. 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:38.559 For sure. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.519 So I was talking about that earlier on my earlier podcast. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:52.480 Uh, this idea that this industry, at least on the pilot side, and of course the same on the mechanic side in the utility world, it's not easy to navigate a relationship. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:54.480 Yeah, it's uh it's very challenging. 00:18:54.640 --> 00:19:04.000 What I was talking about earlier on the podcast, and I'm curious to hear, because I I think that there's these types of conversations are equally as important because if you're getting into a career, you should know the whole scope. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:04.400 Yep. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:04.720 Right. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:12.000 So for me, I chose to go this direction of you know, flying tours and air medical and ease easier on the family life. 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:18.319 Whereas some pilots, most pilots choose utility and you're on the road a ton, and that's a hard family life. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:18.720 Yeah. 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:20.400 But it sounds like it's worked for you. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:21.759 It's worked for my earlier guests. 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:30.160 What what were some of the secrets to us of just being able to, you know, uh maintain a good relationship, but also be gone for long periods of time. 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:35.279 Thank you to our sponsor, Prestision Aviation Group. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:43.920 Mission critical operators and fleet managers rely on Presticision Aviation Group as a worldwide leading rotor and fixed-wing MRO provider. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:53.200 TAG provides tip-to-tail solutions in four MRO segments: avionics, components, engines, and manufacturing DER services. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:59.920 A single point of contact gives you access to over 150 million in inventory globally 24-7. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.680 Just call 800-537-2778. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:05.759 Precision Aviation Group. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.039 Others sell parts. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.400 We sell support. 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:13.200 Uh a lot of connection, spent a lot of time, you know, with each other when we were home. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:18.400 And then um uh the expectations were she met me when I was working there, right? 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:21.039 So she understood what we're in the game for. 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:26.079 And um being young, like I was, um, you know, I was chasing the dollar signs, right? 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:32.880 They come from a small town, Minnesota, then um making making the opportunities that we had with Columbia then. 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:36.559 And um uh, but that did wear on us for a while, right? 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:42.319 So once we started building the family, that being gone, you just had your first that was super cool. 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:43.279 Congratulations. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:58.240 So and I remember working a fairly long stint, and I came home and uh my daughter uh was like walking and I'd missed a little portion of you know life, uh milestone that you don't get back, right? 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:00.960 And I'm like, man, we we could figure something else out, right? 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:03.680 So my daughter crawled yesterday, right on, congratulations. 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:04.319 And I missed it. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:07.920 All of a sudden, um life is gonna change. 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:10.480 Accessibility to all things, yeah, yeah. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:11.440 So super cool. 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:14.640 Um, yeah, all the pieces of that I enjoyed a

whole bunch. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:24.079 Um uh but Laura was ultra um that was she supported all that portion of our life, and uh I didn't want to miss out on much of it anymore. 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:32.960 So my dad uh was on the airport board in Elbow Lake, Minnesota, where I grew up, and he's like, Hey, they want maintenance in Elbow Lake. 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:34.079 I'm like, what? 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:39.440 And they're like, Yeah, well, so to preface that a little bit, it was a grass runway and no bathroom. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:42.960 Okay, I mean, Elbow Lake doesn't sound like a like a big place. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:45.119 Seven airplanes were there when I left home. 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:46.319 I'm like, I don't know about this. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.000 I don't know if that's a good business place. 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:55.599 So, but with Columbia working the month on, month off, I was like, all right, we'll go move there because we were living in Salmon Idaho again. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.680 We moved uh back to Elba Lake, Minnesota, and um got Laura out. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.039 Of the mountains and uh to the flats of Minnesota. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:03.440 Yeah. 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:06.480 So and uh her joke is Laura, you're a saint. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:07.440 Absolutely. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:12.720 So she her joke when we're introduced in a meeting is that you know she thought we were gonna do this for a year. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:18.160 And uh, you know, we were we were really young and um people took chances on us. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:18.799 That's cool. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:29.599 And and um within a year we were building a hangar, and um then the they put in a paved runway and things kind of growing, and then they put in more tea hangers. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:38.160 The the city there and the um uh county, the airport board, everybody was really looking to invest. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:38.640 Cool. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:41.680 And so that was like, wow, that's a that's a team to be a part of. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:42.000 Yeah. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.279 When you travel around, you don't see that across the board in airports. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:46.400 Sometimes there's some struggles, right? 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:47.200 Yeah, totally. 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:52.319 I mean, I would say that most general aviation airports by and large are in shambles. 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:52.799 Yeah. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:54.559 Uh andor either closing too. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:55.359 Yep. 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.559 So that just continued to grow. 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:06.000 Um, I worked concurrently at Columbia and when we started Prairie Air, uh, it's because right, it was a grass runway in seven airplanes. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:09.200 You can't you can't make a can't make a living there. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:16.720 So um we did both for a while, and then uh 20 years ago in coming this coming May, I came home full-time. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:17.279 Nice. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:26.000 And uh Prairie Air just continued to, you know, went from my dad being my second set of hands to now we need to you know invest and have another mechanic. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:29.119 And um, you know, the the team kept growing. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:45.440 Now we are on our third version of the buildings that we're in, so we went from an 80 by 80 to uh there's 120 by 120, and then our 80 by 80 original building we expanded out, the runway became paved, there's parallel taxiways, it's you know, kind of like a real live airport. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:47.039 It's like an international airport now. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:48.799 Yeah, it's it's a lot of fun. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:24:03.039 Um, actually, the airport itself this coming well into April, it's getting what is the equivalent of Mindot's uh Lifetime Achievement Award for the airport for all the things that um the city administration people put together put together. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:17.279 Yeah, their foresight um in the funding opportunities to go after it and take a chance and you know, on a 24-year-old kid that was had never done, you know, and business of business was sure on my radar, right? 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:18.559 It was fixing some helicopters. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:19.119 Yeah, of course. 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:27.119 Yeah, so it's interesting though, because I I think it's always easy to give credit to other areas, right? 00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:29.200 Oh, they supported me or they did this. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:37.200 Uh but you had to put yourself in a position uh to take advantage of the good fortune, right? 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:44.400 And I think that that in itself is what makes successful business owners and entrepreneurs you gotta take the step. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:48.160 You gotta like you have to A, take the risk, right? 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:53.519 And B, you have to say, okay, I think this is an opportunity and I'm gonna take it. 00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:57.359 And by you taking that opportunity, then all these great things happen. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:04.799 And so it's a it's a very I I always think it's like a very it's a decision that entrepreneurs make. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:11.440 And then you look back and then it's easy to say, oh well, you know, this person was helping me and that person was helping me. 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:13.519 But you had to make the decision, right? 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:15.200 And that's not an easy decision to make. 00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:16.480 So I always give kudos. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:20.720 Entrepreneurialism uh to me is like the coolest thing. 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:22.799 I think the that's why I love America. 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:30.480 It's like this, this is truly the the place where you can go and do something, you know, and you can be someone and you can work hard. 00:25:30.720 -->

