PROFILE
and Comlux. He was with Comlux for two years when he “took a sabbatical from aviation” in 2011 after being diag- nosed with a serious medical condition. While at home during treatment, he quickly grew restless. His wife even got to the point where she would ask him, “Don’t you have anything to do today?” He got a job at The Home Depot in Brentwood, TN working in the mill works (doors and windows) department. “A year later, I transferred to the hardware department,” he says. “I have now started an aviation company with a good friend. Our company is Pioneer Aviation Management.”
Marlin Priest and Patrick Delahoussaye.
PIONEER AVIATION MANAGEMENT Patrick Delahoussaye is now the President of Pioneer Avia- tion Management, LLC. Pioneer Aviation Management was launched because its founder and CEO Marlin Priest felt that basic airworthiness compliance is no longer sufficient in today’s complex operating environment. In addition, operational mandates and approval processes can be confus- ing to a new operator or an operator lacking experience in this environment. Pioneer Aviation Management is a techni- cal services advisory firm. Its primary market is the small to medium sized flight department, operating turbine-powered aircraft, that lacks a dedicated maintenance staff; the VLJ owner/operator and owner-flown turbine powered opera- tor who has no one dedicated to managing the maintenance function. In essence, Pioneer Aviation Maintenance takes on the role of the traditional DOM for the operator and takes care of operational and airworthiness issues. Company founder and CEO Marlin Priest says, “We strive to maxi- mize availability, reliability and pedigree while managing costs. We do this through an annual care plan tailored to the
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operators’ needs. We also provide onsite consulting services for brokers, financial institutions, and operators during the sale or purchase process.” I asked Priest how he came to partner with Delahoussaye in his new venture. “I have known Pat for a number of years through the business aviation industry,” he shares. “Our paths crossed most often in the maintenance sales area. Pat was one of the salesmen who called on me during my time serving as DOM for corporate maintenance operations. I was impressed with his honesty, integrity, and customer service attitude. “I recommended Pat to the NBAA Maintenance Committee, where he served as Nominating Committee chairman until his early retirement from the industry to battle a medical issue,” Priest continues. “I also nominated Pat for the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. After 50-plus years of service, I was so impressed with his passion and heart for the maintenance technician that I felt he was a perfect candidate. This same passion and zeal for business aviation made him a natural fit for the business. When I was developing the business, I sent the plan to him and asked him what he thought. His immediate response was, ‘I think this has my name written all over it.’ Pat loves to work, enjoys meeting people, and has that can-do attitude that is key to our success.” After joining Pioneer Aviation Management, Delahoussaye and Priest worked on formalizing and refining the company’s business plan. They took their plan to two think tanks, one in Birmingham, and the other in Atlanta. “Atlanta said we were 87 percent ready, Birmingham said we were 96 percent ready,” Delahoussaye says. “We both knew then that we were ready. We also connected with professionals in business aviation maintenance management. These men and women provided mentoring and guidance to keep us on the right path. The company is a good blend for us. Marlin comes from a corporate operator background. My jobs have been in the field meeting people and working in marketing and sales. It has worked out great so far, and I couldn’t have picked a better business partner!”
CHARLES TAYLOR AWARD Delahoussaye is the recipient of the FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. “The award is for 50-plus years as a mechanic, with a perfect safety and zero enforcement action record, which I didn’t realize,” he says. “There are two separate plaques and two separate presentations. The first one that they presented me in May 2010 at the FAA FSDO in Nashville was the safety award. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award was given to me at the Chamber of Commerce office during NBAA convention in Atlanta later that year.”
NBAA SILK SCARF AWARD In 2012, Delahoussaye was presented with the NBAA Silk Scarf Award at the NBAA Maintenance Management Con- ference. The NBAA Silk Scarf Award is given to individuals
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