Avionics News August 2018 - 58

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Mark Evans of Evans Avionics

Did you grow up in an
aviation family?

My dad worked for the FAA, and
I got hooked on model airplanes at
an early age. By the time I was 9
or 10, I was building and flying gaspowered airplanes. Then I got into
remote-controlled airplanes and taught
myself. When I decided to be an aviation mechanic, a CFI suggested that I
study avionics. That idea intrigued me,
and Ferris College (now Ferris State
University) had an avionics program
at the time. I went over and met the
instructor. I smelled ozone and that was
it. I was like a moth to a flame.

What was your first job
after you graduated?

Mark Evans of Ev

ans Avionics

ased at Cherry Capital
Airport in Traverse City,
Michigan, Evans Avionics
specializes in the repair of old and installation of new avionics, radios, instruments, and installation of equipment
such as current Garmin, L3, STEC, Trig,
Aspen EFIS, TAS and TIS systems, audio
panels, transponders, ADS-B solutions,
as well as autopilot repair and installation and full in-house IFR certifications.
Recently, Avionics News spoke with
Mark Evans, owner and technician, to
learn more about Evans Avionics as well
as his life outside the airport.
58

avionics news

august

2018

With...

It was at a small shop in Pontiac,
Michigan, called Airtronics where they
would pull out Narco Mark 12s and I
would spend the day fixing them. I have
a lot of tube radio experience, and I look
back fondly on that now. That was a
time when King Radio was making huge
technological advances. Ed King was a
hero to me.

What happened next?

I worked for Aero Services in Saginaw
for a few years, and then moved to
Traverse City and started an avionics
shop that I ran for 18 years. In 2001, I
started my own shop on the field, Evans
Avionics.

What kind of airplanes do
you work on?

Everything from Cubs and some
experimental aircraft, which I really
enjoy working on, right up through King

Airs and turboprops. We're a destination airport for tourists, the Interlochen
Arts Academy, and for corporate jets.
Typically, high-performance singles and
light twins are in our wheelhouse -
Barons, Navajos. We also do some helicopter work.

Tell me about Evans
Avionics today.
We're a small facility. We
have one assistant and my wife
does the bookwork, so we're
one of those small mom and
pop shops. We've been busy on
the ADS-B mandate for two-plus
years. Some of our customers
equipped early, but we currently
still have a backlog of work. The
phone continues to ring every
day. We are also installing new
equipment, and that's exciting.
We may be working on the
same Pipers, Mooneys and
Cessnas, but we look to Garmin
and other manufacturers for
advances. We're not just an
ADS-B installer. Our customers
have good legacy equipment
and now they're updating, and
a lot of those are one-week and
two-week jobs.

What's Traverse City
Airport like?

Traverse City Airport is a good size
with commercial airline service. It's
truly a tourist destination because of its
natural beauty. In Traverse City, there's

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News August 2018