00:25:31.839 Doesn't always work. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:38.480 Uh, but you know, for you taking the the chance and then receiving that good fortune, it's put you in a really good spot. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:45.279 Yeah, and now um, you know, we're in the position where you know we are focusing on those people, right? 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:51.599 Like the kids that you know need that spark or to understand that aviation is something that's attainable to them. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:56.480 Um uh we're just going after that wholeheartedly because it's like, all right, we invest in people. 00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:57.839 People took a chance on me. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:00.480 I'm I'm any chance I got I'm helping out. 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:06.640 And it's incredible now you're investing back into the community, you're investing back into people, and plus business in that area is good, right? 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:12.559 That's uh it's a good city decision because if you have a good functioning airport, that's gonna bring people in. 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.200 Yep, right? 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:16.799 And then you're selling fuel and you're selling services, you're providing jobs. 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:18.240 Uh it's incredible. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:29.200 Prairie Air, I don't know if this is fact or fiction, I'm just making it up, but it seems like it's a very large organization in the grand scheme of Robinson, you know, service centers and dealers. 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:33.279 Seems like you guys have a very large footprint specifically to Robinson. 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:39.759 I know that you're working on other aircraft uh as well, but I know Robinson's a big play for you guys. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:41.200 How did that happen? 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:50.160 Was it was it a purposeful move to to be in with Robinson, or did it just organically just kind of happen that way with the AG or or what was that? 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:59.119 So initially, uh when we started Prairie Air, it was uh if there was an air, if there was an aircraft around that would let me work on it, you know, we took it, right? 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:01.920 It was every oil change, every tire change you could get. 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:13.839 The super cool oddball story is one day on a Saturday, uh, older gentleman come walking through the uh hangar, and his shoes are tied together with duct tape. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:15.920 He's got a beard down to here. 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:19.119 Um, he looked like he did have two nickels to rub together. 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:27.680 He's really inquisitive about what I was working on and uh asked all kinds of questions and he just kind of left it at that and was like, well, we'll see you later. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:34.000 And you you get the I don't know, airport bums that you know come through, they just love aviation and want to see what's cooking, right? 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:45.119 And uh we have an annual fly-in, and a couple weeks later, or probably a couple months later, at this fly-in, in comes the rotor craft, and I could hear it, and I'm like, man, there's a helicopter coming. 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:48.640 It was like, I I didn't anticipate ever getting to see a helicopter again, right? 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:51.920 Yeah, because you kind of did kind of leave the helicopter path there. 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:55.039 But um my desk at the time was on the shop floor. 00:27:55.119 --> 00:27:56.000 We didn't have an office. 00:27:56.079 --> 00:27:59.200 It was like, there's the aircraft, here's my desk, here's the paperwork. 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:03.279 And I had a couple of models that I'd gotten from Columbia and they were set up on the wall. 00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:08.880 And um he comes flying in on a Robinson, and I've seen those before. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:11.920 And then um back to the connection with Andre. 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:23.039 So this this this gentleman he owned uh a bunch of cell phone towers, and he had a lot of connections, and so this Robinson was his tool that he went around and did a lot of checks, right? 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:27.680 And so uh he we got to be talking about rotorcraft and our experience and that kind of a thing. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:34.960 And a couple weeks later, so he had transitioned from having an R22 to the R44 Raven 1. 00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:40.079 And you know how the horizontal stabilizer sticks past the skids by a fair amount on the 44. 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:48.640 If you're accustomed to the 22, it wasn't something that stuck out and was a big of an issue, and him pushing it in by himself, he smashed that horizontal stabilizer. 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:53.440 Big it's it's one of those things, like uh when it's not yeah, it's not if, but it's just when. 00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:56.720 Yeah, and so calls me up, says, Can I help you out? 00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:57.279 Absolutely. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:03.680 So we go up and we take care of that scenario for him and providing customer service the top level that we could. 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:08.160 I've I've just strove for the best I can on this on the service side. 00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:15.039 And uh he word of mouth, he knew he was very connected in the rotorcraft world as far as our little area. 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:15.519 Sure. 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:19.759 So you know, he tells one guy and tells another guy, hey, there's a rotorcraft guy in Minnesota. 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:21.519 This guy was working on Virtals. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:28.000 So um then my connection comes with Andre, with Andre his background, which is wonderful back, yeah. 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:28.319 Right. 00:29:28.400 --> 00:29:31.519 So um I'm like, I gotta have to go get certified on Robinson. 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:33.119 So did the course. 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:37.519 Andre at the time had like a pilot house and hang out in Long Beach and do the whole thing.

00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:40.160 I forget that they started in California, right? 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:40.480 Right. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:56.000 So he has helped me out along the way with that, and so got Robinson certified, got to meet his crew and start seeing, oh, they're they're doing overhauls, there's all this levels to what you can do with Robinson, besides you know, me just hoping to get an oil change out of somebody else. 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:56.799 Yeah, of course. 00:29:57.039 --> 00:30:05.039 And so that just kind of kept developing, and you know, just word of mouth, I was like, there's this rotor craft guy, and he's working on Robinson's. 00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:15.119 And um, so that went from pretty slow first, I'd say 10 years of just organically, one guy finds another guy finds me, that kind of a thing. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.279 And I remember one day we had four lined up in the hangar. 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:18.559 I'm like, man, this is amazing. 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:20.720 We've got four helicopters here, this is great. 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:23.200 And uh we've made it, yeah. 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:26.799 Yeah, my 80 by 80 hangers got four helicopters, yeah. 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:31.440 And we we ran them up all at the same time, and I took some pictures, and it's like this is a big deal. 00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:39.440 And uh then I was like, Well, these so this is 04-06, and so the 44 is a fairly new platform, right? 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:46.240 It's not hit 12 year old yet, and uh well now they're starting to get some hours on them, and this overhaul needs to happen. 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:50.720 And the same first client, he's like, My helicopter's timed out, we have to get it to overhaul. 00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:53.440 Okay, well, what kind of systems do we need to put in place for that? 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:58.480 And um, so I started in the overhauls, and uh again, word of mouth thing. 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:14.240 Hey, that overhaul went well, and now we overhaul aircraft and that thing went to Florida, and now we overhauled it, and now that one went to Texas, and and so uh we set up specific bays for doing overhauls, and and now those guys, you know, word of mouth more. 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:19.279 Um, and now we're increasing our staff um and building up. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:28.720 And then I would say about five about five years ago, uh our business had gone all the way to about 75% rotorcraft. 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:28.960 Wow. 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:32.640 So then add component overhauling that authorization. 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:36.240 Uh the 66 was real prevalent, so okay, now we're a repair station. 00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:38.240 We you know, keep adding there. 00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:44.640 And uh so now I think this last year was somewhere around 125 different Robinson airframes. 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:44.799 Wow. 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:50.640 Um, we get the occasional Instrum MD Bell, there's a

