Pro Mark Tyler RP: What is your current position?
I am currently the vice president and general manager for Precision Aircraft Services
located in Peachtree City,
Georgia. PAS is an Airbus premium service center, MD Helicopters service center, and Robinson service center. We maintain a wide array of avionics dealerships such as Garmin, Avidyne and Genesys, etc. We provide inspection and MRO services for all types of helicopter operations. All our mechanics come from the field and understand customer urgency so our customers get my cell number and can call anytime in need.
RP: Tell me about your first experience with helicopters.
When I separated from the U.S. Air Force, I attended Alabama Aviation and Technical College. My instructor, Chief Whittaker, informed me the maintenance contractor at Fort Rucker was hiring mechanics and I should apply. I told him I didn’t know anything about helicopters, and I felt sure that I couldn’t pass an interview. He asked a fellow student that had served in the Army to walk me around the school’s Huey and teach me everything I would need to know to pass an interview. As it turned out, I only missed one question and was hired by Sikorsky Support Services. My first day on the job, I knew I would work helicopters for my entire career. My love affair with rotorcraft began and remains strong today.
12 July/Aug 2023
RP: If you were not in the helicopter industry, what else would you see yourself doing?
That’s a very interesting question. I love people and connecting with people. I would probably find myself helping young people navigate a course they have chosen for their careers and help them become responsible adults. Also, I love archery and I think it would be awesome to own an archery shop and hang out with like-minded people.
RP: What do you enjoy doing on your days off?
That’s a fun question. I am an avid reader. I love to read my Bible first, drink coffee and then read any book that helps me understand people and how we function. Fall is my favorite time of year. The weather is cooler, bow-hunting season is open and the Alabama Crimson Tide is on TV. Any day in the woods or on the lake is a great day, and spending time with my wife is icing on the cake.
RP: Have you ever had an “Oh, crap” moment in helicopters? Can you summarize what happened?
I began work at Carraway Methodist Medical Center (CMMC) in Birmingham, Alabama, back in 1990. My work experience at the time was five years as a crew chief in the Air Force and four years serving army pilot training at Fort Rucker.
My second day on the job at Carraway, the helicopter crew scrambled for a 32-year- old with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. CMMC was a level 1 trauma center, which meant the patient was coming back to our pad and would be transported by van to the emergency room across the street. When the helicopter landed and the patient was wheeled on the gurney in front of me, I saw a small blood-stained bandage
wrapped around her head.
During my 50-mile ride home, I was emotionally wasted. It was my “Oh, crap” moment when I realized that everything I did contributed to the welfare of the crew, which contributed to the welfare of the patient. “Oh Crap,” this is a real person, and everything matters! That was the moment I discovered my “why” for helicopter EMS: “To provide a safe and legal aircraft that will transport lifesaving personnel that will aid in the relief of suffering of my fellow man.” Simple, yet powerful, energetic and empowering words. It gave me a reason to answer the call. My career was servant leadership in action. I gleaned all this from an “Oh, crap” realization.
RP: What is your fondest memory of the industry?
Every day I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. I have been very fortunate and blessed to have met so many people and to have become friends with the best the world has to offer. When this door closes, I know that my relationships will continue
Meet a otor
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
