Nose to Tail by Jet Midwest

Hosted by Jet Midwest

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Introducing “Nose to Tail” a podcast where we explore the world of aviation lifecycle solutions, industry-related insights, and more. Join host Patrick Kraus, COO and Managing Director at Jet Midwest, along with industry experts for podcast conversations that encompass topics in the commercial aviation marketplace — from nose to tail. Each episode features interviews with some of our colleagues, co-workers, and friends who are deeply involved in the aviation industry. We’ll discuss the latest trends and innovations, explore the ins and outs of aircraft trading, offer insight for operators looking to extract the highest value from their fleets, and share personal stories from around the globe. Whether you’re a seasoned aviation enthusiast or just getting started in the industry, “Nose to Tail” is the perfect podcast to learn and connect.

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60 recent

October 9, 202640 min

EP 98: Building MRO Capacity Starts With Developing People with Andrew Walmsley

Hiring more people does not automatically create more MRO capacity. New employees need time to learn the work, gain experience, understand the operation, and become people the team can rely on. That development also requires time from the experienced people training and supporting them. Andrew Walmsley, Owner and President of Volo Aero MRO, joins Patrick Kraus to discuss what it takes to turn workforce growth into lasting operational capability. They explore training, adaptability, company culture, trust, career development, employee retention, and the unusual demands of an MRO environment where today's plan can change with tomorrow's incoming work. The conversation also raises an important question for customers evaluating an MRO partner: What factors should you be looking for when evaluating MRO capacity? Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

September 25, 202632 min

EP 97: The Information Problem Behind Aircraft Teardowns with Mahesh Bhide

Aircraft teardowns create parts. They also create enormous amounts of information that the aftermarket has to manage. Mahesh Bhide of Teardowns.aero joins Patrick Kraus to discuss how greater visibility, clearer demand signals, and smarter automation could change the way teardown material moves through the industry. They explore the manual work still surrounding harvest lists, buyer requirements, documentation, and traceability; why AI is most useful when it catches problems earlier; and how the aftermarket can increase efficiency without compromising the regulatory controls aviation requires. As teardown volume grows, the challenge will be bigger than processing more aircraft. The industry will also have to process more information, and turn it into better decisions. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

September 11, 202652 min

EP 96: From Exposure to Opportunity with Samuel White

Aviation has thousands of career paths. For many young people, the first challenge is simply knowing those opportunities exist. Colonel Samuel White joins Patrick Kraus to talk about his more than 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, his transition to commercial aviation, and his work as president of Red Tail Academy. Their conversation explores how early exposure can lead to real opportunity, why aviation skills can be taught when students bring attitude and effort, how difficult achievements build confidence and resilience, and why mentorship matters beyond instruction. They also discuss the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the importance of maintaining high standards while expanding access, and why aviation companies and professionals need to participate in building the industry’s next generation. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

August 28, 202624 min

EP 95: Continuous Improvement Starts on the Floor with Fernando Bertrand

Continuous improvement works best when the people closest to the work have a meaningful role in improving it. Fernando Bertrand, CEO of Bonus Tech, joins Patrick Kraus to discuss Lean methodology, Theory of Constraints, frontline expertise, operational visibility, and how better information creates better decisions. They explore why speed and efficiency are not always the same thing, how mechanics and engineers bring different knowledge to a problem, and why continuous improvement works best when it becomes part of the way an organization operates—not a one-time initiative. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

August 14, 202624 min

EP 94: What Makes Growth Sustainable with Rob Lastra

Growth adds capacity. It also adds complexity. As an MRO grows, the foundation underneath it has to become more disciplined. More people, customers, capabilities, and handoffs create more places for quality, information, and accountability to slip through the cracks. Sustainable growth comes from tightening the systems beneath the work. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus sits down with Rob Lastra of LF Avionics to explore what that looks like inside a growing Part 145 repair operation. We discuss why technical experience should lead to better questions, how process protects against assumptions, and why the lessons learned by founders and veteran technicians eventually have to become part of the system itself. This conversation covers: Why growth creates more opportunities for quality and information to slip between the cracks Why experience should improve the questions and create a better process How a seemingly simple repair revealed the importance of deeper verification Why sustainable speed comes from removing friction rather than discipline How communication supports operational control and customer trust Why technical knowledge has to become transferable as an organization expands How experienced technicians can help develop the next generation Why willingness to learn matters at every stage of an aviation career How culture helps people protect the standard when something does not look right About the Guest Rob Lastra is co-founder and Accountable Manager of LF Avionics, a family-owned aviation repair business based in Miami. Rob entered aviation through purchasing and customer-facing roles, while his father brought a technical maintenance background to the business. Together, they launched LF Avionics from a small facility and have continued expanding the company, its workforce, and its capabilities. About LF Avionics LF Avionics is a Part 145 repair station supporting avionics, accessories, electromechanical components, and an expanding range of aviation repair capabilities. The company has grown from an approximately 950-square-foot startup to an operation with more than 30 employees and approximately 20,000 square feet of combined space, while continuing to invest in new equipment and capabilities. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

July 31, 202622 min

EP 93: Growth Requires Standards in Aviation with Christpher Vera

Growth is exciting, but in aviation, growth without standards can create problems faster than it creates opportunity. You can add customers, capabilities, people, and volume. But lasting growth requires the right foundation. Quality, communication, tooling, training, inspection, processes, and attention to detail must grow alongside the business. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus sits down with Christopher Vera of Elevated Resources Aviation (ERA) to explore what it takes to build an aviation repair operation from the ground up. They discuss why ERA began with hydraulic, pneumatic, and airframe capabilities, how customer needs influence capability development, and why a young MRO must be honest about what it can deliver. The conversation also looks at the standards behind the work. Christopher explains why quality can be measured in everything from the completed repair to the condition of the shipping box, and why earning trust with the small details creates opportunities for larger projects. We also explore how military experience, technical knowledge, mentorship, supply chain challenges, facility planning, and emerging technology are shaping the company ERA is working to become. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

