After many decades in aerospace manufacturing including 13 years with Twin Commander Aircraft, culminating in leading the storied brand over the last three years, Brian Harbaugh is retiring.
Harbaugh came to Twin Commander Aircraft when the FirstMark group of companies purchased the type certificate in 2008. When current owner Ontic purchased FirstMark in 2018, Harbaugh was selected to run Twin Commander and sister company Aircraft Belts. In that time he has worked tirelessly to ensure the airplane’s many parts suppliers continue to support the airplane with the best possible availability at the most reasonable prices.
A native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Harbaugh was helping to run his family gas stations by the time he turned 13. “It’s where I learned how to deal with people and handle complex issues,” he said. Success with jobs working for international defense contractors led to enough time and money to satisfy his passion for aviation. He trained for and earned his private pilot certificate in Florida, and made trips all throughout the southeast and Caribbean.
Harbaugh came to FirstMark through Bill Coogan, the longtime CEO of the company. Immediately he became involved in the company’s growth through acquisitions. Aircraft Belts, Space Age Controls, and Twin Commander were added to the FirstMark portfolio in a few short years. In addition to bringing the companies into the fold, Harbaugh worked to consolidate operations, first in Durham, North Carolina, and later to Creedmoor, North Carolina, where they are today. “I loved the challenge of moving the company,” he said.
When Twin Commander moved from Washington state to North Carolina, staff, drawings, and most importantly, parts inventory moved with it. Harbaugh said former Twin Commander President Matt Isley handled the FAA requirements, while he handled the logistics. And the entire process happened without missing a single parts delivery.
With a relatively small staff, everyone becomes a key player in almost every aspect of the operation, and Harbaugh was no different. Although he touched everything from customer needs to engineering, for many years his primary responsibility for Twin Commander was ensuring the fleet was well supported with parts, and that Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Centers had the resources they needed to be responsive to their customers.
Running a legacy aircraft manufacturer is a constant battle against economics. With relatively low volume, parts pricing and availability are never-ending concerns. “People want to stop making stuff for you every day,” he said. Pricing obviously reflects the reality of the market, but no one is more aware of the need to keep prices reasonable to ensure the long-term health of the community.
In addition to running the parts side of the business, Harbaugh played key roles in his interactions with engineering and the service centers, helped develop Custom Kits, and touched everything from direct owner support to marketing.
But when he took the helm in late 2018 the responsibility for the type certificate rested on his shoulders. Harbaugh said he doesn’t feel like the burden he had in the past of carrying an aircraft type was significantly different from working for the many component manufacturers. “I’m an operations guy at heart,” he said.
As a manager he was known to push his staff hard, but also be available and approachable. “I like to lead through mutual respect,” he said. “If you don’t know your staff really well, you’re severely lacking in your job.”
The same goes for customers. Although the business has always been about hardware, Harbaugh said the people are the reason he has loved it so much. “My favorite thing about Twin Commander was developing friends. I have made some awesome relationships with some great characters.”
As he steps away from his daily duties, Harbaugh will stay busy upgrading his house, working on his three boats, and fishing and cooking. “The happiest person in this whole deal is my wife.”
Thankfully it also appears he will keep a toe in the water at Twin Commander. Ontic has retained Harbaugh as a consultant for those issues that need his connections and expertise. And he is confident in the company’s strong commitment to the airplane, owners, and service centers moving forward. Pam Brown will remain the go-to for day-to-day operations and parts fulfillment, and new Technical Service Manager David Allison will support service centers and owners with technical needs.
