Avionics News May 2018 - 45

choices and how to keep their
aircraft flying and keep their
avionics working. Depending
on their budget, we refurbish
what they have or replace it with
something new.

What kind of airplanes
are you working on?

We work on general aviation
airplanes, experimental airplanes
and small jets. A King Air is about
the biggest airplane we'll work
on. We're a typical avionics shop -
Cessnas, Pipers and Beechcraft.

Do you have a favorite
airplane to work on?

I'd say Beechcraft products -
Bonanzas and Barons. They're wellbuilt and the airplane is laid out
well. If you've worked on one of
them, you can work on all of them.
They are high-quality airplanes and
high-quality customers who are
not trying to fly on a shoestring
budget.

Tell me more about
Cannon Avionics.

We have the owner, his wife,
and three employees, so we're a
small shop and have a good crew.
We're at a big airport with about
600 aircraft hangared here. It's an
old Navy base with a 5,300-foot
runway.
There's so much innovation
with new products, so we're busy
installing new equipment, mostly
by Garmin. We need to keep up

with all the new products and stay
trained and current. We're not
just working on ADS-B, and we're
backlogged about 60 days to start a
new project.

What do you attribute
the backlog?

The No. 1 reason is our
reputation. People have heard of
us; friends of friends refer to us.
The No. 2 reason is some area
shops have folded, so we lost
three or four viable shops to the
economy. There is less competition,
and that makes us busier. The third
reason is the ADS-B mandate. So it's
reputation, attrition and mandate.

What do you do when
you're not working?

I'm a NASCAR pit crewman at
Evergreen Speedway in Monroe.
So spring, summer and fall, I'm
changing tires and working on
race cars. I help on two to five
cars. I am also a personal sponsor.
My son works at Cannon, and his
previous job was in aviation. He
worked for someone who owned
a car, and he told me to come and
watch. Actually, a race reminds me
of the activity on the flight deck of
an aircraft carrier, all that hustle
and bustle. The NASCAR people
are phenomenal. Outside of a few
rivalries, it's a big giant family.

Your son works with
you, and who else?

My son, Chris, is 32 years old,

and he's been here almost four
years. Ben is the other new hire.
He aspires to be an A&P and
an avionics technician. He's not
chasing money, but he is associated
with missionary flying and wants to
use his aviation skills in missionary
work.

Do you have other
children?

My daughter, Tristan, is raising
a family. She has four kids, my
grandkids, ranging in age from 16
- she's driving now which is scary -
down to a 1-year-old.

What's the difference
between being a father
and a grandfather?
Candy, cupcakes and ice cream,
and now go back to your mom. I
raised my kids with responsibility,
but I spoil the grandkids. I was
lucky to have good grandparents,
and I want to pass that down to
these kids.

What do you see
in your future?

I'm 57 and have 10 years left
before retirement when I look
forward to traveling and hiking. For
work, I see much of the same - to
take care of clients as much as I
can, keep up with innovations and
regulations, and maintain the good
reputation of the shop. q
To learn more about Cannon Avionics,
visit cannonavionics.com.
avionics news

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may

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http://www.cannonavionics.com
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