I had a chance to check out the Baker maintenance hub in Burlington, NC. There was definitely a sense of purposeful intensity and hustle. Lots of mx guys, everyone working. It was not the picture of the lone one or two maintainers in a dark hangar. The hangar was clean and organized, brightly lit, and more like a clean room than a maintenance facility.

I also tagged along with some recent pilot hires to a new Challenger 300 acquisition. These pilots bring years of knowledge and experience to Baker, along with the enthusiasm you would want in a new hire. Though all the pilots had different personalities, they were all friendly and easy to talk to. All of them were enthusiastic about their futures with Baker, and rightly so. It's a step up from other 135 operators with better pay, benefits, retirement, per diem, etc. The pilots I talked to were all of the same ilk; they would rather be flying than butt-hanging, and the flight-hour pay makes long days worthwhile.

The Challenger 300 we toured is beautiful and in great shape. She smelled and looked brand, spanking new. She was clean inside and out. One of the mx guys came out while the pilots were doing some training, and I observed how much he knew about the nuances of the 300. If you don't have great mx, it doesn't matter how good, experienced, hard-working, or friendly your pilots are. And mx is something Baker has invested in and is doing differently and more effectively.

Lastly, if you want to work for Baker, they are telling the truth about hard work. Don't apply if you aren't ready to bust your tail. It's a weeding out process from the beginning, and I mean from your literal start date. And it makes sense. They have built something different at Baker and want to protect it and perpetuate it for the future. They aren't looking at just a paycheck for today; they are looking at keeping Baker around for years to come. And that only happens when all the employees are in a simultaneous rhythm. In rowing, it's called swing.

P.S. If you are curious about Baker's future, look at their past under Tim Livingston's leadership. Chase's posts outline Tim's goals for the company. And like prophecy fulfilled, Baker delivers.