Ryan Eberhart’s interest in aviation started when he was a little kid and attended Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s annual World War II Weekend at the Reading Regional Airport. “The show features many World War II warbirds and seeing warbirds like the B-25 Mitchell and P-51 Mustang pretty much sealed the deal and sparked the passion,” Eberhart reveals. “Later on, my passion for aviation and mechanics led me to choose aviation maintenance as a career path.” This path also led him to become more motivated to branch out from maintenance and pursue his private pilot’s license. “Currently, the people that I have meet in the industry, endless opportunities that I have had, and unique aircraft that I have worked on have been the biggest motivator’s to keep pursuing aviation maintenance and stay in the industry,” he notes.
After Eberhart received his A&P, he interned at Three In The Green Aircraft Paint Shop installing modifications, windshields, windows and paint preparation. The following summer, he was hired as an intern at Reading Air, an FBO at the Reading Regional Airport, where he started working part-time as line service and an A&P. He was then hired full-time as an A&P helping maintain the company’s flight school aircraft, the Part 135 B-200, and customer aircraft. Once he met the criteria for obtaining his IA, he pursued that. Currently, Eberhart is the maintenance manager at Reading Air.
Three mentors have helped Eberhart along the way. “Dave Hladky and Glenn Schwartzentruber have been my biggest mentors in maintenance,” he explains. “I have worked under them for the past five years and they have taught me a lot about the industry. Schwartzentruber has taught me the ins and outs of Piper and Cessna aircraft and has an answer or solution to almost every difficult troubleshooting problem that comes along. Upon receiving my Inspection Authorization, Dave taught me a lot about being an efficient and thorough Inspector. His knowledge of the FARs and paperwork aspect of being an IA has helped me be and even better A&P/IA. Thorne Harkin, our former FBO manager has also been another big mentor of mine. He has taught me a lot about the aviation management aspect of the industry and has also been instrumental in my flying career. His awesome Certified Flight Instructor skills and vast flying knowledge have helped shape the pilot I am today.”
Eberhart did indeed receive the private pilot license he sought after, with Complex, High Performance, and Tail-Wheel endorsements and he's currently working on his instrument rating. “Having a pilot’s license has been a bonus while working in general aviation as it makes you a more well-rounded A&P and allows you to relate more with owners when they bring their aircraft into the shop with problems,” he notes.
Along with participating in the Allentown FSDO’s IA Seminar, Eberhart also belongs to the American Bonanza Society, Piper and Cessna Flyer Association, AOPA, EAA, and the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. Currently, the museum is restoring a P-61 Black Widow which was a night fighter during World War II. The museum’s P-61 is one of four surviving examples and will be the only flying example in the world. Eberhart is assisting in the restoration by having completed numerous sheet-metal tasks. He also have assisted the museum in helping maintain their Aeronca L-3, SNJ, and B-25 Mitchell Bomber.
As a private pilot, he volunteers in the EAA’s Young Eagles program and during the Christmas season, Reading Regional Airport holds an event, Christmas in the Air, in which volunteers give young kids airplane rides.
Currently, Eberhart’s aviation goals are focused on expanding Reading Air’s maintenance department and the services provided to its customers. “Down the road, I wish to pursue working in and possibly managing a larger maintenance facility mainly dealing with corporate aircraft,” he notes. “I also wish to pursue expanding my pilot’s license and obtain other ratings.”