handful of that kind of a thing. 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:53.039 But uh yeah, we're kind of all in Robinson from there. 00:31:53.279 --> 00:32:00.160 Over the years, you build the relationships with the team there and um really uh enjoy what they've got going on. 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:06.880 Um and then um now we're have about four overhauls at a time going on. 00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:12.240 The service work, our area is you know, utility ag. 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:14.240 It's totally big deal, right? 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:18.720 So um a lot I would say about 50% of our clients are that now. 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:24.160 Um, but we've got a pretty good reach around the um upper Midwest and and country with the Robinson products. 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:29.680 Um yeah, I mean, if you're not familiar, Prairie Air is a very big name, at least from my perspective in the Robinson products. 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:34.799 And this just my little plug, I'm not paid to do this. 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:47.440 Uh well, actually, I am paid to podcast, but not to make this statement that um, you know, from from my from my business buying and selling aircraft, specifically on the buy side, we help people buy aircraft. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:51.200 Uh I can tell you that all not all overhauls are created equally. 00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:51.599 Yeah. 00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:54.880 Not all maintenance providers are created equally. 00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:04.240 And so you start to kind of figure out in the Robinson specific world what maintenance entries do you like to see? 00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:10.960 Uh the title at least of who did the maintenance, versus maybe the titles that you don't really want to see. 00:33:11.359 --> 00:33:13.839 And for Prairie Air, it's always a big relief for us. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:18.720 We see that and we know the level of work that you can expect, right? 00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:20.559 It's it's just a high level. 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:22.000 Uh things are done, right? 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:24.640 It's it's well documented, which is really important. 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:36.319 Robinsons are unique because on on say bigger helicopters, say 407s, A stars, 130s, whatever it might be, those service centers for the most part do pretty good work. 00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:39.839 They make pretty good entries, they keep pretty good record. 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:42.720 Robinson World's not always that way, right? 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:53.839 Uh I can't tell you how many overhaul entries I've read that are a sentence, you know, complied with the 2200 hour, 12-year per the, you know, maintenance manual, chapter 12 or whatever it is. 00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:55.359 It's like, that's it. 00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:56.559 That's all I get. 00:33:56.880 --> 00:33:59.440 You know, and so it's just uh it's always uh a relief. 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:04.880 So I appreciate the work that you guys do because on my end, when I go and look at an aircraft, because that's what happens, right? 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:11.199 You you'll you'll hold an aircraft and do service on it for a few years for someone, and then they sell it and it goes somewhere else. 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:11.519 Yep. 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:16.400 And then we end up selling it for that person, and you're auditing records, and oh prairie air. 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:18.719 So it's it's always nice to see that. 00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:20.559 So you guys are doing very good work. 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:22.400 I know the overhauls are really good. 00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:25.599 We're actually selling, we're helping you sell an R66 right now. 00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:29.119 And again, very easy sell for us because it's like it's prairie. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.039 The work is done right. 00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:31.360 Yep. 00:34:31.440 --> 00:34:32.800 Uh the overhauls are done right. 00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:39.280 And and if you're if you're listening to this and you're in the market for buying an aircraft, that that's a true thing, man. 00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:42.320 It's Robinson service centers. 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:44.320 Um maybe it's getting better. 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:45.360 I hope it's getting better. 00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:47.679 I know that there's been a lot of trimming, right? 00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:49.679 There's been trimming of the fat per se. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:58.639 But you you want to be really careful and you want to make sure that the uh the maintenance and repair has been done in the right way and by the right people. 00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:05.119 So I really appreciate what you guys do because I think it just levels up the industry that we're in with Robinson specific. 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:17.360 Thank you to our sponsor, Robinston Helicopter Company, the choice for unrivaled safety and reliability, so you can accomplish any mission with confidence. 00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:22.400 For more than half a century, Robinson has been at the forefront of the helicopter industry. 00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:30.559 From the R-22 to the R-66 turbine, Robinston makes helicopters accessible so more people can accomplish more missions. 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:31.679 Climb higher. 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:37.199 For additional information, visit www.robinsonheli.com. 00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:59.119 Yeah, I really appreciate the uh the stance that Robinson's taken recently with the new leadership team on their attention to the safety, attention to the detail, but attention to that this is a this is a real product that you know stands to um it it deserves the quality that you know the new team is giving on it. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:04.880 So um, and I'm very fortunate to work in an industry where my OCD is appreciated. 00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:05.599 Yeah, it's good. 00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:07.119 The attention to detail. 00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:12.159 Um get you know, I get a chance to uh uh show off on that a little bit.

00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:16.800 Yeah um people when they come through the facility the first time, they're like, wow, what is going on here? 00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:25.760 Because of you know our our ladders, our tables, our the foam that we you know protect the aircraft with is it's a little over the top. 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:27.440 Well, I always say it's important though, right? 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:34.320 If I go into a hangar for a pre-buy and it's scary looking, that's an indication, right? 00:36:34.800 --> 00:36:42.480 Yeah, well, so Laura being from uh you know out west, we travel back there periodically to visit her family and we'll fly out there. 00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:48.320 And I uh I got a flat tire one time en route, and it was before we were deciding to become a repair station. 00:36:48.400 --> 00:36:54.239 And so, and and as the business owner, I was like, Man, that's the this level to be a repair station seems unattainable. 00:36:54.320 --> 00:37:00.079 And the people that are repair stations, it's like you know, amazing, you're a repair station kind of a thing. 00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:02.639 And we we got this flat tire, and I had to get pulled in. 00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:05.920 I'm like, oh, there's XYZ shop here, oh, they're a repair station. 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:11.519 And the guy comes out and he greets us, he's like, Well, um, we'll get that ordered, roll it in, that kind of a thing. 00:37:11.760 --> 00:37:18.079 And the next day I go to check on the airplane, and it was almost like ant trail paths to get in there. 00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:23.920 So everything was just covered, the whole floor was covered, and then all of a sudden your comfort level just comes down. 00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:25.360 You're like worrying about it. 00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:38.880 So yeah, I mean you don't want to put, you know, what did it say, lipstick on a pig, but you I think a presentable maintenance shop, an organized maintenance shop, a clean maintenance shop is a reflection of the work that I could expect the person to work on my helicopter. 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:39.519 Yeah, right? 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:43.039 If it's chaotic and messy, I start to feel concerned. 00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:44.719 Now, that said, there's a couple caveats. 