July 17, 202633 min

EP 92: The Safety Equipment We Hope We Never Use with Matt Salamone

There are parts of aviation safety we hope we never have to think about. Emergency slides. Oxygen systems. Fire bottles. Life rafts. Helicopter floats. But when something goes wrong, the equipment behind those systems has to be ready. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus is joined by Matt Salamone of HRD Aero Systems to talk about the safety equipment most passengers never see, why readiness is a continuously moving target, and what it takes to protect quality in a safety-critical repair environment. We discuss how HRD approaches emergency equipment maintenance, how CMM discipline, technician judgment, and team culture work together, and why teams need the freedom to take a pause, ask questions, and get the answer right. This conversation is about aircraft safety equipment, but the lessons apply more broadly across aviation, MRO, and any operation where reliability depends on the work people do long before the moment of need. In this episode, we cover: How safety-critical equipment creates confidence precisely because passengers rarely have to think about it Why readiness depends on inspection cycles, storage conditions, documentation, forecasting, and quality control How shortcuts can trade long-term reliability for short-term convenience Why CMM discipline still depends on judgment, humility, and a culture where people can ask questions How small maintenance decisions can prevent larger reliability problems later How supply-chain forecasting, lead-time variability, safety stock, and cash-flow pressure affect readiness How AI tools can help technicians access approved maintenance information faster Why technology in a compliance-heavy environment needs discernment, guardrails, and secure data practices How PMA and manufacturing capability can help turn supply-chain constraints into approved options What aviation leaders can learn from HRD’s approach to clarity, cohesion, vulnerability, and family-business values Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

June 26, 202637 min

EP 91: The Value of Customer Trust & Focused Capability in Component Repair with Mike Jones

Focused component repair shops can bring a different kind of advantage to the MRO market: agility, responsiveness, and a closer connection to the customer’s real-world pressure. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus sits down with Mike Jones of AeroStar for a practical conversation about component repair, customer communication, quality, and test capability. We look at the values that really matter in choosing the right repair partner: clear communication, honest expectations, responsiveness under changing conditions, and the ability to protect your customer’s reputation when the work leaves your hands. When the market is tight, that kind of partnership matters. Delayed piece parts, changing OEM requirements, turn-time pressure, labor constraints, and urgent customer needs all create friction. Strong repair partners help reduce that uncertainty by staying visible, honest, and engaged throughout the repair cycle. We also explore how focused shops can build capability around changing market needs, why the aftermarket is often at its best when it can move with agility, and why technology can improve systems without replacing the judgment, personality, and trust that build lasting customer relationships. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

June 12, 202629 min

EP 90: Building Test Capability That Lasts with Todd Meredith

A system can work today and still become a liability tomorrow. In aerospace testing, capability is not just about whether a test stand can run. It is about whether that system can stay reliable, supportable, and useful through upgrades, turnover, changing aircraft platforms, and long aircraft lifecycles. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus sits down with Todd Meredith, Senior Vice President at Testek Solutions, for a behind-the-scenes look at the test benches and test stands that support aerospace repair, production, and return-to-service decisions. Todd breaks down what test equipment actually does in real-world workflows, why “no fault found” is still an important result, how older aircraft create long-term support challenges, and why commercial off-the-shelf components can be critical when a system needs to last for decades. The conversation also explores the make-or-buy decision behind test capability: what happens when a custom system depends too heavily on one person, why documentation and support networks matter, and how teams can design test systems that survive upgrades instead of requiring full replacement. In this conversation, we cover: + What test benches and test stands actually do in aerospace repair and production + How testing supports return-to-service decisions, repeatable quality, and throughput + Why older aircraft and legacy technology create long-term sustainment challenges + Why commercial off-the-shelf components matter in long-life systems + The risk of custom-built systems without documentation, training, or support paths + How test benches can be maintained and upgraded instead of replaced + What more-electric aircraft, including the 787, may mean for future test capability Subscribe to Nose to Tail for more conversations with aviation leaders, operators, MRO partners, and aftermarket experts. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.

May 29, 202641 min

EP 89: Work as Imagined vs Work as Done: Closing the Documentation Gap in Aviation with Brent Webb

Aviation runs on strict standards. But it operates in the exceptions. Older fleets, incomplete records, and AOG pressure don’t always fit neatly as a set formula. This conversation explores the gap between ideal process and operational constraints, and what practical teams do to close that gap without compromising standards. Brent Webb breaks down why parts acceptance is getting harder, how documentation demands collide with older-platform limitations, and why provenance systems and stronger traceability are becoming a reliable path forward for trust in used material. In this episode, we cover: Why legacy fleets create a documentation gap under modern acceptance criteria What AOG reveals about ideal processes vs execution How teams stay compliant while still being adaptable and practical Why traceability/provenance systems reduce uncertainty over time Please like, subscribe, and follow along for more. Get ready for new episodes of our podcast every other Friday. Learn more about our sponsor, Jet Midwest, at jetmidwest.com. Jet Midwest is a global, multifaceted aircraft service provider. Since 1997, it has specialized in providing exceptional value to the commercial aviation industry through complete nose-to-tail product support solutions for passenger and cargo aircraft.