Aircraft Maintenance Technology - 12

Travis Fleshman, 36, Maintenance Manager, Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems, Greenville, SC

s a young boy, Travis Fleshman was fascinated with aviation and
always wanted to work on and fly aircraft. "One of my grandfathers was an aircraft mechanic in the Marines. The other served
in the 82nd airborne; both during the Korean War. Hearing their
stories, coupled with the childhood wonder of flight, set my course,"
Fleshman said. Later, he realized that aviation could be used as a
tool to serve others. "My end goal was to use aviation to support
mission work and that goal motivated me throughout my training."
Fleshman's first full-time aviation job was with a flight school. "I
took over as director of maintenance and had the task of managing
a fleet of aircraft and a very busy flying schedule," he said.
After working at the flight school, Fleshman moved to Stevens
Aerospace. "I started as a technician and enjoyed working with and
learning from an incredibly accomplished and experienced group
of folks. As time went on, the company continued to ask me to fill
different roles. Eventually, that led me to becoming the maintenance
manager. I have the responsibility of overseeing all non-military
maintenance conducted at our Greenville, SC location," he noted.
Fleshman holds FAA certificates in Airframe, Powerplant,
Inspection Authorization, Multi-engine Commercial Pilot and
Certified Flight Instructor. Additionally, he holds AAS, BS and MA
degrees. Fleshman got his airframe certificate at Guilford Technical
Community College in Greensboro, NC, received his powerplant

license at Bob Jones University in Greenville,
SC and did a self-study for his Inspection
Authorization. Additionally, Fleshman has
completed some advanced training. "I've had
the privilege of participating in Garmin dealer
training, Williams International FJ44 Line
Maintenance, Project Management training and customer service courses," he said.
Giving back to the aviation industry is
important for Fleshman. "At Stevens, we try hard to maintain a close
relationship with the local community college. We provide them
with expired consumables, miscellaneous hardware and scrap parts
and materials. ... We also try to hire right out of the A&P school."
Fleshman also has hosted a summer day camp for high school
students and enjoys giving student tours. Additionally, he has taken
vacation time and traveled to help support mission-related aircraft.
When asked about his career goals, Fleshman said, "I would like
to manage an operation at a higher level, while still maintaining
direct contact with maintenance crews and end users. I would
love an opportunity to serve in an international setting, even if it
is on a short-term basis."
Fleshman belongs to the NBAA and attends both the NBAA
main event and maintenance conferences.

Rafael Perez, 36, Sr. Field Airborne Support Teams (FAST) Technician, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

afael Perez found his way into the aviation industry by chance.
After graduating high school, he was unsure of what career path
to take and stumbled upon aviation maintenance when considering joining the military.
Perez attended the Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology
(LWIT). There, he was able to attain the required hours for his
Airframe and Powerplant Licenses. In the evenings, he attended
an FCC course at LWIT as well. "The electronics course guided me
to prepare and test for the FCC General Radio Operators License,
enhancing my electrical background," Perez stated.
After attending LWIT, Perez began working for a Part 135 charter
operator attending multiple corporate aircraft. Since then, he has
had the opportunity to work with numerous part 91 operators and
part 145 repair stations. Currently, he is one of Gulfstream's FAST
team senior technicians based out of West Palm Beach, FL. "In this
role, I am responsible for being ready and available to dispatch to a
customer's aircraft in an AOG situation," Perez said. The regions he
supports are Florida, the Caribbean, Central and South America,
but as needed, he will support other areas depending on customer
requirements. Perez said he enjoys traveling for his job as well as
being able to "... work the entire aircraft from avionics to sheetmetal and everything in between."
In addition to his education at LWIT, Perez has had the opportunity to complete advanced training. "Working for Gulfstream, I

OCTOBER 2020

have been privileged to attend Flight Safety
Training course on the aircraft we service and
build. I have attended the G650 Maintenance
Initial, GV Maintenance Initial, G550 to GV
Maintenance differences course, as well as
obtaining the G550/GV/G450 Engine run and
Taxi enrichment courses," Perez said.
Perez noted he has had two mentors to
whom he credits his success. At his first
aviation job working for Continental Aviation LLC, Al Schantzen
taught Perez the skills of the trade and the finesse needed when
working with such complex machines. "I will never forget the time
and effort he invested in me," Perez said. He would meet his second
mentor, Ken Hobbs, at ST Aviation, LLC. "I am so grateful to Ken;
he really went out of his way to teach me everything he knew about
corporate aviation."
Perez is elated he has already achieved his biggest career goal.
"Throughout my career, my closest friends and family would tell
you all I wanted to do was to work on Gulfstream's FAST Team. I
have dedicated myself in many ways to achieve this goal and it's
[a] privilege to say that I have acquired this goal... Looking to the
future, I have always been intrigued with aircraft management
and would like to continue sharpening my skills for those opportunities," Perez said.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

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