Maintenance shop owner

New is the owner of Tennessee Aircraft Services, a small maintenance facility based in Jackson. He draws 210 owners from all over the country who come to him for his intimate knowledge and vast experience with the airplane. But New started his aircraft maintenance journey as an avionics technician and only moved into owning a shop after his father decided to retire.

After finishing school to learn about avionics repair and a stint running the avionics department for a regional commuter airline and an FBO, New moved back to Jackson in part to help his dad. An engineer by trade, New’s father had a small shop that purchased wrecked aircraft, rebuilt, and then sold them. Each project was unique, and the business operated mostly as a hobby. “I never considered buying it until Dad asked me,” he said. From there New started working longer hours, in part to handle a new flow of insurance work. Finally, after a fire destroyed the hangar, New and his wife, Helen, had a decision to make. Rebuild and grow or downsize and do something else? They decided to push into more traditional maintenance offerings and become a Cessna authorized maintenance center. A chance encounter with the head of the Cessna Pilots Association brought a monthly magazine column, the opportunity to teach weekend systems classes to owners, and more.

Soon pilots who had seen his stories started coming from California and Maine in order to have him work on their airplanes. Even after 15 years, New is still surprised that people consider him an authority on these subjects. “If you’re willing to talk about stuff, people think you know something. If you’re willing to write it, they think you’re an expert,” he said.

And talk about stuff, he does. He’s a contract expert with Savvy Aviation, a maintenance management firm, and he co-hosts AOPA’s Ask the A&Ps podcast twice a month. But, best of all, he said he gets to work as hard as he wants to. A new up-and-comer in the shop purchased a stake in the business and his running it on a day-to-day basis. That allows New to focus on troubleshooting, a skill he enjoys doing and passing along to younger technicians.

People interested in getting into aviation maintenance should consider their goals, he said. If you want to go work on jets in the corporate or airline world, New advises people to get an A&P certificate at school. But if you want to work on small airplanes, he recommends seeking out a shop for an apprenticeship. You might end up owning it someday.

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