00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:49.440 I have some friends that are also great mechanics, and I wouldn't recommend that you go in their hanger. 00:37:49.920 --> 00:38:04.400 They they operate a little bit differently and a little bit more chaotically, but uh yeah, I I think it's important, and I think that if you take a stance of a clean environment and you're protecting the helicopters and you have good uh tool inventory, I know that's very important as a pilot, right? 00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:10.000 Sometimes you go and do a uh pre-flight after, say, an annual inspection and you find a tool. 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:17.199 Yeah, I I you know, so for I'm super fortunate in the team I have that they're all in step. 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:18.880 They all really appreciate that. 00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:21.519 They're they're all wanting to be the best. 00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:21.920 Yeah. 00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:39.039 And and um, but you know, I was talking about the high school kids, they're coming in to help us out, and uh, we really teach them that there's no difference in my mind as far as the level of safety that we all have to maintain from the kid cleaning the helicopter, that rag misplacement could cause us problems. 00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:42.159 Big dead, just those like the guy putting the engine in the aircraft. 00:38:42.719 --> 00:38:50.800 And so um I I tell them, hey, I'm inspecting and expecting this quality level of attention to detail out of everybody. 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:51.119 Yeah. 00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:53.920 From you to the guy on you know putting the engine in. 00:38:54.159 --> 00:38:54.239 Yeah. 00:38:54.320 --> 00:39:00.159 Well, you have to develop a safety culture and a safety mindset that supports safety in every level, right? 00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:02.559 Could be the guy that's cleaning the hangar floor. 00:39:02.719 --> 00:39:03.440 Absolutely, right? 00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:09.440 You want him to be safe, you don't want him to slip and trip, and you want to set safety protocols, you want him to be safe around aircraft. 00:39:09.599 --> 00:39:12.639 You know, there's all these things, so it's good to set that tone. 00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:13.119 Yep. 00:39:13.360 --> 00:39:17.360 Going back to Robinson here, there's been some big changes, obviously, in the last couple years. 00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:19.920 I want to talk about uh the announcements, we'll get to that. 00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:39.679 But first, just tell me about what it's been like for you as someone that's very much in the Robinson world to kind of exist this past, say, two to three years, this Robinson has transformed into a big mom and pop to now what I think they call like a 50-year startup. 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:44.000 Uh, what has that been like in in uh because I know that you're working with them daily. 00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:44.400 Yeah. 00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:45.519 What's what's been great? 00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:47.119 Has there been some pain points? 00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:52.800 Yeah, you know, anytime there's change, uh, it it creates some anxiety in your network, right? 00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:56.239 Um the communication is is uh uh been coming. 00:39:56.400 --> 00:39:59.440 We're we're understanding, you know, we we see the goal, right? 00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:07.360 And anytime that there's change happens, uh maybe all the all the uh the challenges weren't foreseen. 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:13.920 Um, you know, last year uh rolling out with their new ERP system, um, we felt it, right? 00:40:14.079 --> 00:40:17.599 It was uh so throughput through our shop is super important. 00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:21.840 And you know, we drug out a little bit, got a

little longer than I expected. 00:40:22.079 --> 00:40:26.639 We're fortunate to have the space, but yeah, it made us prick our ears up and pay attention. 00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:32.639 So I mean we went for like six weeks without throughput due to the parts scenario, and we worked through it. 00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:40.480 And that was just because they're using a new system and it was just yeah, not quite developed, it was just uh it wasn't working properly. 00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:41.440 Correct, correct. 00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:47.760 So um, you know, when you hit the reset from an old way to the brand new way, sure, there's gonna be some growing rates. 00:40:48.159 --> 00:40:49.039 A little bit of lag there. 00:40:49.119 --> 00:40:53.599 So, but I would say you know, uh there was a big improvement past Verticon. 00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:57.519 You know, there was all kinds of announcements last year, super, super fun to be a part of there. 00:40:58.159 --> 00:41:05.679 Um receptions that they're put on previous um to these these these last couple years. 00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:07.199 It's a little different. 00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:08.079 We're different, yeah. 00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:10.000 And and exciting to be around. 00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:16.639 Uh after Verticon last year, we got a really good well, and and they had uh structured meetings. 00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:20.000 We're gonna train, we're gonna come and listen to you, we're gonna come talk. 00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:31.760 And here, I mean, they stood up and let us communicate our our uh dissatisfaction with a lot of things, and they uh they took it and listened. 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:34.480 Um it's not all perfect, right? 00:41:34.559 --> 00:41:36.639 Um nothing ever is right. 00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:42.000 Uh, but they're striving, you know, they're going for a target throughout the summer uh this year. 00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:44.639 It's we saw a large improvement. 00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:46.880 There's a new climb higher program. 00:41:47.280 --> 00:41:50.079 You know, I know it set a lot of anxiety throughout. 00:41:50.159 --> 00:41:52.079 You know, I'm friends with a lot of other service centers. 00:41:52.480 --> 00:41:53.920 Like, where are we gonna land in here yet? 00:41:54.239 --> 00:41:56.880 And um little competition healthy, right? 00:41:57.119 --> 00:41:58.159 It's important, right? 00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:06.400 So, I mean, we with the announcement of that 88, you know, like people are looking at at Robinson, they're looking at us, what are we gonna do? 00:42:06.480 --> 00:42:12.639 Yep, and um, so once you make some big announcements like that, you gotta keep running, right? 00:42:12.719 --> 00:42:16.079 And so they're continuing to make improvements this year. 00:42:16.159 --> 00:42:20.559 Um, you know, with the climb higher recognition, we knew we're at. 00:42:20.719 --> 00:42:25.760 Um, and you kind of alluded, so they've they've trimmed some places that weren't, you know. 00:42:25.840 --> 00:42:27.360 Hey, this is our standard now. 00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:33.280 If if you're not there, you know, there's different people, there's people that we've seen for a while that weren't in the room anymore. 00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:33.760 Yep. 00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:38.239 Um, and so it's refreshing that they're standing behind. 00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:42.719 Yeah, I think for the long time, I mean, I don't know enough from your end. 00:42:43.440 --> 00:42:53.440 So, but from my perspective, it seemed like for a long time, prior to say the change, Robinson was uh more focused on just selling new aircraft, right? 00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:55.920 Let's just sell new aircraft, and that's great. 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:57.280 They were selling a lot of aircraft. 00:42:57.440 --> 00:43:02.639 In fact, I think at some point, even in 2008 or something, they sold 800, you know. 00:43:03.199 --> 00:43:12.159 So they weren't having a problem selling aircraft, but I don't think that they had the uh oversight on the dealership network and the service center network. 00:43:12.480 --> 00:43:14.880 I think that it it grew too big. 00:43:15.039 --> 00:43:19.599 I think too many people had the privilege, but they didn't actually represent the brand. 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:20.239 Right. 00:43:20.320 --> 00:43:26.159 And to me, if you're gonna be a service center or a dealer, that's just an extension of the brand, in my opinion, right? 00:43:26.239 --> 00:43:32.719 Like when I buy a Kia, which I just bought, you know, I'm judging Kia based on my experience at that dealership, right? 00:43:32.880 --> 00:43:34.239 Which was crap, by the way. 00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:38.960 Um so you know, it's that's been refreshing for me. 00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:43.679 You know, I I'm not involved in new helicopter sales or a dealership or service center or things like that. 00:43:43.760 --> 00:43:47.920 So I don't deal with Robinson in that level, but I sell a lot of used Robinsons. 00:43:48.400 --> 00:43:59.679 But I've you know, I've seen a lot of people get burned when they're buying aircraft, or I know a lot of previous dealers were you know selling the aircraft or you know, making five thousand dollars on. 00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.519 Because they were just cutting everything. 00:44:01.599 --> 00:44:08.400 And there was, you know, one dealer that was selling, you know, all the helicopters but not making any money while no one else was doing it. 00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:09.920 So you know, I think it was important. 00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:14.320 I think that it's been a big initiative for Robinson to come in, take a deep look at it. 00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:20.480 Understand that you need good service centers and you need good dealer networks, and they need to be in a brand extension. 00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:22.639 And I think that you guys exemplify that. 00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:26.559 I think that even before the change happened, you guys were already doing that.

