
Episode 118: Turning Aircraft Problems Into Engineered Solutions | Ryan Hader - Part I
Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Plus. In Part One of this two-part conversation, Vertical MRO host David Kreutzkamp and co-host Howie Murray sit down with Ryan Hader, founder of iAERO, to talk about the experiences that shaped his approach to aircraft maintenance, engineering, and modification. Ryan traces his path from a lifelong interest in building and tinkering through hands-on aircraft maintenance and increasingly complex modification work. Those experiences eventually exposed gaps between what operators needed from their aircraft and the solutions readily available to them, helping lead to the creation of iAERO. The conversation also takes a detour into 3D printing and scanning, with Ryan and Howie exploring how increasingly accessible technology can help solve real-world problems in the hangar and support the development of new aircraft solutions. Throughout the discussion, Ryan shares the value of combining hands-on maintenance experience with engineering and certification knowledge—and why understanding how an aircraft is actually operated matters when developing a modification. Part Two takes that conversation deeper into the world of STCs, including why even seemingly simple aircraft modifications can become complex certification projects. Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Precision Aviation Group and Vertical Aviation International. Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!
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