July/August 2023 - 14

40 UNDER 40
Eric Van Oeveren
Mechanic, Burgess Aircraft
Management
Age: 28
Hometown: Jenison, Michigan
Years in the industry: 6
Favorite thing about aviation: It's always something
different.
Learning is what Eric Van Oeveren enjoys most about his career.
" Some days you're learning to work on different systems. We're
a Part 135 charter operator, so every once in a while, we get a new
airplane type. And the first time you go to work on anything on
that, there's always a learning curve behind it, " he said.
Van Oeveren sits on the company safety committee as a fulltime
member.
" I could not have found anyone better to do this task. Eric
has spent literally hundreds of hours researching industry best
practice standards, IS-BAO requirements, FAA requirements, etc.
and measuring our operations against those standards. When
he discovers areas of improvement, he immediately addresses
these, documents them, and records those findings in our safety
program, " said Kenneth Evers, director of safety, Burgess Aircraft
Management.
www.AviationPros.com/53062689
Ciaran Argue
Aircraft Maintenance Technician,
Southwest Airlines
Age: 32
Hometown: Wexford, Ireland
Years in the industry: 14
Favorite thing about aviation: I love the fast-paced
environment and being able to travel the world.
Ciarán Argue, who has EASA and FAA aircraft maintenance
licenses, has experience and knowledge across the world.
His training began in Shannon, Ireland, where he had an
apprenticeship with Lufthansa Technik for nearly 3 years. After
the apprenticeship, he continued with Lufthansa Technik doing
base maintenance until 2015. He then moved to Saudi Arabia to
work for BAE Systems and was there about 4.5 years supervising
the team that did maintenance checks on the Royal Saudi Air
Force training aircraft (Pilatus PC-9 and PC-21). Next, he moved
with his wife to her hometown: Los Angeles. For over a year, he
worked at the Qantas line maintenance facility. When COVID
hit, he focused on A380 storage and preservation.
Today, at Southwest Airlines, Argue is a RON (remain overnight)
aircraft mechanic.
www.AviationPros.com/53065806
Gregory P. Ruby Jr.
Senior Inspector, Kalitta Air
Age: 35
Hometown: Oscoda, Michigan
Years in the industry: 18
Favorite thing about aviation: The fact that every day you
continue to learn.
Gregory Ruby is a senior inspector with Kalitta Air, which has
long been a part of his life. His father also works for the company.
Ruby joined Kalitta Air on his 18th birthday when he needed a
summer job, and he's been with them ever since, 18 years strong.
As senior inspector, Ruby verifies that all the tasks a mechanic
has done were done correctly for all the manuals and reviews
paperwork.
" I also go out abroad for aircraft purchases, making sure the
aircraft is good before we buy it and stuff like that, kind of just
anything quality control- wise, inspection, " he said. " You're never
going to know everything. Every day there's something that you
haven't dealt with before, so you're always having to study and
learn more about the aircraft you're working on. "
Ruby said that the feeling of accomplishment, knowing that
you're like the last line of defense before an aircraft is able to leave,
is his greatest satisfaction.
www.AviationPros.com/53064322
14 JULY/AUGUST 2023
Aaron Simmons
Lead Aircraft Technician/Shop
Manager, Gibson Aviation Services LLC
Age: 32
Hometown: Scandia, Minnesota
Years in the industry: 11
Favorite thing about aviation: The small tight-knit
community, especially in general aviation.
Aaron Simmons is the face of the shop at Gibson Aviation Services
LLC. As the lead aircraft technician and shop manager, there are
few aircraft (or pilots) that Simmons doesn't know - from the Piper
Super Cub and Aviat Husky, to Cessna 340s and 421s. Although
he may be " the face, " he says, " It's not a one-person gig " and he
gives credit to the five technicians he works with.
When Gibson Aviation became a Part 145 limited repair station,
Simmons was instrumental. He wrote the repair station
and quality control manuals approved by the FAA, which allow
Gibson Aviation to do 24-month instrument flight rules (IFR) and
visual flight rules (VFR) pitot static/transponder checks. They,
in turn, allow Gibson Aviation to become a Garmin authorized
dealer and install Garmin avionics equipment.
Working with techs and customers, Simmons' approach is " just
try to be fair " and treat everyone with respect.
www.AviationPros.com/53065802
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
http://www.AviationPros.com/53065806 http://www.AviationPros.com/53062689 http://www.AviationPros.com/53064322 http://www.AviationPros.com/53065802
July/August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July/August 2023
