Nose to Tail by Jet Midwest
by Jet Midwest
Introducing “Nose to Tail” a podcast where we explore the world of aviation lifecycle solutions, industry-related insights, and more.Join host Patrick Kraus, COO and Managing Director at Jet Midwest, along with industry experts for podcast conversations that encompass topics in the commercial aviation marketplace — from nose to tail.Each episode features interviews with some of our colleagues, co-workers, and friends who are deeply involved in the aviation industry. We’ll discuss the latest trends and innovations, explore the ins and outs of aircraft trading, offer insight for operators looking to extract the highest value from their fleets, and share personal stories from around the globe.Whether you’re a seasoned aviation enthusiast or just getting started in the industry, “Nose to Tail” is the perfect podcast to learn and connect.
Episodes
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EP 99: Designing Aircraft Inspection Technology Around the Technician with Arun Chhabra
Improved inspection technology can provide technicians with increasingly accurate and sophisticated data. But it adds great value when it also helps interpret that data, making the information easier to understand, document, use efficiently, and trust. In this episode of Nose to Tail, 8tree...
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EP 98: Building MRO Capacity Starts With Developing People with Andrew Walmsley
Hiring more people does not automatically create more MRO capacity. New employees need time to learn the work, gain experience, understand the operation, and become people the team can rely on. That development also requires time from the experienced people training and supporting them. Andrew...
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EP 97: The Information Problem Behind Aircraft Teardowns with Mahesh Bhide
Aircraft teardowns create parts. They also create enormous amounts of information that the aftermarket has to manage. Mahesh Bhide of Teardowns.aero joins Patrick Kraus to discuss how greater visibility, clearer demand signals, and smarter automation could change the way teardown material moves...
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EP 96: From Exposure to Opportunity with Samuel White
Aviation has thousands of career paths. For many young people, the first challenge is simply knowing those opportunities exist. Colonel Samuel White joins Patrick Kraus to talk about his more than 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, his transition to commercial aviation, and his work as president of...
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EP 95: Continuous Improvement Starts on the Floor with Fernando Bertrand
Continuous improvement works best when the people closest to the work have a meaningful role in improving it. Fernando Bertrand, CEO of Bonus Tech, joins Patrick Kraus to discuss Lean methodology, Theory of Constraints, frontline expertise, operational visibility, and how better information…
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EP 94: What Makes Growth Sustainable with Rob Lastra
Growth adds capacity. It also adds complexity. As an MRO grows, the foundation underneath it has to become more disciplined. More people, customers, capabilities, and handoffs create more places for quality, information, and accountability to slip through the cracks. Sustainable growth comes from...
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EP 93: Growth Requires Standards in Aviation with Christpher Vera
Growth is exciting, but in aviation, growth without standards can create problems faster than it creates opportunity. You can add customers, capabilities, people, and volume. But lasting growth requires the right foundation. Quality, communication, tooling, training, inspection, processes, and...
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EP 92: The Safety Equipment We Hope We Never Use with Matt Salamone
There are parts of aviation safety we hope we never have to think about. Emergency slides. Oxygen systems. Fire bottles. Life rafts. Helicopter floats. But when something goes wrong, the equipment behind those systems has to be ready. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus is joined by…
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EP 91: The Value of Customer Trust & Focused Capability in Component Repair with Mike Jones
Focused component repair shops can bring a different kind of advantage to the MRO market: agility, responsiveness, and a closer connection to the customer’s real-world pressure. In this episode of Nose to Tail, Patrick Kraus sits down with Mike Jones of AeroStar for a practical conversation about...
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EP 90: Building Test Capability That Lasts with Todd Meredith
A system can work today and still become a liability tomorrow. In aerospace testing, capability is not just about whether a test stand can run. It is about whether that system can stay reliable, supportable, and useful through upgrades, turnover, changing aircraft platforms, and long aircraft...
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EP 89: Work as Imagined vs Work as Done: Closing the Documentation Gap in Aviation with Brent Webb
Aviation runs on strict standards. But it operates in the exceptions. Older fleets, incomplete records, and AOG pressure don’t always fit neatly as a set formula. This conversation explores the gap between ideal process and operational constraints, and what practical teams do to close that gap...
