A Brief History of Tri-State Aero, Inc.
by Tom Speer

Tri-State Aero officially opened the door for business on April 1, 1963. Our place of business was a small block building with a noisy oil fired space heater and no A/C on what we affectionately called Mt. Vernon International, in Mt. Vernon, IN. The date was accidental but probably prophetic.

Our staff consisted of Buz, a pilot/mechanic with a loyal following, and Tom, a pilot/flight instructor with a loyal following. We were complete strangers 30 days previous though each had heard frequently of the other through the industry channels and had mutual respect for each others expertise. Partnerships are fragile generally but we were very lucky because we worked together well and were like brothers ultimately.

The shop layout was a pole barn about 40x60 with 12 foot clear height. Heat and light was primitive and ventilation excessive! We had a N/S 2500 foot main runway with obstructions, paved in reasonably well drained sod for 75% of it, and a rough poorly drained obstructed E/W sod runway. Our office was two rooms and a bathroom in a block building. We had a porch with a park bench that hosted many knowledgeable discussions and a great deal of advice offered by the clientle solicited or not.

Our fleet was a Cessna 150, 172, 182, and ultimately a Piper Apache. We crewed two customer aircraft, a Cessna 185 and a 205. We did charter, maintenance, flight instruction, fueling, aircraft washing, etc.

Buz was full time on meager salary, Tom on straight commission. No profit but great memories.

We had several stockholders all of whom contributed immeasurably to our success. Walter Reed of Reed Auto Supply, Bob Burris, Faultless Caster, a business guru, Coy Woodring, a very creative jack of all trades, Bob Brown, ran a boat store well, Buz and I. As with the business world, some sold to others and stock changed hands and consolidated.

Our landlord sold us his lease and the improvements in 1981. This enabled further growth by building hangar 5 at the far west end of the lease for our maintenance department.

Our industry began a dramatic structural change during the "80's" and we adapted to the times and continue to do so with the help of our fine staff. We are blessed with outstanding employees and continue to depend on them as we meet the challenges presented us.

We have alumni all over the world using the skills they acquired or polished while working with us. We have trained people for the military, corporate, airline, even civil servants. We always celebrate the success of our staff and the alumni of Tri-State Aero, Inc.

Buz and I took pride in seeing our employees grow whether they stayed with us or moved to other jobs. Buz was a very good teacher of his many skills and instilled a strong work ethic in his protégés. We miss him very much.

We are closing out 35 years and look forward to many more as we try to safely and competently serve our customers as we have for decades. I personally can't begin to acknowledge all the people who have helped and influenced me through the years so all I can do is say thank you. I continue to enjoy working in this business and hope to make more history.

In April 2000, Tom sold Tri-State Aero to John Zeidler and became Director of Operations. In April 2001, Tom retired from Tri-State Aero after 38 years.