Member SOUTH CAROLINA
LOCATION:
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AVIONICS SIMULATORS
Continued from page 26
On the move
SCAS finds room to grow, plans A&P school
S T O R Y B Y
V irtually from the beginning of opening South
Carolina Avionics Services, Janson Finkbeiner
has been blessed with success. What began as a
small shop providing mobile avionics services for aircraft
operators quickly grew to a million-dollar business with a
full maintenance schedule. In August
2021, Finkbeiner relocated his thriving
Federal Aviation Administration Part
145 repair station an hour away to
Sumter, South Carolina, setting the
stage for another decade of rapid
growth.
“In Orangeburg, we worked out
of three small T-hangars,” said Janson Finkbeiner
Finkbeiner, an aircraft and powerplant
mechanic with inspection authorization and nearly 20 years
of experience in aviation. “We tried everything to expand,
but it just wasn’t possible.”
SCAS provides aircraft maintenance and avionics
installations and repairs for single- and twin-engine pistons
and turboprops. It’s an authorized dealer for several avionics
manufacturers, including Garmin, Avidyne, L3Harris,
26 avionics news • august 2022
2941 Airport Road
Sumter, SC 29153
AVIONICS
PHONE:
SERVICES 803-586-1804
C H R I S T I N E K N A U E R
S-TEC, Aspen Avionics, Appareo and others.
The move to Sumter County Airport more than doubled
the repair station’s space from 5,200 square feet to 10,000
square feet of hangar space, plus a 2,000-square-foot office
built for SCAS by the county. It also gave Finkbeiner more
control over his business and his
future.
“Sumter Airport has management,
owners and an airport commission
that’s forward-thinking,” he said.
“They look for ways to partner and
grow hand in hand with people. I like
that if I have a question or an issue, I
Tamara Finkbeiner can just pick up the phone and talk to
somebody about it.”
Starting an A&P school
For SCAS, business has boomed through the pandemic
as companies and individuals choose the convenience and
control that comes with private flying over the hassle of
traveling on commercial airlines.
“We’ve been scheduled out for six months since January
WEBSITE: scavionics.com
EMPLOYEES: 7
FACILITIES: 12,000 square feet
WHAT THEY DO: FOUNDED:
SCAS offers aircraft maintenance and 2011 by Janson Finkbeiner
avionics installations and repairs for
single- and twin-engine pistons and
turboprops. AEA MEMBER SINCE: 2013

Avionics technician and autopilot installation specialist David Ivers removes an old intercom from a Beechcraft 77 Skipper.

2020,” he said. “It hasn’t changed. We’ve had to hire aircraft sales, it’s planning and creating a nonprofit A&P
more technicians to help keep up with demand. We’ve school.
increased our footprint tremendously. We’re up to about 800 “The process will likely take two to four years,”
customers with a constant line at explained Finkbeiner, who plans to
the door.” keep the school small and focused
As Finkbeiner cross-trains his on general aviation. “I’m hoping
newest employees in maintenance by the latter part of 2022 that I can
and avionics, his business partner begin to engage the South Carolina
and wife, Tamara Finkbeiner, is Aeronautics Commission and other
researching ways to add aircraft entities about funding. We don’t want
sales to SCAS’ capabilities. The a big school. We want a small school,
couple hopes to offer the new service next year. but we will need a building, so we need funding.
The biggest challenge ahead for the Finkbeiners isn’t
keeping up with growing customer demand or adding Continued on following page

avionics news • august 2022 27

 ABOVE: Crew chief Scot Bray brings more than 40 years of
experience to SCAS’ avionics projects.
RIGHT: Lead avionics technician Tony Gutleben works with the
team to upgrade the avionics on the Beechcraft 77 Skipper.

SOUTH CAROLINA AVIONICS SERVICES

Continued from page 27

“Most A&P training is geared toward aircraft manufacturing

for Boeing, Lockheed and others, and heavy maintenance for
airlines. Those companies have such a large need, it keeps the
big schools in business. But general aviation is a niche field,
and not a lot of technicians have been exposed to it enough and
not a lot of schools specialize in it. Instead, we want to focus
on training technicians for a career in general aviation.”
Along with developing technical proficiency, Finkbeiner
wants his A&P training to include mentorship in life skills,
from showing up to work on time to bringing integrity and badly, they already know you’re not going to take care of their
commitment to every task. It’s a natural extension of what he airplane.
instills in every employee who works at SCAS. “We’re up to seven employees now. We want everyone to
“There’s a high level of customer service attached to take pride in what they do. For that, we have to invest in them.
working with owners of private aircraft,” Finkbeiner said. Yes, that means training and paying them well. It also means
“They watch everything you do. They even notice if your giving them a supportive, engaging work atmosphere where
toolbox is dirty. If they see that you treat your $10,000 in tools they feel challenged and, ultimately, have room to grow.” q

28 avionics news • august 2022