John Cotter

I’m a reasonably well rounded aircraft maintenance technician. Focused on anything that flies for over 55 years, I received both my Private Certificate (SEL) and my Mechanic Certificate, with Airframe and Powerplant Ratings, by 1976. Education: a couple of A.A.S. degrees in Aviation, a B.S. in Aircraft Systems Technology and a Master’s in Instructional Design. Work history: a year in general aviation at Priester, then 6 years at TWA. Following this, 30 years of teaching and administering the Department of Aviation Technologies at Southern Illinois University. I have taught many of the classes in the maintenance and avionics curricula. I’ve inspected Cessna’s, Pipers, Beechcraft, Boeings, Lockheeds, McDonnell Douglas, and others.

Now retired with an audio engineering business to keep myself occupied, I recently finished overhauling the Lycoming O-320 in our Gulfstream Cheetah. It is, by serial number and airworthiness certificate date “The Last Cheetah” and also the last piston engine aircraft manufactured by Gulfstream. I fly it and my Air Creation trike as often as possible.