Andrew Muehl’s interest in aviation began when he was a child. “My dad, being an A&P and chief pilot, would always take me [to] the airport to perform regular maintenance on a Cessna 414. Mostly oil changes, some tire changes and, as I got older, a few 100-hour inspections got thrown in there. Those experiences would be my first real hands-on experience working on and around airplanes,” Muehl stated.
After discovering his passion for aviation, Muehl enrolled in the aviation technician program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. While earning his A&P, he did line service at his local airport. He says the experience helped him learn how to move around whirling propellers and to deal with jet blasts. But it also helped him gain exposure to the different types of airplanes.
After he finished school, Muehl’s first A&P job was working for PlaneSafe Aircraft Maintenance. He is grateful to his bosses Sam and Dru who, “...thankfully, were very patient in teaching and expanding my own knowledge base.”
Muehl now works as a technician for Stein’s Aircraft Services. There, he helps perform routine and unscheduled maintenance, along with light and heavy inspections on corporate aircraft such as King Airs, Beechjets, Hawkers, Learjets and Falcons. “For me, working at Stein’s has been great because we work well as a team and there is a good knowledge pool,” Muehl says.
Muehl is humbled by this award and would like to thank Tim Geldermann for nominating him. “Tim and I have known each other for a number of years and this came as a complete surprise. I try not to stand out, just do my job.”
Geldermann first worked with Muehl in 2009 when both volunteered for a 501(c)3 nonprofit event, Wings Over Waukesha. "In 2014, I became a part-time flight instructor on the other side of the Waukesha Airport at Stein’s Aircraft Services, LLC and happened across Andy once again, who had made the move to Stein’s one year prior in 2013 to grow himself professionally and step up to working on the Part 61 flight school aircraft, as well as Part 91 private and 135 charter turboprop and jet aircraft. Always the consummate professional, Andy gladly took care of any squawks I presented with ease. I was confident from experience that what he worked on would be corrected."
Geldermann worked with Muehl until Stein's expanded the operations to include the Kenosha Regional Airport (KENW). Although they do not work together anymore, Geldermann is "...confident he is still a knowledgeable mechanic and exemplifies what it means to be a professional with a great attitude as well as strong interpersonal and customer service skills no matter how taxing the environment or situation."