00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:38.480 So to me, it seems like yes, of course, there's anxiety about new changes and some hiccups with the ERP and things like that, but I'm guessing nothing really changed for you guys because you already had that high standard. 00:44:38.800 --> 00:44:43.119 Yeah, we we uh we just saw it as now we can really shine. 00:44:43.280 --> 00:44:47.679 We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna they they've set some points that they want met. 00:44:47.920 --> 00:44:48.880 All right, let's go get it. 00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:49.199 Yeah. 00:44:49.440 --> 00:44:52.079 And you know, I'm a kind of a competitive individual. 00:44:52.400 --> 00:44:57.519 And so um it uh all right, well, and my team is like, yeah, let's go be the best. 00:44:57.679 --> 00:45:03.840 Let's and so um it was a lot of fun getting the diamond award and our team being there to see that. 00:45:04.480 --> 00:45:06.559 Yeah, what is what does the diamond award mean? 00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:18.000 So um it was a certain metric of level of of volume uh through the for the service center in sales of of our parts, and then there's training requirements. 00:45:18.239 --> 00:45:20.480 There's we're gonna host trainings. 00:45:20.639 --> 00:45:35.920 We're uh and so it's you know, they put a a target against the wall that you had to meet, and then with that, now at the different levels, our our um you know, our ability to be more profitable is now tied to that. 00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:41.199 Yeah, so yeah, it's it's it's given us you know more opportunity coming forward. 00:45:41.519 --> 00:45:45.920 And I think doing things like that will have a positive impact in the overall safety of things. 00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:47.679 You're gonna have better trained guys. 00:45:47.840 --> 00:45:54.960 David even mentioned yesterday during his announcement that uh last year alone was the safest year for Robinson helicopters. 00:45:55.199 --> 00:45:56.719 That's a big deal, and that's a huge deal. 00:45:56.960 --> 00:45:58.159 That's important to all of us. 00:45:58.480 --> 00:46:01.440 Less helicopters crashing from any brand is good. 00:46:01.679 --> 00:46:10.719 Uh and tightening things up and holding service centers to the highest standard, holding pilots to that highest standard of training and professionalism. 00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:12.239 Well, yeah, so important. 00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:24.000 As you know, that you know, they're making requirements for the pilot training side, and you can be an instructor pilot training now, and then as you know, a dealer, you know, there's requirements for the and then recurring training on top of that. 00:46:24.159 --> 00:46:30.800 So it's you know, it's not a once and yeah, 25 years ago you took the class and then you don't do it never again, right? 00:46:30.960 --> 00:46:35.760 Yeah, so it's it's so important, and all the courses are very reasonably priced as well. 00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:45.280 When you compare brand, you know, the cost between the different uh manufacturers out there, yeah, it's it's uh it's an easy uh class. 00:46:45.360 --> 00:46:49.760 And now with the ability of them coming to uh out into the field to do the trainings too. 00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:50.400 So cool. 00:46:50.559 --> 00:46:52.320 So you know, we're small town America. 00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:55.199 My guys um they're there for a reason, right? 00:46:55.280 --> 00:46:56.639 We don't have a stoplight in our county. 00:46:56.800 --> 00:47:04.159 Wow, uh hunting is a big deal, fishing, yeah, and a certain way of life of uh torrents doesn't fancy them, right? 00:47:04.239 --> 00:47:17.760 So when I the first time I ever did Robinson training, and uh like I said, I was staying in Long Beach, and so I had to drive from Long Beach up to Torrance, and uh you get on is it the 405 or something or something like that? 00:47:17.920 --> 00:47:24.400 Yeah, and they're all they're all bad, and it was all gridlocked, it was dead stop, and I remember looking around, I'm like, there are more people right here than in my hometown. 00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:25.360 Yeah, oh for sure. 00:47:25.840 --> 00:47:32.239 So a little, you know, being able to come out to us, and then it opens it up well, more people. 00:47:32.320 --> 00:47:34.719 Hey, well, I want to come over there and get trained too. 00:47:34.880 --> 00:47:40.320 You know, uh, you mentioned uh Mike Underwood, you know, and him and their crew, they did a training, and you know, they get more people to come into that. 00:47:40.400 --> 00:47:42.960 So it's yeah, just recently I think they were doing some training. 00:47:43.119 --> 00:47:43.920 Yeah, super cool. 00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:44.800 Yeah, I love Mike. 00:47:44.960 --> 00:47:46.960 One of my favorite people to see at the show here is Mike. 00:47:47.199 --> 00:47:49.199 Mike and I actually started Celicopter together. 00:47:49.360 --> 00:47:50.079 Oh, right on. 00:47:50.159 --> 00:47:53.360 Uh, and then he got so busy with his bait and stuff back in the day. 00:47:53.440 --> 00:47:57.440 We we just gently departed uh ways, but yeah, I love cool. 00:47:57.519 --> 00:47:58.239 I love seeing Mike. 00:47:58.559 --> 00:48:00.320 Yeah, I had no idea the the connections. 00:48:01.119 --> 00:48:02.480 Oh yeah, I know Mike well. 00:48:03.039 --> 00:48:04.800 So big announcements. 00:48:04.880 --> 00:48:07.599 I'm curious to hear kind of your opinion on things. 00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:12.639 Uh I know that you're in the ag world, you understand the ag world, a lot of your clients are ag folks. 00:48:12.800 --> 00:48:12.880 Yep. 00:48:13.039 --> 00:48:15.679 Robinson is pushing very hard in that market. 00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:16.079 Yeah. 00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:23.280 Uh cool that they released the R-44 with the uh utility interior, uh, more of a rugged style. 00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:23.840 Yep. 00:48:24.079 --> 00:48:27.920 Not so curious, or not so uh anxious to hear your thoughts on that per se. 00:48:28.159 --> 00:48:34.559

