Treasure ByAnnamarieBuonocore

TREASURE VALLEY’S GROWING TREASURE: QMULUS AVIATION SETFOR GROWTH

By Annamarie Buonocore

The Pacific Northwest is a growing region that many new individuals, families, and businesses are calling home. Many in the aviation community are familiar with Idaho, as it is home to manufacturers, Kitfox and Kodiak. This aviation writer recently had the opportunity to visit Boise for several days and explore the aviation landscape in this community. I explored general aviation at Boise International, Nampa Municipal Airport, and Treasure Valley Executive Airport (KEUL). KEUL is home to several flight schools, FBOs, and aviation maintenance facilities. One of the new businesses at this airport is Qmulus Aviation, a maintenance facility that is developing into a unique aviation educational center. During my trip, I had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with the Director of Maintenance, Cornelius “Cris” Owens, and Owner/ CEO Renee Wilke to learn how they are taking aviation maintenance to the next level of opportunity.

In Flight USA: Tell me a little bit about what you do here and how long you have been in business.

Qmulus Aviation (Renee Wilke):

Great! Yes, we have been in business since 2019. We are a Part 145 aviation maintenance repair station. We specialize in avionics installations, and King Air maintenance. We also transition into providing training for aspiring aircraft mechanics, and we do workforce development training for various positions within the aviation industry. We provide them with a platform for knowledge exchange so that they can do better in their field.

IFUSA: We don’t see many young people starting aviation businesses these days. What made you want to go in that direction?

QA (RW): My husband (Sean Wilke) started the business in 2019. Then I came in a little bit later. We find it so interesting and love learning new things. We really want to make a difference in the aviation industry as a whole. We are going in many directions in which the industry can benefit. One of the great things about us is that we are a grassroots operation. We did everything ourselves. We wrote our manuals and did the legwork to get the vendors who supply the avionics. We have all the major vendors like Garmin that support the installation of avionics and maintenance products. We have a solid foundation to scale. We know that there is so much to learn. My husband who started it is a pilot. From there, we knew this was a business we could grow in.

IFUSA: Are you from Idaho originally?

QA (RW): I would say yes. I have been here since I was very little. I have

Qmulus Academy is preparing to launch a unique academy that prepares maintenance mechanics to take their written, oral, and practical test to gain their airframe and powerplant certifications. (Courtesy Qmulus Aviation)

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A Pilot’s Paradise in The Valley Airport

A private airstrip in the Ozark Mountains located on the banks of the famous White River.

HOUSE HANGAR/WORKSHOP 870-421-7193

(Please leave message.) 870-430-5738 870-404-6162

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In Flight USA Celebrating 39 Years

Qmulus Aviation Set for Growth

Continued from Page 17 seen it changed a lot.

IFUSA: What kind of aircraft do you enjoy working on the most?

QA (Cris Owens): That’s a tough question. We always want to go bigger. I enjoy the King Air series and Cessna Citation. I love Cirrus aircraft and Piper’s M600 and M500 series aircraft.. We also like to work on Pilatus Aircraft or anything with a PT6 on it. I am very interested in the Cessna Sky Courier and the Beechcraft Denali and the impact it will have on the market.

IFUSA: Are you also a pilot? How did you get your start in mechanics?

QA (CO): I’m not a pilot. I’m a maintenance guy who has been around a lot of planes. I joined the Marine Corps after high school and then went to Spartan School of Aeronautics. From there, I had a plethora of aviation experience. I started working as a government contractor and did that for years. After that, I started helping different aviation businesses and startups. I helped a couple out in California and am now up here in Idaho.

IFUSA: How many do you have on staff here?

QA (RW): We have about 10 at the moment, and we’re growing. You’re always hiring in this industry. There is such a big need for maintenance.

IFUSA: What kinds of aircraft are you currently working on?

QA (CO): We are mostly piston aircraft for avionics, turboprop aircraft, and light jets for avionics and maintenance. I

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Order direct or from your favorite pilot supply Qmulus Aviation is very interested in working closely with local high schools, colleges, and universities to bring more students into the field of aviation. (Courtesy Qmulus Aviation)

like to say we will take any aircraft that can fit in our hangar.

IFUSA: What are your plans for the future?

QA (RW): We have lots of plans for the future. In the immediate future, we are looking to launch our academy, and this is a unique academy that prepares maintenance mechanics to take their written, oral, and practical test to gain their airframe and powerplant certifications. In addition to the prep course, we will be providing training for aviation maintenance support. The course will provide training for Director of Maintenance, Chief Inspectors, Aviation Logistics personal and Record Clerks.

QA (CO): For the long-term future, we want to do more consulting. We want to help startup companies with manuals and business practices. We want to capitalize on that expertise and those capabilities. Everything we have been writing so far has had no trouble getting approved. We can train people on anything we have written about, so we really want to grow our academy and consulting side. There are flight schools and maintenance schools, but there is not a school out there for maintenance support. People have to learn that on the job, and companies have to front that cost. This unique school will make it much easier. Once education is written in curriculum and put in place, there has to be a rollout plan so that companies can transition as smoothly as possible.

IFUSA: What are some of your ideas for improving training?

QA (RW): Most of our students here

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