July-August 2022 - 36

Alyssa Marie Sullivan
Operations Manager, Balloonacy Ltd. and Parts Authority
Age: 28
Hometown: Fayetteville,
Georgia
Someone I look up to in the
industry: Angelia Tuggle
Favorite hobby: I've had
horses for 16 years and also
recently got into the world
of radio controlled aircraft,
specifically radio control
balloons.
Favorite thing about
aviation: The community
Alyssa Sullivan began her career in aviation helping
her father in the family business of hot air balloon
maintenance and repair
" And I was about 5 when I started going out on the
road with him to some different balloon events
around the country, " Sullivan said.
Sullivan and her responsibilities grew alongside
Balloonacy - the family ballooning business - to
include not only inspection responsibilities but
serving as a crew chief/coordinator for student
pilots during the time the business held a Part
141 certificate for LTA training.
In 2013, Balloonacy acquired a Parts Manufacturing
Authorization for the supply and manufacture
of parts and articles for Aerostar balloons, and
Sullivan took over the majority of the parts supply
operation. " Right about the time I was finishing up
high school, we got the Aerostar balloons' parts
manufacturing authority. So I kind of just slid into
that side of the house as I was graduating high
school, " she recounts.
A year later, Sullivan got her repairman certification
for the remaining major balloon repair/
inspection station in the Southeast, the youngest
female repairperson in the industry at the time of
issuance, and one of just a handful of women in
the overall balloon repair industry.
Her favorite parts of the job are interacting with
her customers and the challenge of keeping the
aircraft she works on flying for as long as possible.
" It's starting to get harder and harder to do, but
it's still fun. If someone calls me, 'Hey, I damaged
a balloon,' it's nice to be able to get that aircraft
back flyable again. And to look at it after it comes in
with so much damage and then to send it back out,
knowing you did the work on it, you did everything
you could to the best of your ability, and then to
see it fly again, and it looks pretty darn good. It's
always a nice thing, " she continued.
One thing Sullivan said she wishes the general
public knew more about the ballooning side of
aviation is just all the work that goes into it.
" A lot of people don't realize the kind of work that
goes into just aircraft in general. And why you can't
just go to your local as hardware to get this nut and
bolt that you've lost, " she said. " Especially on the
balloon side of things, we have several specialized
tools. I don't think people realize how often
they have to be recalibrated nor how expensive
that can get. "
www.AviationPros.com/21274327
Mark Delta Wygant Jr.
Sr. Director of Sales & Client Solutions, STS Aviation Group
Age: 34
Hometown: Oscoda,
Michigan
Alma mater: Northwood
University
Someone I look up to in the
industry: Harrison Ford
Favorite hobby: I love
a good debate and
challenging the status quo.
Favorite thing about
aviation: The passion
that the people within
the industry have for the
industry.
36 JULY/AUGUST 2022
Mark Wygant started in aviation 10 years ago. Today,
he's part of STS Aviation Group's staffing arm.
" In general, the aviation industry's had a labor
shortage for at least the last five years or so. And
each year it's been getting a little more challenging.
So what I enjoy the most is helping our clients
overcome, one of the biggest headwinds they face
today, which is talent acquisition, and the headwinds
they face in the labor market right now.
So solving their labor shortage, their retention
concerns, their compensation challenges, and
winning the war on talent is the most enjoyable
piece for me, " he said.
Wygant's foray into the aviation industry began
with a move to Florida.
" I took a chance on becoming a recruiter in STS
aviation group. And then after a couple years
of cutting my teeth in what we call the, quote
unquote, recruiting pit, and learning a tremendous
amount of information about the aviation
industry right from the horse's mouth from about
every skillset in the industry, I moved into the sales
side of the organization to manage major program
accounts, and consult with the different aviation
businesses around the nation on how to leverage
outside workforce solutions, " he said.
Over the past four years, Wygant and his team
have placed thousands of AMTs into contract and
direct hire roles.
Wygant said his pitch to those on the fence about
joining aviation is the opportunities are endless.
" I'd double down on the fact that if you're a competent
person that wants to work hard, there is a
tremendous amount of opportunities within the
industry for all different skillsets. So I think sometimes
we think of aviation, you have to be an engineer
or a mechanic or a pilot, but there's everything
in between, right? So that you have all your
business positions. So you have project management,
you have sales, you have accounting, operation
managers, VP and CEO level-type positions
as well. But at the end of the day, the opportunity
in the industry is pretty great. Especially if you're
willing to put your head down and, and work hard,
there's a ton of passion in the industry, " he said.
www.AviationPros.com/21274351
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
http://www.AviationPros.com/21274327 http://www.AviationPros.com/21274351
July-August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July-August 2022
