aircraft mechanic

technician

sales representative

avionics technician

sheet metal mechanic

Duncan Aviation

Duncans Bread & Butter is the sale of Technician Labor. They profit from selling your time and they want all of it. They litteraly make their Money upon the backs of their Employees.  The more time you sell them the more successful you will be there, regardless of your skills or ability. So, 50+ hrs a week is required, if you decline, you'll be in disfavor until they find a weak excuse to let you go. Forget about Work/Life Balance. The Health Insurance is weak. They suspend wage increases, 401K match, even reduce salary and hourly wages at the faintest whisper of a recession. But continue to build new Hangars regardless. The Management sufferes from the Scarcity Mindset through and through, from top to bottom and it filters down into the culture of the general Employees, which reflects a hi turnover rate. Those that stay can expect just enough training to eak by. If you last long enough you will soak up some tribal knowledge but never all, as hoarding knowledge and recources is a tool of the Scarcity mind. There is opportunity for advancement, especially if you have a degree in.. Well, anything, Basket weaving, Liberal Arts, accounting is best. You dont need to know anything about Airplanes. Just be willing to do what it takes to maximize profits, step on Fingers & Toes, stand on necks, throwing people under the buss and stabbing them in the back. Exploit People whilst telling them they have it good and if they dont like it, theres the door. :)  It's a byproduct of going big corp. The bigger they get the less focus on Employee Morale, because that's not conducive with maximizing profits. They fein concern with Employee Morale with constant Culture Audits and "Stay Inyerviews" but things only get worse because they keep placing the same People in Management positions. And soon it's going to go from bad to worse. As the older more experienced workforce Retires/leaves, they will be taking their knowledge with them. Leaving the new workforce, stifled by scarcity mentality and Corperate Greed, they will be stuck in a constant circle of starting over, just swirling down the drain. ;)

Duncan Aviation was overall a decent place to work. I was on the Engine Line and it was either long work weeks with lots of overtime or it was dead in the water depending on the time of year. There was a lot of good things that I learned from a lot of really good people and there were also a lot of negative things that led me to moving on from the company. The one main problem I had with the company was the pay, you're supposed to have reviews based on your pay scale and in the three years I worked for Duncan I was reviewed appropriately one time when I should have been reviewed four times in total, I received a 60 cent raise after being there for my three years in which I went on road trips, worked in various different states and really did try to put forth a good effort but none of it was recognized in the end. The good things about Duncan were mainly the people and the different planes that come in and out of the facility, there were a lot of very useful things that I learned from working there and Duncan aviation is recognized a lot of places in the aviation community since the community is so small and it doesn't hurt to have on a resume. The other positive aspects are they do have a small workout facility on site and the break rooms there a very nice as well as the different places that come on site to serve lunch daily which of course you have to pay for but they are good.. 


This is also just my personal view on the company, I also was hired on in the highest turnover rated position on the company.. compared to the airframe teams or the avionics teams I personally went through 3 different team leaders and saw probably 6 different people come and go so it was a very high stress and very fast paced environment..

I worked at this company for several years, including in a satellite office. Based on my experience, the organization offers competitive pay and benefits, especially for those near the main office.

However, I noticed that employees in satellite locations may encounter more limited opportunities for career advancement and less direct support from leadership compared to those in central locations. In my view, training and system usage were not always consistent across offices, which at times created inefficiencies.

From my perspective, management and HR were not always inclined to advocate for employees during disputes. Employment decisions could be influenced by older issues rather than focusing solely on recent performance, and the company may rely on its at-will employment policy when making such decisions. I believe that clearer communication, standardized training, and stronger advocacy for employees—especially in satellite offices—could greatly improve the work environment.

Managers truly care about what makes you happy, comfortable, and equipped for success. Monthly 1 on 1 meetings with department head, bi-annual performance review and raise. Quarterly meetings as a department to try and fix issues that employees or management had. People will listen and will try to fix things if you have a valid issue.

Was able to work almost any hours I liked in a 2 week period so long as it met 80Hrs. including random days off swaped with a different day. Extreme flexibility for vacation requests. Never overload you with more work than you can handle. Realistic expectations

Pay for performance and recognition for good work. When you go the extra mile your managers will too. often rewarded with praise, food, ect. industry low wages though. good bonus structure. Pilot training or educational reimbursement programs. 

High amount off appreciation through dinners, food brought in, holiday events, raffles, basketball competitions. So many events to choose from, you will feel at home.

