Rick Ochs, President, CEO

Spirit Aeronautics, a division of Avionics Ltd. The company, located at KCMH airport in Columbus, Ohio was established in March of 2000 by Rick as a sole proprietorship. Prior to starting Spirit, he began his lifelong avionics centered career in the US Navy. He moved into the airline and corporate aircraft avionics sectors before striking out into a new start-up enterprise serving the business & government / special missions aircraft market. Rick began his career during high school in a 2-year vocational training program in Communications Electronics at Northeast Career Center in Columbus, Ohio. In this course is where he first heard the word “Avionics”. It was then that he knew that a career in Avionics was going to be his calling. Rick served in the US Navy and became an Avionics Technician.

Following an enlistment in the Navy he continued to advance his career with Southern Air Transport as their Avionics Department Manager. He took on the responsibility providing for avionics support for a large fleet of 747’s, DC-8’s and C-130 aircraft operating on a global scale.

Spirit now has over 30 aviation professionals on staff focused on supporting business class & Special Missions aircraft. The company has enjoyed excellent success in US military and government contracts for major aircraft modification programs. Spirit has completed major projects for the USAF, NASA Langley and NASA Glenn Research centers in additional to many business aircraft flight departments and aircraft management companies.

Presently, Rick serves on ASTM International’s F-46 Committee as Chairperson and he is Vice Chair of F46.01 & F46.05 Subcommittees. F46 has now developed and published the Aircraft Electronics Technician and Core Academic Curriculum standards for industry credentialing of Aerospace Engineers and Avionics Technicians.

He volunteered significantly with the National Center for Aircraft Technician Training (NCATT) Certification and Accreditation Committee having served on the Communications, Navigation and Avionics Installation & Integration certification sub-committees. He has previously served on the National Business Aircraft Association Maintenance Managers Committee as a Co-Chair of the Advanced Training / Education Sub-Committee.

Rick also serves as the Youth Aviation Adventure’s, Director of Development promoting aviation careers to kids across the U.S. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Aircraft Electronics Association for 9 years.

He holds or has held the FAA Radio Repairman 1, 2 & 3, Airframe mechanic and Private Pilot (Instrument rated) certificates along with an FCC General Radio Operators License. He is a recipient of the ASTM Aircraft Electronics Technician (Avionics) industry certification with various endorsements.

Rick was awarded the FAA’s General Aviation - Avionics Technician of the year award in 2012 and the Aircraft Electronics Association Person of the Year award in 2010. He was accepted into the Quiet Birdmen organization in 2022.

Steve Wathen, Vice President

Steve established Equity/ECS, a full service commercial real estate company, in 1987 and since that time the company has become a leader in commercial development, construction, brokerage, and property management. Equity has a robust history in most real estate product types – with an emphasis in healthcare, retail, and office. The expansion of the firm to five states and nine cities across the country is due to Steve’s focus on growing the company.

Steve also has a passion for aviation and has been a licensed and active pilot since 1977. In 1996, he founded Youth Aviation Adventure, a not-for-profit educational organization which runs programs across the United States aimed at exposing youth, 12 to 18 years of age, to aviation technology and careers. In 2002, Steve joined with Rick Ochs in Spirit Aeronautics to help Rick grow the company to a national leader in aircraft maintenance, retrofit and support.