We were lucky to catch up with Richard Scarbrough recently and have shared our conversation below.

Richard, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Words have always been my escape. As a kid, I would lose myself in works such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Breaking Away by Joseph Howard, and S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Some connected with my inner need for freedom, while others gave me that freedom in escapism fantasy. I spent my days sailing the seven seas, racing a bicycle downhill at breakneck speed, and fistfighting socs alongside greasers. Stories captivate me, and truthfully, stories captivate us all. Stories bind us together as a society, pass knowledge down to the next generation, and entertain us.

I received my four-year degree at fifty years old. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is often called the Harvard of the skies. ERAU also requires extensive writing. One of my aviation maintenance instructors, Dr. Bettina Mrusek, provided feedback on one of my essays that altered the trajectory of my life. She simply said, “You need to be a writer.”

Aircraft mechanics are highly trained, exceptionally talented, and wholly dedicated to the care and keeping of aircraft. They are not, however, known for their prose. Aside from the occasional logbook entry “checks good this station,” you will not find in-depth literal pieces about the beauty of a perfectly calibrated torque wrench—this is where I come in. I am an aircraft maintenance PR department. Pilots get all the good press. You can see them in the terminal, dark uniforms, gold epaulets, and Top Gun Ray Bans. Not as many entities tell aircraft maintenance stories, which is a shame. What started as a practice exercise to teach my daughters, Mia and Maggie, about creating content quickly became a thriving business. They are my creative captains and bring the perfect new-age yin to my old-school yang. We make a great team. At ScarbroughCo, LLC, we use storytelling to spark collaboration. What is your story?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Richard Scarbrough, a U.S. Naval Aviation Veteran, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) alumnus, and writer. With over 30 years in aviation, I’ve worn many hats—from A&P Mechanic to Technical Sales Representative and MRO shop owner—gaining invaluable insights and lessons. My passion for aviation sparked at age 10 during a sales call with my father at a grass airfield in Plains, Georgia, and became my purpose. A short flight in a high-wing taildragger sealed my fate—I knew I wanted to be in aviation for life.

After high school, I joined the Navy, trained as an Airframe Structures Mechanic, and earned my A&P License. I then started working in airline line maintenance. The flight line taught me resilience, but I realized that passion needed to align with my purpose for a sustainable career. Transitioning to corporate aviation, I spent years as a Rotable Coordinator and Sales Representative, learning the business side of aviation. This experience honed my skills in guiding customers through complex technical sales, from landing gear to flight control systems. My passion evolved into a purpose: telling airplane stories.

Along the way, I launched two aviation start-ups: a distribution business and an engine maintenance shop. This dual experience sharpened my business acumen while keeping me hands-on with mechanical work. Stripping down engines to the crankshaft was both a challenge and a therapy. Owning an engine shop provided a comprehensive view of aircraft maintenance, from training and compliance to tool calibration. Each career phase added layers of knowledge for navigating the intricate world of aviation maintenance. I started ScarbroughCo, LLC, to help aircraft mechanics translate their work for a mainstream audience. My daughters and I take the time to get to know our clients, and through that personal connection, we can tell their stories to spark collaboration with potential clients.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I attended MRO Americas in 2018, the country’s biggest aviation show. As a sales representative for an international aviation solutions provider covering the southeastern USA, my biggest client was a major cargo airline headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. At the time, we were in negotiations to assist the engineering team in developing an alternate maintenance method for its 802170 series High-Pressure Shutoff Valve. I worked with their engineers and supply chain professionals, and my job was to present our offering and win the business ahead of my competitors.

One highlight of MRO Americas is its State of the Airline session, in which top airline leaders form a panel discussion, present their opinions, and take questions via meet-and-greet after the session. Before this session, I felt a familiar rumble in my stomach and needed to eat. After standing in line for who knows how long and paying $18.00 for a Sesame Chicken bowl, I wedge myself into a tight opening at one of the tabletop stands that lined the side of the event space. Directly to my right, close enough to rub elbows, was the Vice President of Maintenance for said cargo airline, finishing his lunch and reviewing his speech notes on his phone.

There are times in one’s life when destiny forces itself upon thee, and all one can do is throw caution to the wind and dive headlong into the opportunity. The Roman poet Virgil famously stated, “Audentes Fortuna Iuvat.” Fortune favors the bold. I thrust my right hand forward and, with my left, produced my business card, which I always have ready. Somewhat startled, the VP took my handshake with a firm grip and an expression that said, “Do I know you?” I promptly said Richard Scarbrough, sir. I handle your account for my company, and I am very much looking forward to your talk. He smiled graciously and said, “Nice to meet you; stop by afterward for the meet and greet.” As we parted company, I promptly dialed up my contact at the airline and said, “I just had lunch with your Vice President, and he wants to hear all about our 802170 solution.” At the meet and greet, the VP was surprised to learn that I knew his 802170 Mean Time Between Unscheduled Removals (MTBUR) data and agreed to another meeting one month later, and his boss, the CFO, would join us.

I flew to Louisville with my chief commercial officer and won the business the following month.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

We use storytelling to spark collaboration. That is our mission statement. What is the why behind that? We tell airplane stories to raise awareness of the technical skills of aircraft mechanics.

My job is to show the world the importance of aircraft maintenance. While I am aware that some may think it is important, most do not know why. Allow me to demonstrate this. Who flew the first aircraft? Correct, Orville and Wilbur Wright. Their story has been passed down through the ages.

Ok, next question. Who was their mechanic? Did you know he hand-built the Wright Flyer engine from a scribbled note tacked up to his workbench? I profiled him in an article for FLYING Magazine. You can look it up. This is why I created ScarbroughCo, LLC, to tell the story of the aircraft mechanic.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://scarbroughco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard.scarbrough.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richard.scarbrough.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardscarbrough/
• Twitter: https://x.com/RScarCo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scarbroughco
• Other: https://linktr.ee/scarbroughco

Image Credits

credit Rick & Mike at Tempest to Tempest Aerospace
credit all others to Richard Scarbrough