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EP 88: How Smart Asset Buyers Think | Asset Decisions in a Tighter Aftermarket with Bill Thompson
In a tighter market, the advantage isn’t finding more deals. It’s making cleaner decisions. Competition is up, pricing pressure is real, and the easy opportunities are harder to come by. So your framework sometimes matter more than your instincts. This conversation breaks down what disciplined...
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EP 87: Availability Is a System | Building a One-Stop Shop in MRO with Sami Maalouf
Availability isn’t just having parts. It’s having a system that removes friction. Speed is usually the result of removing bottlenecks, organized so urgent requests don’t get stuck in between steps. It comes from fewer handoffs, not bigger heroics. It comes through process, capability, and...
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EP 86: Hope, One Step at a Time: The Tartan Trek Across America with Craig Ferguson
Hope is closer than you might imagine. And sometimes, the biggest impact you can make is to simply keep pushing forward. Years ago, Craig Ferguson was deeply impacted by the loss of a close friend, Russell, to mental health struggles. That loss stayed with him. Craig chose to honor his friend by...
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EP 85: How High-Performing MRO Teams Are Built with Brandon Allen
What looks like speed is usually preparation. In the MRO world, the outcomes customers rely on (turn time, quality, communication, reliability) are built long before the part arrives. They come from training, standards, repeatable execution, and the behind-the-scenes discipline most people never...
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EP 84: Meet the Expert: Inside the Engine Shortage| DER Repairs, Lead Times, & Strategy with Rick Tobey
In today’s engine market, access and lead time matter as much as parts. What keeps programs moving is rarely one big move. It’s a series of disciplined decisions. Choosing the right path early. Keeping records clean. And reducing delays before they compound. This episode launches Meet the…
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EP 83: Building an Aviation Business in the Aftermarket with Delphine Kennedy
Speed is a tool. But trust is the advantage. Speed can win a moment. Trust wins the relationship. And relationships are what people return to when the stakes are real. That thread runs throughout this conversation: the extra effort, the follow-through, and the decisions that earn confidence over...
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EP 82: Inside the World of MRO Branding with Michaela Preusser
A strong MRO brand isn’t about visuals. It’s the alignment between culture, message, and customer experience. When those three match, trust comes faster, decisions get easier, and the market remembers you for the right reasons. Host Patrick Kraus (COO & Managing Director, Jet Midwest) sits down...
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EP 81: Dive into Aviation Repairs with Milton Aguilera
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director & COO of Jet Midwest, sits down with Milton Aguilera, President/Owner at STAR, to hear how his aviation career started in shipping and receiving and evolved into sales, leadership, and eventually launching his own repair...
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EP 80: Navigating the Skies with Bill Wilson
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, speaks with Bill Wilson, Retired Airline Pilot Captain, about his path through military and commercial aviation. Bill reflects on entering aviation through ROTC, flying the KC 135 with the US Air Force,...
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EP 79: Navigating Aviation Investments and Opportunities with Mark Robinson
Join host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, and his guest Mark Robinson, Group President at Jet Midwest, as they dive into the intricacies of aviation lifecycle solutions, market, shares, and more. In this episode, they discuss the impact of real estate investments on...
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EP 78: A Technician Led Approach to MRO and Aircraft Parts with Reinaldo Barroso
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO of Jet Midwest, engages in an insightful conversation with Reinaldo Barroso, Managing Partner from Lift Aerospace. They discuss Reinaldo’s journey from high school to co-founding Lift, the challenges of starting an...
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EP 77: Tales From the Jump Seat with Diana Bennett
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, COO at Jet Midwest, interviews Dianna Bennett, a former TWA flight attendant and author of 'Jump Seat: Jet Setting in the Seventies'. They discuss Diana's unexpected journey into aviation, the rigorous flight attendant training program, and the...
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EP 76: Inside Avionics with Jim Krey and Andrea Hannam
Join host Patrick Kraus, COO of Jet Midwest, for a conversation with Jim Krey, General Manager, and Andrea Hannam, Sales Director, from Aero Instruments & Avionics Inc. as they share perspectives from across the aviation lifecycle. In this episode, they reflect on the company’s history, their...