If you put the work in and be a good worker you will love it



Been working at this job for a few months and I hate my life. I moved out of state to work at this job and was so excited for it. Biggest disappointment ever! Was excited to learn and excel as an aircraft mechanic. Asking questions is discouraged with eye rolls and condescending attitude from project leads and Quality inspectors so you constantly feel like an annoyance. Then when you do screw up because of the lack of knowledge it’s put all on you. So after you screw up you triple check that every task you do is right and all you get is petty comments about how you’re slow. I had a project lead basically tell me I’m slow and I suck. When I asked other co-workers I became friends with on second shift they all said “yeah that happens a lot here, it’s normal.” I have never felt more stressed in my life here at this company. They wonder why the amount of accidents is up by 300% in 2020? It is because of toxic culture. The core values that Duncan has don’t exist. They say it’s about honestly and integrity and being the best at what we do...except it’s not because money matters more.

Pay wise it’s barely enough considering cost of living, though they have been more responsive since 2019 and they have a good profit sharing. Huge plus is that the company will do a lot to avoid layoffs (though I suspect this has to do with the fact it’s harder for them to attract new employees with experience considering the pay and cost of living). Training is mostly hands on and informal though you can sign a contract for a couple of years for apprenticeship training to get A&P. Due to the not so competitive pay there’s been a good amount of turnover that results in low ratio of experienced to new techs, but also opens opportunities to move up or over to a different team. Though pay hasn’t really been great I’ve been treated well and have had more experiences than I thing I would have gotten at a similar company. Culture trends to emphasizing quality over all else I would say, as well as a some “family owned, we’re a family” vibe though it depends what team you’re on if that actually exists. Lots of exposure to interactions with customers/DoMs. 

Prior experience encompasses over 20 years in General Aviation. Phase maintenance experience comprised of progressive inspections, heavy repairs, and an operations/customer service background collaborating with multiple departments, management, and owner/operators. During which I acquired 8 years supervisory experience as a Lead Technician III, and 12 years as a return to service Quality assurance inspector; I possess an overall commitment to safety, quality, customer service, and training integration. I am skilled with tooling and test equipment, research, publications, and regulatory compliance. Collectively I am adept in coordinated efforts of FAA regulation, Company policy, and OEM engineering essential to facilitate FAA approved aircraft repair.

For those who work at Duncan Aviation, the experience gained for a new employee fresh out of A&P school or avionics schooling can be great. The company has a negative work culture on the floor which can eat away at positive minded employees over time. The organization has a great outlook to change their culture to a more positive one, but they take no action to initiate the change. I enjoyed the relations I built with my fellow co-workers and even direct managers, but my overall opinion is that management needs to work on their levels of professionalism in the organization. To conclude my experience with this company, it is great for those seeking early career experience but can serve as a roadblock for those with large amounts of experience elsewhere. The company has poor compensation but great benefits through their healthcare programs. Employees with 6-8 years of experience can expect compensation from $28-$33 an hour.

When I first started it seems like there was a great culture in place and the opportunities for advancement were endless. But what I quickly realized it that the so called “Quality” that they preach is a joke. They will hire about anybody and do not hold them to the proper standards. Within the first months guys were causing $100,000s of damage and hardly getting punished, signing things off without ever witness the maintenance and not following the manuals. The worst that would happen was a week suspension of their QI stamp. The QI gets extremely over worked and don’t get any sort of financial incentive for taking on the extra responsibility. They don’t like to give raises, and would rather let people walk than give a deserved salary. With that being said the guys you work with on the floor are great and super fun to be around. I think there’s a lot of room for potential and think it’s really cool they offer classes to help with getting your A or P. It is what you make it but overall not a bad place, just has long hours and lackluster pay.

Leadership is a joke, friends promoting friends. Benefits aren’t great, office staff get all the perks, example: Project Managers don’t have to use PTB for a 1/2 day but the guys on the floor working hard have to use it if they miss an hour of work. There’s honestly no checks and balances in this environment. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen management on the floor actually contributing, they just had a meeting at Gilmore Car Museum for “leadership only” to discuss how to fix some issues, maybe they shoulder actual leave their offices and hang out on the floor once a month, or better yet, stop underpaying technicians who’s stressful job it is to maintain a massive aircraft, and make the company money which pays their salaries??? Other than that it’s an ok place to work, some people love it, some people hate it, I just like to watch the circus. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Aircraft mechanic 5 salaries reported	$28.48 per hour
Technician 4 salaries reported	$22.50 per hour
Sales representative 3 salaries reported	$55,000 per year
Avionics technician 3 salaries reported	$30.23 per hour
Sheet metal mechanic 1 salary reported	$34,000 per year

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