Senior Repair Development Engineer at Able Engineering
Airman’s scholastic persistence pays off when he lands a great job engineering aircraft repairs.
by Warren Duffie
When Cullen Longman first joined the Air Force, he loaded bombs onto F-16s. He later moved on to structural aircraft repair, fixing sheet metal, working on broken parts and troubleshooting wear and tear. But Longman was ambitious and aspired to design aircraft repair projects. So he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering one class at a time over his 21-year military career. His persistence and hard work paid off when he was hired by Able Engineering in 2008.
“I didn’t have much direction in life when I first enlisted,” said Longman, 42. “The military instilled in me a sense of purpose and the desire to succeed.”
On the Job
Based at the company’s Phoenix headquarters, Longman is a senior repair development engineer. The former master sergeant oversees a team of three other engineers working on helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft components. Client companies include Southwest, Northwest and United Airlines, as well as PHI Helicopters, Vector Aerospace and Air Methods.
Longman’s facility focuses on repairing and extending the life of aircraft parts. He specializes in transmission components, carriage fittings, rotor brakes and engine mounts. He works from 0600 to 1430. Longman’s day consists of assessing daily project priorities, tracking dates for completing repairs and shipping out parts on time, calculating the best methods for repairing assigned parts and writing repair documents and reports for the machinists on the work floor.
“My Air Force career taught me how to lead and inspire others,” Longman said. “And because I spent many years working in repair shops, I know how to interact with the machinists and speak the language.”
The Company
Able Engineering specializes in both fixed-wing and rotor-wing component repairs and overhauls. With more than 6,000 FAA-approved repairs available on over 3,000 individual components, Able has found new ways to reduce aircraft operating costs. While this sounds simple, before the company started in 1982, worn and damaged aircraft parts had to be replaced with new ones. By adding new life to existing components, Able reduces aircraft operating costs by as much as 60 percent. Today, Able employs 190 people and earned 2008 revenues of $32 million.
In Uniform
A native of Morgan City, La., Longman enlisted in 1987 with a desire to see the world. After boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, he completed aircraft armament training at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. During his career, he served in Arizona, South Carolina, Washington and England. When Longman earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota in 2008, he decided it was time to pursue a civilian career.
The Transition
Longman took transition classes and networked with old friends and colleagues. At a base job fair, he reconnected with an old boss who worked for Able Engineering. After lining up an interview, Longman secured a part-time job at the company before coming on board full time after six months.
“My first day went very smoothly,” he said. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be. About 10 percent of the company is made up of military veterans, so I felt very comfortable. It’s a great company. I make a little more than I did in the Air Force, but I also have my retirement benefits and TRICARE. And I make use of Able’s 401(k) and other investment opportunities.”
Longman’s Advice
Get your degree. “Make sure you’ll be able to use your degree when you leave the military.”
Make use of your leadership skills. “You can learn technical skills, but leadership is harder to come by and will set you apart from other job seekers. My leadership experience helped me greatly.”