Many shops offer great service. Some offer a wide selection of services. Others can claim competitive pricing. But few bring all three together. Byerly Aviation in Peoria, Illinois, offers this and a lot more, and has been doing it for nearly 80 years.
Byerly began as a small fuel provider and flight school at a grass strip called Mount Hawley Airport. Today the airport is gone, but Byerly endures. It’s even co-owned by Founder R. Millard Byerly’s grandson, Bruce.
Over the years Byerly shed the flight school, but has added virtually all other FBO services including charter, aircraft management, parts sales, avionics upgrades, paint, interior, aircraft sales, and uniquely, ground support equipment sales and service. It truly is a one-stop shop where you can buy an airplane, have it completely upgraded, maintained, and even professionally flown. That range of services is rarely available in one shop, and when it is, typically you’re forced to deal with a major corporation with premium prices.
As a Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Center, Byerly can combine those considerable resources to offer an owner or operator virtually anything they may need to keep their Twin Commander in top shape. It all begins with the maintenance shop. Director of Maintenance Ryan Grenhoff said that for Twin Commanders they can do it all. “Top to tail, every nut, bolt, and screw.” Their technicians are factory trained, and pride themselves on doing the job right the first time. “I strive to keep customers informed through the inspection process,” he said. “I will even call them after to make sure things are working properly.”
That customer focus runs through the entire business. Wayne Cargill heads the avionics shop and said they will email photos to the customer so they know where the project stands. “We believe in honest, straightforward communication.” Byerly’s avionics shop performs everything from transponder swaps and basic troubleshooting to full panel upgrades. They also have full panel design and fabrication capabilities, which means you can select your equipment, work with their staff to create the exact panel you want, and then have it made, installed, and tested all in one place. Having to purchase a panel from a third party usually results in longer lead times, and typically comes at a higher premium.
Having everything a customer might need in one place is a source of pride for Byerly. Part of what makes the maintenance and avionics shops so successful is that they are supported by a robust parts department. In addition to stocking hundreds of general Twin Commander parts, the department stocks everything that’s commonly needed on a 150-hour inspection, which reduces downtime. Byerly has an online parts database, one of the few in the community. That serves as a great first-step resource for an owner or parts manager. It’s also an excellent example of Byerly’s operating philosophy. Normally an online parts database is only available from a large MRO or other corporate outfit. And it may be the only customer resource. At Byerly a customer can search the database first, but also quickly reach someone if more information is needed. Typically that person is going to be Cameron Gleichman, who is in charge of the company’s large stores. Like many of Byerly’s key employees, he worked his way up after starting on line service.
Many of the company’s key people have spent decades serving customers in Peoria. Chuck Atkins, who runs the line service operation, began at Byerly more than 30 years ago. And Mike Smith, who runs the company’s unique ground support equipment business, has been there for about 35 years. He built the company’s fuel trucks from the chassis up, refurbished equipment for others, and maintained the equipment for the airlines based at the airport.
Even Bruce Byerly, the third-generation Byerly to work for the company, started by working in the paint shop before moving to a job flying canceled checks, and then to aircraft sales and management. Although Bruce took a break from the company while it was owned by a different entity, he has been back for a few years and in partnership with Scott Welch, who runs the day-to-day operation. It was Welch who saw an opportunity to restructure the business from the previous owners, and he and Bruce had mutual feelings on the right path forward. They each own 50 percent of the company and have worked hard in recent years to grow the customer base after a rough period with the previous ownership.
Over the years Byerly Aviation sold Bellancas, Stinsons, Aeroncas, Pipers, and Mooneys. They purchased their first Twin Commander in 1954, and became a Rockwell dealer in the 1970s. Byerly even maintained Bob Hoover’s Shrike and hosted him at airshows. It’s part of the mystique of the Twin Commander that has kept Bruce so busy with the company’s sales and management operation. Over the years he said he has flown or traded many of the active aircraft, sharing knowledge of what he learned early on flying charter and canceled checks.
“I primarily sell information,” he said. Buyers, especially those new to Twin Commanders, need information on everything from flying tips to maintenance advice, and Byerly can help with all of it. “Aviation is a small business, and my father instilled in me that things need to be done right the first time,” he said. “If you do a good job and do it right, you can expect to have return business.”
With Byerly that business could be paint, interior, maintenance, parts, avionics, management, or fuel and catering to power a customer away to the next adventure.
