Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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As aircraft wind down their useful service lives, the number of maintenance shops that specialize in legacy models dwindle and the cost of maintenance climbs significantly, making continued ownership a challenge. Yet many aircraft are built to last much longer—for example, midsize Hawker twinjets—and they remain popular, with acquisition prices low enough to keep them attractive.
Plane Place Aviation, based in Cleburne, Texas, is one facility that has embraced the challenge of keeping Hawkers flying, both with the latest maintenance techniques and by parting out older airframes to maintain parts supply. Plane Place said demand has never slowed down it was founded by Tristan Noe and Travis Roberson in March 2022.
“A lot of that has to do with trust and customer service,” said Noe. That trust is amplified because he and Roberson continue to lead maintenance projects and work directly with customers. “All managers are involved,” he said. “If we get a phone call at 12 a.m., you’ll reach somebody here, not a salesperson.”
In addition to Hawkers, Plane Place has branched into Bombardier Challenger 300s and 350s and some Cessna Citation models. The Challengers are good business because they are popular charter platforms—when one breaks down it needs to be fixed quickly to get the airplane back into service.
Starting with one hangar in 2022, Plane Place has grown to three at Cleburne Regional Airport (KCPT), with each hangar specializing in one airplane type. Another hangar, spanning 50,000 sq ft, was added to the Plane Place campus last month, and this will be focused on teardowns for parts reclamation for Plane Place’s in-house parts operation, Texas Aircraft Parts Brokers.
While Cleburne, about an hour from the Dallas area, might seem like a difficult locale to attract employees, Plane Place has seen a surge of interest from mechanics who are tired of the Metroplex traffic. Even if they live outside Cleburne, the drive to work is much shorter and less stressful than driving to Dallas or Fort Worth, Noe explained.
“It’s still tough to get people,” he admitted, adding that Plane Place’s family atmosphere helps. “A lot of us are friends and we hang out outside work. My family is involved; my dad and sister work here.”
Plane Place hires experienced mechanics, those fresh out of A&amp;P school, and non-licensed people who want to earn their A&amp;P through on-the-job experience. In the latter case, Plane Place will not only help with providing the necessary training and experience but also pay for testing.
Once a month, Plane Place holds a training session to discuss lessons learned, quality escapes, and tips and tricks. Mechanics also get sent out for formal training.
To help mechanics with the inevitable paperwork and logbook entries involved in aircraft maintenance, Noe hired a firm to help create an AI-based tool that taps into the EBIS maintenance management software that the company uses. The first iteration of the tool allows mechanics to talk into their phone to capture the work description for invoicing.
Another tool under development will help with preliminary research for airworthiness directives, service bulletins, FAA 8130 parts tags, and part numbers. “We hope to save mechanics time and be more efficient,” Noe said.
At NBAA-BACE, Plane Place is highlighting its recent approval by Mexico’s AFAC as a certified repair station, enabling the MRO provider to expand services for operators of Mexico-registered aircraft. Plane Place offers airframe inspections and maintenance, structural repairs, pre-purchase inspections, 24/7 AOG assistance, and maintenance management, as well as engine, avionics, wheel and tire, battery, and additional accessory capabilities for Challengers, Citations, and Hawkers.

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