20+ Years Up in the Air: Richard Limon’s Aviation Career

Richard Limon's aviation journey has been nothing short of eventful. Having completed an Aviation Maintenance training program, there's no denying that it's played a pivotal role in shaping his 20+ year career in the industry.

Currently, he's employed by Endeavor Air, serving as the Manager of Inspection for DTW-Detroit Metro Airport in Detroit, Michigan. In his words, “We are the police of the operation." His role is akin to monitoring the work of aviation maintenance technicians, overseeing paperwork, ensuring correct procedures are followed, calibrations are accurate and tooling is right. He's in charge of receiving all parts, tagging them, and integrating them into the system.

Despite being in aviation for over two decades, Richard's passion hasn't waned. There was a time when he stepped into the engineering field, working at Robert Bosch in the Environmental Testing facility where he was responsible for testing products. However, fate had other plans. When a position opened at Endeavor Air, and he found himself back in the field he loves.

Reflecting on his journey, Richard shares, "Coming back here is like a treat. I love aviation. I love these guys I'm around. I never ever in my wildest dreams thought I would be back in aviation, but here I am."

Richard attributes his success to his aviation training program. He believes the combination of his experience as an aircraft mechanic and his leadership skills were why Robert Bosch hired him. He's recommended the program to others, emphasizing the unique opportunities it offers.

His love for the industry is evident when he says, "What I love about working in this industry is doing something that most people don't get to do every day. I'm around an airplane." For him, the smell of jet fuel in the morning is a reminder of the unique path he's chosen.

Speaking of paths, Richard shares insights about the different routes one can take in the aviation industry after completing a training program, including becoming a sheet metal specialist, focusing on engines, engineering, blueprints, diagrams, dispatch, maintenance control, hydraulics, pneumatics and electrical. He firmly believes that aviation technician training can lead to many possibilities. “There’s so many different facets, not only in the aviation field,” he says.

The aviation culture is another aspect that Richard cherishes. "The aviation culture is a very tight-knit culture. If I'm in Michigan, someone in Texas knows who I am because of the aviation field. It's a tight-knit family and I couldn't ask for a better group of people to be around," he expresses.

Richard encourages others to stick to their dreams and the aviation route. In his words, "Once you have the training, nobody can take that from you. Only you can give that up.”

His journey hasn't been without its milestones. Richard considers going back to complete aviation training a huge accomplishment. Looking ahead, his goal is to become a regional manager for Endeavor Air and eventually the VP.

You too can create your own path. See if one of our aviation programs is right for you!⁷⁹