Mike Busch A&P/IA

Founder & CEO

Mike is a renowned aviation writer, teacher, aviation type club tech rep, aircraft owner advocate, and entrepreneur. He has been assisting aircraft owners with their maintenance problems through his lectures, articles, and books. Mike was honored by the FAA as “National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year” in 2008.

Christopher Wrather Ph.D A&P

Executive Vice President

Chris is consigliere to CEO Mike Busch, leads the SavvyAnalysis engine monitor data analysis program and the SavvyAI predictive analytics initiative. Chris holds a Doctorate in statistics and operations research and was formerly CEO of a diversified public company. A pilot for 50 years, Chris is an aircraft owner and A&P mechanic.

Adam Smith

VP Business Development

Adam is responsible both for marketing Savvy’s current business activities and its new business initiatives. Adam joined Savvy after a 14-year stint in top management of EAA and two years as a Senior VP at AOPA. His aviation credentials also include being a distinguished aviation museum curator and aviation historian.

Thanos Diacakis

Director of Software Engineering

Thanos is responsible for all of Savvy’s software technology, development and IT infrastructure. He has founded several technology startups and held numerous CTO and VP Software Engineering positions. Thanos is an instrument rated pilot, avid skier, and the inventor of six U.S. patents.

Doug Griffith, Esq.

Corporate Counsel

Doug handles Savvy’s legal affairs, including risk management, contractual matters, and insurance. Doug holds both a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas and a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. He has a long history practicing aviation law, with a special emphasis on maintenance-related litigation.

Jeff Iskierka A&P/IA

Technical Director

Jeff spent a decade as Director of Maintenance of Twin Cities Aviation in Minneapolis before joining Savvy on a full-time basis as its most senior account manager, and then being promoted to Technical Director. Jeff is a nationally known Cirrus expert, having been immersed in Cirrus maintenance since 1999.

Tony Barrell A&P/IA

Account Manager

Tony has been involved in GA maintenance as an A&P/IA for more than 30 years and has been with Savvy since 2012. Before joining Savvy, Tony was employed by Ohio State University Airport at their superb maintenance facility for 25 years, and managed the shop for 15 years. He has experience maintaining a broad range of GA airplanes, including extensive experience with Cirrus aircraft, having built his shop at OSU into the finest Cirrus Service Center in the region.

Mark Coleman

Avionics Specialist

Mark was born into avionics. His father Bob was the avionics manager for Cutter Aviation at KABQ from the late ’60s until 1974, then opened Depot Avionics and worked out of the Terra facility doing factory warranty work, with Mark assisting after school and on weekends. Mark joined the Air Force, training as an Electronic Warfare Technician. He became a pilot in 1990 and moved into Computer-Based Training. He left the Air Force in 1992 and took over Depot Avionics so his dad could retire.

Paul New A&P/IA

Account Manager

Paul owns and operates Tennessee Aircraft Services, serves as a technical representative and instructor for the Cessna Pilots Association, and is a nationally known maintenance expert specializing in structural repair. Paul was the FAA’s “National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year” honoree for 2007.

Steve Vander Valk A&P/IA

Account Manager

Steve owns and operates Paragon Aircraft Services Inc. in Caldwell, NJ, a full-service maintenance facility specializing in Cessna and Cirrus aircraft. Steve is an A&P/IA with more than three decades of wide-ranging GA maintenance experience on everything from piston singles to turboprops and light bizjets.

Dave Pasquale A&P/IA

Account Manager

Dave is an A&P/IA with more than 22 years of experience working on a variety of GA aircraft. He specializes in maintaining the Bellanca Viking, is a graduate of the ABS Maintenance Academy and has contributed to the Bellanca Champion newsletter and American Bonanza Society magazine. Dave enjoys hiking with family and photography in his spare time.

Tom Cooper A&P/IA

Account Manager

Tom has been maintaining GA aircraft as an A&P/IA for over 25 years; he has worked with Cirrus aircraft since 2001. Tom’s main interests in life include aircraft and blue water sailing. He has been married to his best friend Arlene since 1981 and is looking forward to many more adventures together.

Paul Kortopates A&P/IA

 Senior Engine Data Analyst

Paul is an A&P/IA, CFI-II, AGI/IGI, MAPA PPP instructor, and FAASTeam Lead Rep. Paul is also a past Acclaim instructor pilot for Mooney International. He is a retired Chief Systems Engineer with advanced degrees in applied mathematics and computer science. Paul is Savvy’s go-to analyst for all things Mooney, and for turbocharged engine questions. Paul enjoys his second career as an aviation educator and in that role he serves as the CFI for his local IMC Club chapter, President of the San Diego Aviation Safety Counselors and instructor for an Advanced IFR Sim lab at San Diego’s Miramar Community College.

