Where do good planes go when they die? For a long time, there were not a lot of winning answers to that question — that is, until Bryan Hancock and his partner, Kenneth Kocialski, noticed the unfilled niche and founded CAVU Aerospace in Stuttgart in 2010.
“After being in the industry for many years, we felt there was a missing component to the end-of-life sector of commercial aircraft, along with wanting to be in business for ourselves,” Hancock said.
The partners chose an auspicious name for the new business. CAVU is an aviation term meaning “ceiling and visibility unlimited.”
“For a pilot, it means a great day of flying,” Hancock added.
The business started by buying aircraft and dismantling them for parts then evolved into a premier dismantling company and one of the largest dismantlers in the world. Over the years, the company has grown to include facilities in Victorville, California; Roswell, New Mexico; and Gilbert, Arizona, in addition to its headquarters in Stuttgart.
In addition, the company started a Federal Aviation Administration 145 repair station in Roswell, which provides short- and long-term storage and light maintenance for commercial aircraft. Services include airframe inspections, interior modifications, avionics upgrades and maintenance, and the company also ships an extensive inventory of parts to airlines around the world.
“My days are always different, which keeps everything new and exciting,” Hancock said. “When I am in the office in Stuttgart, I work with my team on managing aircraft dismantling operations and utilizing the CAVUSmartTags system for real-time parts tracking.”
Hancock said his job also involves plenty of travel to CAVU facilities across the country.
Bryan and Javier Ayala at the Roswell, New Mexico warehouse
“I frequently travel to these locations to assist with the growth of our teams,” he said. “Additionally, our team often attends numerous conferences around the world. For example, we traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to attend MRO Europe in October.”
He added that he enjoys working at the business, which has 70 employees, because of the close-knit, collaborative atmosphere inherent to small businesses.
“Employees have the opportunity to gain more of an engaged and hands-on work experience. Decision-making is usually more agile, and individuals can directly see the impact of their contributions on the company’s success,” he said. “There’s often a strong sense of community, with more personal interactions between leadership and team members, making employees feel more valued and heard.”
He added that the business teaches valuable life lessons, including how to adapt and problem-solve in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
“You learn to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, especially when working across different operations,” he said. ‘Collaboration and communication are crucial to success, highlighting how teamwork can drive innovation and efficiency. Being part of a small business supports the value of every individual’s contribution, promoting a solid work ethic, accountability and a sense of ownership in outcomes. The biggest lesson is learning to adapt to the many cultures and employee needs.”
Adaptation proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, which Hancock said brought prevailing challenges to the aviation industry.
“It affected the commercial aviation community pretty hard,” he added. “A lot of planes were parked. With a lot of planes parked, airlines didn’t need to repair/buy many parts because they had plenty of stock on the shelves to support their whole fleet.”
Freight companies, which continued flying during the pandemic, helped CAVU stay in business during the pandemic, he said.
“We are still dealing with the lack of workers in the workforce, but it is slowly getting better,” he said.
Bryan and Javier Ayala at the Roswell, New Mexico warehouse
He added that he is proud of the company’s many accomplishments, including becoming a diamond-level member of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association and pioneering the CAVUSmartTags system, which provides real-time part manifests, part number/serial number error checking and automated shipment notifications.
“Also, I am incredibly proud of our work to support the future of aviation,” he said. “We work with local colleges, job corporations and youth organizations, training the next generation of aviation professionals.”
The business also participates in Job Corps’ Work-Based Learning Program, which provides real-world experience to youngsters interested in aviation careers, and CAVU supports the Scouting USA Aviation Explorer Program, which encourages youth to explore opportunities in aviation with a goal of inspiring future leaders in the industry.
“These efforts demonstrate CAVU’s commitment to fostering community growth and supporting the future of aviation,” Hancock said. “We donate funding to local schools for programs, as well.”
In the future, he added, he hopes to continue expanding CAVU’s aircraft dismantling, recycling and asset management services, as well as further developing the CAVUSmartTags system to enhance its real-time parts tracking capabilities.
“We also aim to expand fixed-base dismantling locations and mobile dismantling solutions to reach more global clients,” he said. “Our team plans to expand the company’s aircraft parts inventory and improve logistics to ensure faster, more efficient shipping worldwide.”
The biggest expansion, he added, will be at the FAA 145 repair station in Roswell, where the company plans to offer additional services and expand its capacity.
For more information about CAVU Aerospace, click here.
Feature Photo: Left to Right–Bryan, Bryana (Hancock) Bostic and Jana Hancock
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