I'm more anxious to hear now with the announcements of the autonomous uh aircraft, essentially. 00:48:34.719 --> 00:48:40.639 The aircraft that will be uh flying with a pilot, but not a pilot inside the helicopter. 00:48:40.719 --> 00:48:40.880 Yeah. 00:48:41.039 --> 00:48:46.079 And they're really targeting at uh AG, uh, and I think it's in conjunction with Rotor AI. 00:48:46.480 --> 00:48:50.159 If you haven't checked out my podcast with Hector from Rotor AI, you can do that. 00:48:50.639 --> 00:48:52.000 Well what are your thoughts? 00:48:52.159 --> 00:48:58.400 I mean, uh it's a I almost kind of find it to be almost a sensitive subject a little bit. 00:48:58.559 --> 00:49:00.000 What what are you feeling? 00:49:02.719 --> 00:49:05.199 Thanks to our sponsor, Airbus. 00:49:05.440 --> 00:49:15.280 Airbus provides the most efficient helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives, and safely carry passengers in demanding environments. 00:49:15.440 --> 00:49:20.559 Its civil and military helicopters are flying all over the world, making missions possible. 00:49:20.719 --> 00:49:23.840 Visit Airbus.com for more information. 00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:28.480 Yeah, so you know, I fly because I love to fly, right? 00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:29.360 It I enjoy it. 00:49:29.519 --> 00:49:32.480 You get in and you fly around, and everything about flying is is awesome. 00:49:33.519 --> 00:49:38.320 But the in the environments that my clients fly in, um it's tough work, right? 00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:38.880 Very tough. 00:49:39.039 --> 00:49:47.039 It's and it's dangerous, it's low level, repetitive, um, and a lot of people are doing it to get to the next step, right? 00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:57.599 And so um I I don't think that it is a something that they need to worry about replacing them, right? 00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:04.800 It's going to uh make the aircraft safer, it's gonna expand our capabilities and what the Robinson products can do. 00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:08.960 And yeah, it's I just see it as another area where we can grow. 00:50:09.039 --> 00:50:09.360 Yeah. 00:50:09.679 --> 00:50:14.159 Um the service centers, you know, the the dealer and service center network. 00:50:14.320 --> 00:50:17.119 We we still have to service them, we still have to inspect them. 00:50:17.360 --> 00:50:17.599 Of course. 00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:21.199 You're you know, they got to be bought, you know, they're gonna be brand new off the line. 00:50:21.440 --> 00:50:33.599 But I I think it's going to open us up to some of you know the I didn't do video games very much, but there's you know a whole generation that are way more comfortable with electronics and things like that. 00:50:33.840 --> 00:50:37.679 And it they might be uh it might seem more attainable to them, you know. 00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:40.239 We talked where you know, the kids are like, Well, I can never go do that. 00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:51.199 I'm like, well, it might be more obtainable to them to

go fly it out of that ground control station with um, and then maybe that will oh well, this is obtainable. 00:50:51.280 --> 00:50:52.000 I should go fly. 00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:53.440 Yeah, go go do it both. 00:50:53.599 --> 00:50:54.079 Yep, yeah. 00:50:54.159 --> 00:50:58.159 I mean, I I my whole thought is is that we know where things are going. 00:50:58.719 --> 00:50:59.679 That's the future. 00:50:59.840 --> 00:51:09.199 Things evolve, and I think that we will live in a world where there's there's a relationship uh that's hopefully symbiotic. 00:51:09.280 --> 00:51:12.800 I don't know if that's the right word, uh, in unison almost of complimentary. 00:51:12.960 --> 00:51:13.760 Yeah, I yeah. 00:51:14.000 --> 00:51:17.519 Um I used to think drones were like the end of the world, right? 00:51:17.760 --> 00:51:21.519 And now I feel like, well, helicopters and drones are actually working together. 00:51:21.840 --> 00:51:23.280 There's a collaborative effort. 00:51:23.440 --> 00:51:23.760 Yep. 00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:27.920 I look at ag specifically, and I'm not an ag guy, I got ag clients and ag friends. 00:51:28.559 --> 00:51:30.079 Shout out to my boy Jay Buckman. 00:51:30.239 --> 00:51:30.960 I've been working with him lately. 00:51:31.199 --> 00:51:31.599 You know, Jay? 00:51:31.840 --> 00:51:32.320 I know Jay. 00:51:32.719 --> 00:51:33.840 Yeah, he's a good guy. 00:51:34.000 --> 00:51:38.079 I'd uh anytime I have a good deal on a 44, he's my guy. 00:51:38.159 --> 00:51:40.159 He's I can find he's just ready to go. 00:51:40.559 --> 00:51:44.079 Uh but what I know, the industry is very dangerous. 00:51:44.400 --> 00:51:50.880 I've I've heard some years 13 plus aircraft will crash, specifically with wire strike, usually. 00:51:51.039 --> 00:51:51.280 Yep. 00:51:51.440 --> 00:51:55.360 I had my uh had a friend on the podcast before talk about uh his accident. 00:51:56.000 --> 00:52:03.039 Um very accomplished pilot, very experienced pilot, very experienced ag pilot, yeah, knew the wire, still hit it. 00:52:03.519 --> 00:52:04.239 I've heard the same story. 00:52:06.639 --> 00:52:11.039 So for me, I'm like, why not why not do that, right? 00:52:11.519 --> 00:52:26.719 You know, if it's going to make a safer operation and it's going to accomplish the same outcome and probably even more efficiently and more effectively, and then God forbid if there's an accident, it's not machine, it's not going to take a loss of life. 00:52:26.800 --> 00:52:28.239 It's an insurance claim at that point. 00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:33.199 You're not burying bodies, you're not having to talk to partners and significant others. 00:52:33.360 --> 00:52:34.880 It's it's just a machine. 00:52:35.119 --> 00:52:38.159 And the technology is not susceptible to the fatigue that's in there. 00:52:38.239 --> 00:52:43.599 You know, I've heard the same story uh over and over again where this accomplished pilot, they know they know the field even. 00:52:43.679 --> 00:52:47.199 It's you

know, it's sometimes spraying it every day for the last month. 00:52:47.440 --> 00:52:47.760 Right. 00:52:47.920 --> 00:52:52.320 And uh just that one whatever, and and then there they are. 00:52:52.400 --> 00:52:57.840 Yeah, so I there hasn't been a season go by since we've been involved in AG where there hasn't been some sort of incident. 00:52:58.159 --> 00:53:01.840 Yeah, there's significant accidents all the time. 00:53:02.239 --> 00:53:06.000 And the technology's improving um for that wire detection as well. 00:53:06.079 --> 00:53:08.239 You know, that stuff's it's coming, it's gonna be amazing. 00:53:08.639 --> 00:53:09.920 It's incredible industry as a whole. 00:53:10.159 --> 00:53:11.519 Yeah, I I I'm excited. 00:53:11.679 --> 00:53:13.599 Look, I I'm a pilot, I love flying. 00:53:13.679 --> 00:53:18.880 I didn't fly heli, you know, I didn't start flying helicopters to to do it from a room like this, per se. 00:53:19.039 --> 00:53:20.719 Uh maybe now I would like that actually. 00:53:20.880 --> 00:53:23.199 You know, I'm a dad now, and so I'm a little more cautious. 00:53:23.360 --> 00:53:23.679 Yep. 00:53:23.920 --> 00:53:32.800 You know, I hope that uh I mean I'm guessing some in some world, far, far from now, it might be obsolete to be a pilot. 00:53:32.960 --> 00:53:34.639 But I don't think it's anytime soon. 00:53:35.199 --> 00:53:43.519 I think the moment that we're in now is that for the next several years, even decades, there's going to just be a continued complementary effort. 00:53:44.159 --> 00:53:50.719 Helicopter pilots doing helicopter pilot things, and you know, autonomy and drones and things like that doing what they're doing. 00:53:51.039 --> 00:53:53.760 Well, aviation's always the leading portion of technology, right? 