Avionics News January 2022 - 30

GLENCOE AVIATION
Continued from page 29
AVIATION ACES
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Young and eager to learn
Growing up on a farm with an airport on the
property, Yerby was exposed to aviation at a young
age. Even at 4 years old, he would sit on the front
porch watching airplanes take off and land. As he got
older, he was eager to learn to fly.
" I learned to fly in my teens, " Yerby said. " My
neighbor, a Vietnam-era pilot, was furloughed from
Eastern Airlines in 1985. He flew a mail run for
Airborne Express four nights a week. He would pass
by my house at 6 o'clock in the afternoon to go to
work.
" After school and chores, I would jump in with him
and we would pick up mail in Monroe and deliver it to
Memphis at about 10 o'clock at night. We'd get up at
4 o'clock in the morning, get our box and run the mail.
He would drop me off about 6:30 in the morning, and
I'd go to school. I didn't sleep much. When you're 15
or 16 years old, you can do that. "
Today, Yerby splits his time between his aircraft
repair station and the farm equipment shop. He's
always looking for ways to improve productivity and
expand service options.
" Since both companies are relatively young, I
find myself wrapped up in the business aspects of
it, " said Yerby, who earned a bachelor's degree
in aviation management from Louisiana Tech
University. " I trust my team to handle the sales. We
have weekly meetings to discuss what the goals are
for the week and what we're going to attack next.
My director of maintenance and I bounce ideas off
one another.
" Glencoe Aviation is a young company. We're
trying different things to find what works for us,
and we're growing on top of that. When managing
growth with such a small staff, you have to try
different things. "
Even though Glencoe Aviation opened last
year, Yerby is already seeing positive signs. New
customers are finding the repair station through
recommendations from other operators, especially
on the commercial side.
" We're growing fast, " Yerby said. " I hope it's
because of the quality of work we're turning out. All
of our technicians are very passionate and dedicated
to satisfaction. We're learning as we add new
capabilities. We want to turn out a quality product
and develop a good name and good reputation. We
want to be highly thought of. That's our goal. " q
30 avionics news * january 2022
expensive to own and operate an aircraft. You can spend a little
more money upfront to save money in the long run or you can
defer some things, but eventually, they'll catch up to you. "
Patient, persistent at the helm
Barrows likes possessing the technical knowledge that
comes with being a pilot and aircraft owner, but he also
enjoys the business side.
" I love the strategy of business, " he said. " You have to
because, unfortunately, you come into each day with a lot of
problems, and you hope to walk away at the end of the day
with most of them solved. You have to be extremely strategic
and persistent, otherwise it won't happen.
" You have to rely on the relationships you've built over
the years. The industry is so small, it's important never to
burn a bridge. I have a lot of wonderful friends I've met
over my career. You have to have friends in this industry to
help you and to help in return, otherwise it can't be done.
I was just talking with one of my employees about being
persistent. When you don't get the answer you want, pick up
the phone and call another friend in the industry until you
get the solution you need. "
In addition to being a patient, persistent manager, Barrows
believes in listening to everyone's opinion, even if it differs
from the group. He wants to hear what the issues are, and
everybody gets a vote.
" That type of confidence and leadership doesn't happen
right away, " Barrows said. " I wasn't like that in my 20s.
Also, you have to have life experiences to be a well-rounded
manager. Unless you have children, you can't truly understand
when an employee comes in and says, 'my 2-year-old is sick
at home and my spouse can't be there or the grandparents
can't be there. I have to go.' You can't empathize with a death
in their family until you've dealt with that yourself. Those
things just come with time as we age. "
Even with 20 years of experience behind him, for Barrows,
continuing to learn about the business, the industry, customers
and employees happens every day, and especially when he's
in the hangar.
" I'm not wasting my time when I move an aircraft out to
the ramp, " Barrows said. " You can't manage people by being
locked in an office looking at spreadsheets all day.
" Of course, the other truth is that it's my therapy. I love the
smell of Jet A. I love the smell of 100LL. I love the sound of an
airplane taking off. It helps me understand that we're working
for something greater here than just what's on the computer. " q
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Avionics News January 2022

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