Salty Pelican Aviation, a Cirrus Service Center, embarked on its journey about a year and a half ago, led by a retired Air Force veteran and the Director of Maintenance, George Atilano. Joined by Manuel, George's cousin, who relocated from California to Texas to be part of this startup venture, Salty Pelican quickly gained traction in the maintenance of small GA piston aircraft, particularly Cirrus aircraft. The majority of their business comes from corporate sales reps providing maintenance for local Cirrus owners. Since partnering with EBIS, Salty Pelican has experienced substantial growth, expanding to seven technicians and a total of 11-12 employees. The business has upgraded its hangar space and is set to launch a flight school, exploring the addition of a small Part 135 operation to their services.
About Salty Pelican
- Business Type: MRO, A&P Shop, AOG, Owned/Managed Fleet, Flight School
- Number of Technicians: 7
- Total Employees: 12
Situation and Challenges
Salty Pelican utilizes EBIS for work order and part management, particularly for tracking maintenance times for Cirrus ETA codes. While they initially considered upgrading to EBIS 5 Pro, Manuel expressed that they are holding off on the upgrade for now, intending to revisit the decision once their business operations become more complex.
The decision to explore EBIS was rooted in George's positive experience with the software, having used EBIS 3.2 during his tenure at Cirrus. The team at Salty Pelican was actively seeking maintenance software solutions during the launch of their business.
Salty Pelican was in the early stages of starting a Cirrus Service Center, focusing on providing maintenance for small GA piston aircraft. Their goal was to efficiently manage, organize, and track maintenance and times as they laid the foundation for their business.
The primary challenges for Salty Pelican included the need for efficiency, organization, and accurate tracking of maintenance and times. As a startup, these foundational elements were crucial for their operations.
Results and Impact of Moving to EBIS
The adoption of EBIS brought about notable improvements for Salty Pelican. They successfully use EBIS for tracking maintenance times for Cirrus ATA codes, enhancing their efficiency and organization. As they continue to grow and expand their services, EBIS provides a reliable foundation for their maintenance operations.