Wichita-based Yingling Aviation has appointed a new CEO, Gregg Fahrenbruch, to lead the general and business aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business and fixed-base operator (FBO) as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
Fahrenbruch is no stranger to growing an aviation business.
“Gregg’s combination of entrepreneurial drive, operational experience and ability to build and scale businesses are what Yingling needs to help take the company to the next level and deliver even greater value to customers,” said Jon Nemo, managing partner at AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm that acquired a majority ownership of the company in 2023.
Fahrenbruch met with the Yingling team in March and will move to Wichita soon. “I think I shook 300 mechanics' hands on Friday; it was great,” Fahrenbruch said.
Yingling expects continued growth in demand on legacy aircraft, such as Cessna Citations, King Airs and others, building on that core strength, he said. The company has accelerated growth in the midsize and ultra long-range business jet segments, offering services such as maintenance, component overhauls, paint, interior refurbishments, avionics and inflight connectivity capabilities.
In addition, it plans to add a dedicated 60,000 ft.2 paint hangar to accommodate ultra-long-range business jets, such as the Bombardier Global 7500. The company expects construction to begin sometime in 2026 with a target opening in 2027.
To meet that demand, Yingling, which operates two shifts, plans to add a third shift within the next 12 months with a goal of hiring 35 to 50 additional technicians as soon as possible.
Hiring enough technicians is the industry’s biggest challenge. Yingling plans to recruit inside and outside Wichita through personal engagement, hiring fares and through Aircraft and Powerplant training schools. He also plans to recruit by promoting the advantages of living in Wichita.
“I see many mechanics struggling in Denver and all these metropolitan markets where the homes are so expensive that it makes you scratch your head,” Fahrenbruch said. “That’s going to be one of our strategies—to tell the story—come to Wichita; build a great life.” It’s a place with affordable housing and cost of living, he noted.
Fahrenbruch grew up in an aviation family. His father was a medevac helicopter pilot, who also flew privately, often carrying his son on board. Fahrenbruch began skydiving and parachuting in college. Once out of college, he began teaching SEAL team members how to jump. That was during the start of the Global War on Terrorism in 2001 and 2002. He also worked with the Marine Corps and Army supporting Special Operations.
At the time, training aircraft went to Afghanistan, leaving a shortage of trainers in the U.S. In response, Fahrenbruch built a maintenance business and purchased aircraft, such as Twin Otters, to support Special Operations. When government contract funding softened around 2013, he moved to the Denver area and in 2014 bought charter operator Mountain Aviation.
Under Fahrenbruch, Mountain Aviation become the largest Part 135 Citation X super midsize jet operator with 45 aircraft. It also operated a repair center for Citation and King Air aircraft. In his first five years there, revenue grew nearly fivefold. In 2021, Fahrenbruch sold the company to Wheels Up, its largest customer. At the time of the sale, Mountain Aviation employed 300 people, including more than 150 pilots and 45 maintenance personnel in multiple locations, according to Wheels Up at the time.
“It was the most incredible growth story,” Fahrenbruch said. He stayed on with Wheels Up for two years as executive vice president of operations directing its nationwide maintenance network.
Fahrenbruch is an investor in several aviation related companies and has owned everything from King Airs to Gulfstream aircraft. For the past 18 months, he has served as aviation operations manager at the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s airborne research program, rebuilding flight operations, maintenance, safety systems and team structure to support its missions.
“It’s truly incredible when you see what these aircraft can do for high altitude atmospheric monitoring,” Fahrenbruch said.
Fahrenbruch is a hands-on CEO.
“I’m not a boardroom CEO,” he said. “I’m a lead from the front and be out there with the guys and really help build and listen to the team ... to listen to all the great ideas on the hangar floor because there’s so many great things that can come when you build that relationship.”
Yingling, which opened in 1946 as a full-service MRO provider, is celebrating its 80th anniversary. The Yingling family operated the company until 1982 when it sold to Jerry Vanier. In 2000, Wichita pilot and businessman Lynn Nichols bought the company, which had been struggling and turned it around. Nichols remains a minority owner following its sale to AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm.
Fahrenbruch assumes the role of CEO from Robert Rasberry, a former West Star Aviation executive, who is no longer with the company.
In 2024, Yingling purchased Mid-Continent Aviation Services, a full-service MRO provider, and Bevan Aviation, an avionics repair provider. Both are near Yingling at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. In 2025, Yingling purchased Global Engineering & Technology, a cabinetry and interior refurbishment provider.
Including the acquisitions, Yingling now operates 14 hangars with 550,000 ft.2 of space and more than 400 employees.
In the last two years, Yingling has grown dramatically. “I don’t think most people understand that,” Fahrenbruch said. “But we still want to maintain that family feel and focus on the team and the culture and then layer on the processes to help with the quality and the safety and everything that goes along with that. But it still starts with the team.”
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