00:53:53.840 --> 00:53:55.519 It's like pushing the envelope always. 00:53:55.599 --> 00:54:00.960 And so, yeah, I mean it's just a natural thing for us to uh we we're gonna forge ahead. 00:54:01.039 --> 00:54:04.559 We're gonna, you know, it's the next frontier of something to to conquer. 00:54:04.800 --> 00:54:07.280 Um, yeah, and and not to be scared of it, right? 00:54:07.360 --> 00:54:08.239 I know, I know change. 00:54:08.400 --> 00:54:10.960 I mean, I'm yeah, I change change sucks. 00:54:11.199 --> 00:54:11.840 It is scary. 00:54:12.079 --> 00:54:14.639 Um, but um, yeah, it's it's gonna be okay. 00:54:14.880 --> 00:54:16.239 I'm gonna have David on tomorrow. 00:54:16.400 --> 00:54:18.000 Uh I'm excited to chat with him. 00:54:18.079 --> 00:54:19.280 It's always fun to catch up. 00:54:19.440 --> 00:54:21.360 I want to get his take on that too, right? 00:54:21.519 --> 00:54:27.679 Because, you know, he he's now the leader of a helicopter company that, you know, historically pilots have flown. 00:54:27.840 --> 00:54:29.440 So this is a big change, right? 00:54:29.679 --> 00:54:32.159 So I'm curious to hear kind of his narrative on it. 00:54:32.320 --> 00:54:45.840 Dave's very intelligent guy, and I know that he's had to well well think this out of you know, how do you present it to the world that doesn't serve as like a scary thing, like you said. 00:54:46.480 --> 00:54:51.280 He did a really good job of uh you know at the training this past week, uh Monday. 00:54:51.519 --> 00:55:01.440 Uh things kind of wrapped up a little earlier, and so David had to spend an hour and a half in front of you know a room of us answering questions and feeling it for an hour and a half. 00:55:01.519 --> 00:55:06.480 And I was I was really impressed with uh the overall you know questions and and outcome of that. 00:55:06.960 --> 00:55:08.000 He's that guy's a robot. 00:55:08.079 --> 00:55:08.320 Yep. 00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:09.440 He might be a drill. 00:55:09.840 --> 00:55:10.480 He might be. 00:55:10.639 --> 00:55:11.440 He's he's everywhere. 00:55:11.760 --> 00:55:13.360 On LinkedIn, he's there, he's on Facebook. 00:55:13.440 --> 00:55:15.039 I mean he's I asked him, do you sleep? 00:55:15.119 --> 00:55:16.719 Yeah, I asked his wife that yesterday. 00:55:16.960 --> 00:55:18.400 She was like, uh, kind of. 00:55:18.800 --> 00:55:20.400 I think Mac too, the his son. 00:55:20.480 --> 00:55:21.920 I think he's gonna be the next in line. 00:55:22.079 --> 00:55:23.920 That he he's a smart kid. 00:55:24.320 --> 00:55:30.079 And he was uh we were at another helicopter thing yesterday, and he was providing me his feedback on what he thought. 00:55:30.320 --> 00:55:30.800 Outstanding. 00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:34.639 And uh, he had some actually very valid points. 00:55:34.880 --> 00:55:35.199 Super. 00:55:35.280 --> 00:55:39.519 Uh so I think David operates at a different level uh mentally, honestly. 00:55:39.679 --> 00:55:48.159 I mean, his capacity is huge, and uh you don't get uh in most industries to have that type of connection, right? 00:55:48.239 --> 00:55:49.199 He's an available guy. 00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:49.760 Oh man. 00:55:49.840 --> 00:55:53.440 I've I've asked him before, I said, hey, look, I got this guy, he's a little upset about this or that. 00:55:53.840 --> 00:55:54.639 He wants to talk to you. 00:55:54.800 --> 00:55:55.199 Yeah, yeah. 00:55:55.440 --> 00:55:55.920 Give him my number. 00:55:56.159 --> 00:55:57.440 He's like, call me now. 00:55:57.599 --> 00:55:58.559 Yeah, and I don't know. 00:55:58.639 --> 00:56:00.079 If a phone rings, I'm like, hello? 00:56:00.239 --> 00:56:00.960 Oh okay. 00:56:01.280 --> 00:56:15.679 Yeah, so I think that that's like I think that that is uh a testament to what they're doing really well at is that you have access to David, you have access to Randy and Will and Robin and really the entire team, and they're listening, yeah, right. 00:56:15.840 --> 00:56:19.199 And again, it's a big company, so things don't move necessarily fast all the time. 00:56:19.360 --> 00:56:26.079 And unfortunately, sometimes you have to wait on certain parts by other manufacturers that take longer time. 00:56:26.239 --> 00:56:29.440 So, you

know, it definitely can get a cog in the wheel. 00:56:29.599 --> 00:56:32.719 Uh we'll finish up with the R66 turbine truck. 00:56:33.039 --> 00:56:34.079 Am I saying it correctly? 00:56:34.239 --> 00:56:34.880 I think yeah. 00:56:35.119 --> 00:56:39.840 So the turbine truck you were telling me yesterday when we caught up is is it coming? 00:56:40.079 --> 00:56:42.000 No, it's so so the uh the air truck. 00:56:42.239 --> 00:56:42.719 The air truck. 00:56:42.880 --> 00:56:44.159 Yep, the 44 air truck. 00:56:44.320 --> 00:56:46.400 The 44 air truck, so I got confused. 00:56:46.639 --> 00:56:47.119 That's all good. 00:56:47.280 --> 00:57:04.880 So the R-44 air truck, which is what we were just talking about, which is the rotor technologies, and that is the ag purposed so the the air truck is the is the cargo version of the 44 Raven 2, and the spray hawk is a spray version of the RE4. 00:57:05.280 --> 00:57:11.760 So you have do you have a client that is our area being as rural as it is, we have a great test area. 00:57:11.920 --> 00:57:16.400 And so we've been working with Nick and Hector and the team at Rotor. 00:57:16.639 --> 00:57:20.880 Um we know the uh we know the airframe really well, right? 00:57:21.039 --> 00:57:29.679 Like and they're really great at all the technology and things like that, and we're trying to help um really make that aircraft sing and do well. 00:57:29.920 --> 00:57:42.000 Um and there are retrofits for the older aircraft, and the few of the first iterations are going out that way, and so um so that they can do testing. 00:57:42.159 --> 00:57:42.320 Sure. 00:57:42.480 --> 00:57:42.719 Right. 00:57:42.880 --> 00:58:02.559 And so we're going to uh right after the show that one machine is coming up to us, we're gonna finish getting it operational, and then Hector and the team are coming out, cool, do their side of the of the puzzle, and um some of the first testing, some of the demos is gonna happen out at Elbow Lakes. 00:58:02.719 --> 00:58:03.280 Man, how excited? 00:58:04.000 --> 00:58:05.119 That's so cool that you're part of that. 00:58:05.280 --> 00:58:08.800 Yeah, you're kind of part of this new history, this new this new area. 00:58:08.960 --> 00:58:10.480 You work with a lot of ag operators. 00:58:10.639 --> 00:58:13.119 Anyone anyone biting to to buy? 00:58:13.440 --> 00:58:14.559 Um they're talking. 00:58:14.719 --> 00:58:15.119 They're talking. 00:58:15.440 --> 00:58:15.920 They're talking. 00:58:16.000 --> 00:58:24.400 So the the air truck's gonna be operational first, and um that is really um going is interested. 00:58:24.559 --> 00:58:36.960 The markets interested are um oil and gas, you know, where they can move um instead of firing up some big iron to move a small part uh quickly and efficiently, right? 00:58:37.119 --> 00:58:41.920 And some of the environments around the country aren't as permissive as flying around as we enjoy here, right? 00:58:42.079 --> 00:58:44.800 So uh it's not the risks involved with that either. 