Avionics News December 2019 - 35

After shutting down Avionics
Mobile, Robert Roig offered me a
job, and I've been with SoCal Jets
ever since. We started doing lots
of installs and avionics service
work. Today, we are a busy shop
doing ADS-B, Gogo installs,
FMS installs, numerous types of
avionics upgrades and avionics
service work for many different
type of aircraft.

I love it when we finish an
install and are doing our checks
and everything works the way
it should. I always tell the guys
"quality over quantity." I'd rather
do four airplanes well than eight
airplanes wrong. I love when a
customer comes to SoCal Jets and
tells us what an amazing job the
crew has done.

I get to work at 8 a.m. or
earlier. As soon as I punch in,
we have a meeting to review
the projects in progress and
the work to be accomplished
before the end of the day. I
make sure everyone in the
avionics department is busy and
that all the avionics installs are
progressing well. Then I get busy
with either a 24-month avionics
check, a ramp check or maybe
troubleshooting an aircraft with
avionics or electrical squawk.

SoCal Jets has a family-friendly
environment. It's a small shop.
The avionics department has
three installers and me as
avionics manager. SoCal Jets also
does maintenance and has five
mechanics, inspectors and a parts
department for all maintenance
needs. Robert Roig is the owner
and a friend who treats us well.
He's a good boss and always
looks out for his employees like
his own family. The atmosphere
here is the main reason I stay and
why I love this company. You can
go to the boss with a problem
and he will help you, whether
it's about money or just moral
support. Aviation is a friendly
environment.

I'm divorced, live on my own,
and share custody of the children.
I spend a lot of time with them.
My boy, Joshua, is 14. He is into
Minecraft and gaming and has
taken Minecraft programming
classes. I support him in anything
he wants to do. My daughter,
Jacklyn, is 13, and she's more
like me. She's into adventure
and anything that has to do with
racing. She also likes to draw.
They're becoming teenagers and
are changing and spending time
with their own friends and their
own activities.

I like programming, especially
Android systems since I understand
the language. I also like walking
and do 2 to 3 miles a day. I pick up
the kids and go for a walk. We talk
about their day at school. My kids
don't speak Spanish, but they're
learning, so we'll do little word
games in Spanish. I go hiking in
the Caballero Canyon Trail, which
is one of my favorite places near
me. I hike an hour up and an hour
back. I try to do this twice a month,
typically on Sunday.

What I always wanted to do is
educate people, especially the
young generation in high school.
I came from a poor family, and
my family is proud of what I have
accomplished in life. All of us can
do more for each other, and I
would like to talk to young kids and
tell them about the opportunities
in the aviation industry and that
there are school programs for A&P
and avionics training that don't
cost as much as college. I only
went to high school and one year
of college, but here I am doing
what I love and getting paid for it.
I wouldn't have succeeded unless
I had taken advantage of all the
opportunities that were given to
me by great people like Bill Onash,
James Lauer and Robert Roig. q
To learn more about SoCal Jets, visit
socaljets.aero.
avionics news

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december
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Avionics News December 2019

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