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EP 75: Aviation's Digital Future with Ralph Merhi
Join host Patrick Kraus, COO and Managing Director at Jet Midwest, as he connects with Ralph Merhi, CEO of ERP.aero, to discuss technology’s evolving role across aviation lifecycle solutions. From his journey into aviation technology to the development of ERP.aero’s integrated management…
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EP 74: Exploring Aviation's Hidden Corners with Josh Wilson, Part 2
This is a continued episode of Nose to Tail. Host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, welcomes back Josh Wilson, VP of Business Development at Wyatt Aerospace and EARP Aviation Repairs, for the next part of their discussion on aviation lifecycle solutions. Together, they...
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EP 73: Exploring Aviation’s Hidden Corners with Josh Wilson
Join host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, as he talks with Josh Wilson, Vice President of Business Development at Wyatt Aerospace and EARP Aviation Repairs, about technology, growth, and evolving opportunities in aviation. In this episode, they discuss Josh’s start in the...
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EP 72: Transforming Aerospace with David Romaris
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director & COO of Jet Midwest, converses with David Romaris, Operations Manager from AvGen Aerospace, about challenges faced as an entrepreneur, strategies for building a highly effective operations team, and the importance of…
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EP 71: Reliability and Growth in Aviation with Daniel Romaris, Part 2
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director & COO of Jet Midwest, and guest Daniel Romaris, VP and Director of Business Development of AvGen Aerospace, discuss AvGen Aerospace's strategic growth plans, the challenges of managing large airline contracts, and their focus…
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EP 70: Reliability and Growth in Aviation with Daniel Romaris
In this episode of the Nose to Tail podcast, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director & COO of Jet Midwest, is joined by Daniel Romaris, VP & Director of Business Development at AvGen Aerospace, to discuss aviation lifecycle solutions. Together, they discuss Danny's career journey from a technical...
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EP 69: Inside the Avionics Revolution: Robotics, Repair, and Mastery with Manny Losada, Part 2
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, and his guest, Manuel Losada, MRO Vice President at Fortek Aerospace, explore the creation and optimization of in-house test equipment for aviation. The discussion covers the balance between…
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EP 68: Inside the Avionics Revolution: Robotics, Repair, and Mastery with Manny Losada
In this episode of Nose to Tail, hosted by Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO of Jet Midwest, we meet Manuel Losada, MRO Vice President at Fortek Aerospace, as they discuss avionics and electromechanical repairs. Manny shares his invaluable expertise on the innovative field of digital...
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EP 67: Exploring Aviation Spares and MRO with Michael Jaramillo, Part 2
Join host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, as he speaks with Michael Jaramillo, Managing Partner at LIFT Aerospace/LIFT MRO. Together, they will discuss strategic planning for aviation lifecycle solutions, focusing on facility consolidation, upcoming tear-down projects…
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EP 66: Exploring Aviation Spares and MRO with Michael Jaramillo
Join Michael Jaramillo, Managing Partner at LIFT MRO/ LIFT Aerospace, as he chats with host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director & COO of Jet Midwest, about hydraulic component trends, the significance of aftermarket support, and the entrepreneurial spirit driving the aviation industry. Michael will…
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EP 65: Managing Aircraft Lifecycle: Transitions, Engines & Innovation with Juan Pablo Rojas, Part 2
In this episode, Juan Pablo Rojas, VP Technical & BD Director for the Americas at SGI Aviation, joins host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO of Jet Midwest, to discuss the future of aviation, market trends, and real-world insights into aviation asset management. Together, they explore...
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EP 64: Managing Aircraft Lifecycle: Transitions, Engines & Innovation with Juan Pablo Rojas
Join host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO of Jet Midwest, as he sits down with Juan Pablo Rojas, VP Technical & BD Director for the Americas at SGI Aviation, to discuss real-world insights into aviation asset management, aircraft transitions, and engine market trends from industry...
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EP 63: Exploring Aviation Marketplaces with Jeffrey Jerge, Part 2
In this episode, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, engages with Jeffrey Jerge, Founder and Chief of Pearls at Oyster Aero, to explore the future of aviation lifecycle solutions. Together they discuss Oyster Aero's technological advancements, the potential of AI in the...
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EP 62: Exploring Aviation Marketplaces with Jeffrey Jerge
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, sits down with Jeffrey Jerge, Founder and Chief of Pearls at Oyster Aero, to unravel the complexities of the aviation aftermarket. From his roots at Aviall and GECAS to founding one of the most agile...
