Spencer Necessary, AMT 2018 Next Gen 40 Under 40 Award Winner
Spencer Necessary grew up around aviation in both the general aviation and military aviation and was primarily motivated by his father, a long standing FAA Master Parachute Rigger, USPA D-Licensed Skydiver, and retired from the U.S. Air Force as the Fabrication Branch Chief of the 136th Airlift Wing (Texas Air National Guard).
After serving a tour of duty in the U.S. Army in field artillery, he turned to aviation maintenance. Like his father, he is a USPA D-Licensed Skydiver and has completed over 2,000 freefall skydives and has worked as a skydiver videographer/photographer.
He began his career in aviation in 2004 after leaving the Army on a medical discharge (honorable) in late 2003. His first job in the industry was at a small component repair station working as a bench technician inspecting and servicing aircraft temperature and pressure sensing devices and turbine engine ignition system components. In 2005 he enrolled in the aviation maintenance technology program at Tarrant County College in Ft. Worth, TX, and attended night school while working full time. He worked in avionics and then the VIP interior completion industry with management roles overseeing quality control and quality assurance. Then he began providing consulting to companies in the development and improvement of quality management systems and repair station manuals, applications, etc. In 2017 the company he was working for was acquired by STS Aviation Group, where he is now director of safety, security, and regulatory compliance for STS Mod Center.
Nominated by Bryan Shaw, Marketing Director, STS Aviation Group: During the acquisition period of AeroMod International, STS Aviation Group sought the services and expertise of Spencer Necessary, a young military veteran with a vast amount of experience in the aircraft maintenance industry. In addition to his wealth of experience, Spencer possessed the passion, dedication, and aptitude needed to bring cutting-edge technology and a fresh approach to commercial MRO. Flash forward 19 months and Spencer Necessary, STS Mod Center’s Director of Safety, Security & Regulatory Compliance, and his team have hired more than 150 people, booked two hangars until the end of 2019, and began construction on a third, state-of-the art hangar that will be open for business by the end of the year. Spencer and his team have also created a revolutionary workflow system that allows STS Mod Center’s aircraft repair and modification specialist to do a complete, nose to tail, InFlight Connectivity install in three days or less. He took a failed business in AeroMod International and, under the guidance of new leadership, tapped into his immense talents and made it thrive as STS Mod Center and STS AeroMod."
To give back to the industry Necessary spearheaded a program between a former employer and Tarrant County College to develop a program to prepare highly experienced but noncertificated individuals for the process of testing for and attaining FAA mechanic certification. In 2016 he was appointed by the Tarrant County College, Board of Trustees to serve on the college’s Aviation Advisory Committee.
Necessary never wants to stop learning. He hopes to influence as many people as possible in a positive manner and to help reduce some of the confusion and stress that comes along with compliance with quality standards and regulatory framework in the aviation industry. He plans to seek Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) designation and a private pilot license (maybe even commercial).
