november-december 2021 - 31

Byron Chavez, PE
Aviation engineer Byron Chavez, PE, is a motorcycle enthusiast.
He not only likes to ride motorcycles, he's also taken interest
in working on them and is in the process of fixing up a 1990
Harley-Davidson. " It has really given me a greater passion
for not just riding but understanding how motorcycles work, "
he said.
Age: 37
Years in aviation: 14
Hometown: Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Alma Mater: Oklahoma
State University
Someone I look up to in
the industry: My regional
leader, Joe Jackson.
Fun fact about yourself:
My main transportation
around LA is via motorcycle.
A senior airfield civil engineer with RS&H Inc., he took a similar
approach to general aviation. " When I was working on general
aviation airports throughout Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, I
often worked with airport stakeholders and managers who
were not engineers but pilots, " he said. " I would often get the
question of whether I was a pilot, which I wasn't. I saw a value
in furthering my understanding of aircraft operations and the
pilot's perspective that would help with design. I obtained my
private pilot's license in 2016 when I was in Austin, Texas,
to bridge the gap between what we were engineering and
the pilot community. Getting my license gave me a greater
passion for the industry and really rounded me out in my
career. It's also a lot of fun to teach other airfield engineers
about aircraft operations and pilots' viewpoints, which helps
them understand why we are doing what we are doing and
how we can better our design. "
Today Chavez is the western region airfields leader at RS&H. He
manages many simultaneous projects at airports in southern
California, including major airfield and landside projects at
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
" All of the projects I have worked on give me a great sense
of purpose and reward to what I am delivering to the various
communities, " he said. " I have always enjoyed the end product
of what I am designing. Getting to see something I designed
in construction and ultimately being used is what keeps me
excited about my work. "
His approach when communicating with clients is being
open and honest with realistic expectations. " It can be easy
as consultants to be 'yes' people, and say, 'Yes, we can get
that done,' " he said but it's better to be direct and honest if
something is unrealistic and present a more realistic solution.
The 14-year veteran of aviation consulting and infrastructure
design is a member of the American Association of Airport
Executives (AAAE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In 2020, he was recognized as RS&H's Young Professional of
the Year for Aviation.
www.AviationPros.com/21238479
Your Insight. Our Experts.
Together, We're a Winning Team.
Congratulations, Byron Chavez, PE, on making
Airport Business' 2021 Top 40 under 40. Learn how
Byron and the rest of the Aviation team can address
all of your airport's needs at rsandh.com/aviation.
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http://www.AviationPros.com/21238479 http://www.rsandh.com/aviation http://www.AVIATIONPROS.COM
november-december 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of november-december 2021