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Ep 61: Reinventing Aviation Windows with Andrea Fernández, Part 2
In this episode, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO of Jet Midwest, discusses the integral role of women in aviation with Andrea Fernández, Chief Executive Officer at Glass Aero, a successful entrepreneur and business owner. Together, they explore the value of diverse leadership, with…
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EP 60: Reinventing Aviation Windows with Andrea Fernández
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus from Jet Midwest interviews Andrea Fernandez, Chief Executive Officier at Glass Aero, to explore the advanced repair technologies reshaping aircraft transparency maintenance. Andrea shares how her team developed proprietary FAA-compliant repair...
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EP 59: Inside Military and Commercial MRO with Jonathan Hevia, Part 2
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, continues his in-depth discussion with Jonathan Hevia, Business Development at Air Quality Aviation, on the future of aviation lifecycle solutions. Together, they explore Air Quality Aviation’s growth...
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EP 58: Inside Military and Commercial MRO with Jonathan Hevia
In this episode of Nose to Tail, host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO of Jet Midwest sits down with Jonathan Hevia, Business Development from Air Quality Aviation, to discuss the unique aspects of military vs. commercial aviation maintenance, including customer demands and the standards…
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EP 57: Global Aviation Safety Solutions with Steven Foley, Part 2
Join us in this continued episode of Nose to Tail as our host, Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, engages with Steven Foley, VP of Sales Americas at SK Aerosafety Group, to explore global aviation lifecycle solutions, operations, and industry insights. Steven will discuss…
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EP 56: Global Aviaiton Safety Solutions with Steven Foley
In this episode, we explore the world of aviation safety with Steve Foley, VP of Sales Americas at SK Aerosafety Group. Host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest highlights Steve's journey from finance to aerospace, his international career with Rolls-Royce, and how SK…
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EP 55: Exploring OEM and Aftermarket Synergies with Jonathan Cornell, Part 2
In this episode of Nose to Tail, our host, Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, continues the discussion with Jonathan from General MRO. They explore the future vision for General MRO, focusing on organic growth, internal efficiencies, and innovative workforce training...
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EP 54: Exploring OEM and Aftermarket Synergies with Jonathan Cornell
In this episode, our host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director & COO of Jet Midwest, discusses current technology in the aviation industry and the future of aviation maintenance with Jonathan Cornell, President of General MRO. Jonathan shares the importance of quality and mentorship, advances in...
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EP 53: Exploring a Career in Aviation with Helena Helgadóttir, Part 2
In this episode of Nose to Tail, our host, Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, discusses aviation lifecycle solutions and supply chain management with Helena Helgadóttir, Repair Manager at Icelandair. They discuss the challenges of transitioning from the 757 to the A321 and...
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EP 52: Exploring a Career in Aviation with Helena Helgadóttir
In this episode, our host Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, sits down with Helena Helgadóttir, Repair Manager at Icelandair, to discuss her fascinating journey in the aviation industry. Helena shares her early work experiences, transitioning through various roles at...
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EP 51: How Blockchain Could Transform the Aircraft Industry with Todd Siena, Pat 3
In this episode, our host, Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, continues his conversation with Todd Siena, Founder and CEO of Block Aero Technologies, exploring aviation lifecycle challenges, international trade impacts, and the future of digital aviation solutions. Todd...
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EP 50: How Blockchain Could Transform the Aircraft Industry with Todd Siena, Part 2
In this episode, our host, Patrick Kraus, Managing Director and COO at Jet Midwest, sits down with Todd Siena, Founder and CEO of Block Aero Technologies, to continue the conversation. Todd explains how technology can change the aviation industry, from parts traceability and digital certification...
About this show
Introducing “Nose to Tail” a podcast where we explore the world of aviation lifecycle solutions, industry-related insights, and more.Join host Patrick Kraus, COO and Managing Director at Jet Midwest, along with industry experts for podcast conversations that encompass topics in the commercial aviation marketplace — from nose to tail.Each episode features interviews with some of our colleagues, co-workers, and friends who are deeply involved in the aviation industry. We’ll discuss the latest trends and innovations, explore the ins and outs of aircraft trading, offer insight for operators looking to extract the highest value from their fleets, and share personal stories from around the globe.Whether you’re a seasoned aviation enthusiast or just getting started in the industry, “Nose to Tail” is the perfect podcast to learn and connect.
Hosted by
Jet Midwest