Terry Washow

Engine Data Analyst

Terry is an A&P/IA, and a CFI-II with over 3000 flight hrs. Terry is a recent float-plane enthusiast, and has owned a continually modified C model Bonanza for the last 35 years. Terry has an extensive airline background and currently works as an independent Airline Certification Consultant in Maintenance Programs and Safety to support his “real” airplane habit. Terry has held positions as a Part 135 Chief Inspector, 121 Airline Vice President of Maintenance, Part 119 Director of Safety, TSA Security Programs development, and was an early advocate of Safety Management Systems (SMS) design as a subject matter expert for the SASO design team.

Mike Gustafson

Engine Data Analyst

Mike is an A&P, IA, CFII, and ATP. He spent most of his career in engineering management in Silicon Valley. Currently he maintains and repairs airplanes and gives flight instructions at Pine Mountain Lake Airport in California. He has also taught ground school at California community colleges. Mike has flown his beloved Cherokee 180 for over 40 years and recently built an RV7, which he proudly flew to Oshkosh.

Ray Eaker A&P/IA

Senior Engine Data Analyst

Ray is an A&P with over 30 years of aviation maintenance experience, starting with Blackhawk helicopters in an Army special operations unit at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. In 2017, Ray finished building his RV-7A and enjoys putting his SEL rating to use during cross country trips. He currently owns and operates Volo Aero, LLC, providing maintenance and avionics services to general aviation and experimental aircraft.

Jud Rupert A&P/IA

Engine Data Analyst

Jud was born and raised in central Pennsylvania where he apprenticed with his A&P/IA rated father. He attended Penn State University where he received his BS in Aeronautical Engineering, followed up with his MAS from Embry-Riddle. He was a member of the US Naval Test Pilot School Class 132, working for the Navy as a flight test engineer for 10 years. Jud also has experience as an Air Safety Investigator. Jud has extensive training and experience working with Lycoming Engines. Jud owns and flies a Cessna 170A and is restoring a Luscombe 8B and is building an experimental biplane.

Marty McNabb

Engine Data Analyst

Marty is a Private Pilot SEL, instrument rated with a tailwheel endorsement. He built and completed Phase I testing of a Mustang II, which he has flown for the last 10 years including a trip to Oshkosh in 2018.He is a software engineer with over forty years of experience in operating systems, numerical controls, business processes and mobile application development. After 9/11 he was part of a team that developed and implemented distributed sensing stations for US Homeland Security and the New York City Health Department to collect, analyze and alert of any possible airborne biochemical attacks. When he’s not flying, Marty likes long rides on his Harley and touring the backcountry in his Jeep.

Stephanie Foster Schledorn

Engine Data Analyst

Stephanie is a retired police captain and a commercially rated pilot. She and her late husband owned and operated a business patrolling high voltage power lines with fixed wing aircraft. She flew over 2100 hours of low level patrol in Oklahoma and the surrounding states. After selling the patrol business, Stephanie started working on airplanes full time to support her airplane habit; a Super Decathlon and the workhorse Cessna 172. She is an A&P and has completed Rotax 912 Service and Maintenance training. She has thirteen years of maintenance experience, including two years at a Cirrus and Cessna service center. Stephanie now works out of her hangar in Northeastern Oklahoma where she maintains and repairs GA and Light Sport aircraft.

Paul Hiester

SavvyAI R&D Specialist

Paul is an aircraft owner and instrument rated pilot. Holding a Masters degree in mechanical engineering, Paul has 13 years of work experience for Pratt and Whitney and holds several design patents relating to aircraft gas turbine engines. He is passionate about data analysis, statistics and process improvement. Paul is currently working on Savvy’s data analysis and predictive maintenance initiatives.

Lonnie Lucius A&P/IA

Engine Data Analyst

Lonnie is an A&P/IA with over 20 years experience working in general aviation. He is also a Commercial Pilot/CFI-II-MEI with over 11,000 flight hours logged in a wide range of aircraft.  He owns an FBO with a flight school and maintenance shop in Central Louisiana where he enjoys helping pilots achieve safe, efficient operation of their aircraft.

Melissa Plumer

Manager of Operations

Melissa is in charge of the non-technical aspects of Savvy’s maintenance management services, including aircraft maintenance records, prebuy inquiries, client and service center support services, contracts, insurance, and numerous other administrative responsibilities. She is an instrument rated commercial single- and multi-engine pilot, a certified flight instructor, and spent time as a flight attendant. She and her husband own a 1976 Cessna Cardinal.

Susan Godfrey

Client Support Specialist

Susan handles client support for SavvyAnalysis and SavvyPre-Buy, and backs up Melissa when she’s out-of-pocket.. Susan’s professional background is in insurance, real estate and HR, and she supported the VP for HR at SAIC for fifteen years. A native Southern Californian, she enjoys year-round gardening along with two dogs, two cats and a pond full of fish. Susan is not a pilot, but has taken the AOPA pinch-hitter course and has a bunch of right-seat time in her husband Joe’s Bellanca Super Viking.

Corey Winer

Client Support Specialist