00:58:44.880 --> 00:58:48.960 So um, yeah, so that's that I I imagine is gonna be the first clients. 00:58:49.039 --> 00:58:53.840 Um, of course, the regulatory environment in in the US is pretty dynamic right now. 00:58:54.000 --> 00:58:57.599 Things are changing, materials, things are still in comment periods. 00:58:57.760 --> 00:58:58.960 We don't have anything written yet. 00:58:59.039 --> 00:59:00.559 So yeah, working on that. 00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:12.880 Um as as uh we have the largest test area um uh submitted with the FA right now that rotor um is gonna use, and it's something like 800,000 acres or something. 00:59:12.960 --> 00:59:18.800 It's you know, it's a big area, but low population we are density area, it's class G airspace. 00:59:18.960 --> 00:59:20.079 So it's easy, yeah, yeah. 00:59:20.239 --> 00:59:20.639 Easy stuff. 00:59:20.800 --> 00:59:24.400 So excited to go out and test with them and uh and learn more about the platform. 00:59:24.559 --> 00:59:25.599 So that's so cool. 00:59:25.840 --> 00:59:29.840 And after that, you know, then then we'll see where the spray hawk comes into play. 00:59:29.920 --> 00:59:31.599 So well, the future is here, yeah. 00:59:31.679 --> 00:59:32.000 That's cool. 00:59:32.400 --> 00:59:33.119 And things are happening. 00:59:33.199 --> 00:59:37.039 Joe LaRue from Prairie Air, uh up there in Elbow Lake. 00:59:37.119 --> 00:59:37.679 Am I saying it right? 00:59:38.000 --> 00:59:38.559 Said it right, yeah. 00:59:38.719 --> 00:59:40.000 Uh Minnesota, quite cold. 00:59:40.079 --> 00:59:45.599 I've talked to you recently, and we actually had some delay on pictures because he was uh like snowed in. 00:59:45.760 --> 00:59:49.519 Yeah, it was uh 20 some below and a whole bunch of snow, so yeah. 00:59:49.920 --> 00:59:50.960 A little warmer down here. 00:59:51.199 --> 00:59:54.159 Yeah, it was uh some of my crew was like, oh, it's too hot here. 00:59:54.320 --> 00:59:58.239 Yeah, I mean, yesterday when I caught up with you in the parking lot, I felt like I was melting, honestly. 00:59:58.320 --> 00:59:58.960 It's very humid. 00:59:59.119 --> 01:00:00.559 Yeah, it was fun to find some sun. 01:00:00.639 --> 01:00:02.960 You know, it's cloudy and snowy in our area. 01:00:03.199 --> 01:00:03.760 So we found some. 01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:05.519 A little vitamin D is always good. 01:00:05.679 --> 01:00:07.679 Well, Joe, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. 01:00:08.079 --> 01:00:09.039 Thank you for what you're doing. 01:00:09.199 --> 01:00:13.440 I'm excited to keep on following with uh Joe LaRue and Prairie Erin, what you're doing. 01:00:13.599 --> 01:00:18.079 Also, by the way, just whoever does your social media and your email marketing, kudos. 01:00:18.239 --> 01:00:19.039 Really nicely done. 01:00:19.199 --> 01:00:19.519 Right on. 01:00:19.599 --> 01:00:19.920 I appreciate it. 01:00:20.079 --> 01:00:23.199 Honestly, I I I love I love what you do on your emails. 01:00:23.360 -->

01:00:28.159 Uh, and yeah, honestly, a lot of uh maintenance facilities don't do that at all. 01:00:28.400 --> 01:00:30.639 Yeah, you know, we just try to get the word out on what's going on. 01:00:30.719 --> 01:00:32.639 You know, we try to be in around the patch, right? 01:00:32.800 --> 01:00:35.199 Yeah, so we we do actually three intentional. 01:00:35.519 --> 01:00:36.719 It's uh did you know? 01:00:36.800 --> 01:00:37.840 So we want to inform you. 01:00:38.000 --> 01:00:38.239 Yep. 01:00:38.320 --> 01:00:46.719 Uh the quotes around the patch is just a fun thing that my wife came up with, and it's like, you know, something applicable to what's going on in the Robinson. 01:00:46.800 --> 01:00:50.000 And then uh it's a Friday field notes, is our latest one. 01:00:50.159 --> 01:00:59.119 And uh then one long format a month where you know we get a testimonial from a client or you know, hey, the part scenario that's going on. 01:00:59.199 --> 01:01:00.639 Well, let's talk about that a little bit that time. 01:01:01.119 --> 01:01:05.920 It's a great informative, you know, just so people could see what it's going on in Elbow Lake, Minnesota. 01:01:06.000 --> 01:01:07.920 Otherwise, you know, you don't know. 01:01:08.079 --> 01:01:08.159 Right. 01:01:08.320 --> 01:01:08.880 No, it's awesome. 01:01:08.960 --> 01:01:10.400 Well, Joe, thanks so much to our listeners. 01:01:10.559 --> 01:01:21.199 Thank you for listening to this Verticon 2026 edition of the helicopter podcast, and again to our sponsors, uh NHM Publishing, of course, and Vertical Plus and the Helicast platform. 01:01:21.280 --> 01:01:22.159 We couldn't do it without you. 01:01:22.239 --> 01:01:29.599 It's so cool to be here, have this amazing uh facility to be able to have these awesome conversations with awesome people like Joe. 01:01:29.840 --> 01:01:34.480 Joe said it early in the episode it's the people, and I couldn't echo that more. 01:01:34.639 --> 01:01:42.480 I walk around this hall, and it's uh people I know, people I don't know, but we all share a common thing, and it's helicopters. 01:01:42.719 --> 01:01:46.480 Joe started with helicopters, he kind of pulled away. 01:01:46.639 --> 01:01:48.480 The siren brought you back, brother. 01:01:48.880 --> 01:01:49.760 He couldn't stay away. 01:01:49.920 --> 01:01:56.079 So we're we're we're grateful that that happened, uh, and thank you for listening to this edition of the helicopter podcast. 01:01:56.960 --> 01:01:59.519 Stand by for a message after a word from our sponsors. 01:01:59.760 --> 01:02:02.800 Thank you to our sponsor, Precision Aviation Group. 01:02:02.960 --> 01:02:11.440 Mission critical operators and fleet managers rely on Precision Aviation Group as a worldwide leading rotor and fixed-wing MRO provider. 01:02:11.679 --> 01:02:20.719 TAG provides tip-to-tail solutions in four MRO segments: avionics, components, engines, and manufacturing DER services. 01:02:20.880 --> 01:02:27.440 A single point of contact gives you access to over 150 million in inventory globally 24-7. 01:02:27.840 --> 01:02:33.280 Just call 800-537-2778, Precision Aviation Group. 01:02:33.360 --> 01:02:34.559 Others sell parts. 01:02:34.719 --> 01:02:36.159 We sell support. 01:02:36.400 --> 01:02:46.000 Thank you to our sponsor, Robinston Helicopter Company, the choice for unrivaled safety and reliability, so you can accomplish any mission with confidence. 01:02:46.159 --> 01:02:51.039 For more than half a century, Robinson has been at the forefront of the helicopter industry. 01:02:51.199 --> 01:02:59.199 From the R-22 to the R-66 turbine, Robinston makes helicopters accessible so more people can accomplish more missions. 01:02:59.360 --> 01:03:00.239 Climb higher. 01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:05.840 For additional information, visit www.robinsonheli.com. 01:03:06.960 --> 01:03:09.440 Thanks to our sponsor, Airbus. 01:03:09.599 --> 01:03:19.519 Airbus provides the most efficient helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives, and safely carry passengers in demanding environments. 01:03:19.679 --> 01:03:24.800 Its civil and military helicopters are flying all over the world, making missions possible. 01:03:24.960 --> 01:03:28.079 Visit Airbus.com for more information.