By: Shawn Staerker
What if the coolest career in aviation started with three guys, a handful of radios, and one tiny corner of a hangar?
That’s exactly how Sarasota Avionics got its start — and today, it’s one of the most recognized names in general aviation, sponsoring hangars at Sun ‘n Fun, running multiple locations across Florida, and working on everything from experimental builds to Cirrus SR22s loaded with the latest Garmin glass. The journey from that cramped little hangar corner to a full-service avionics and maintenance powerhouse is the kind of story that should make every aspiring aviation professional lean forward in their seat.
We got the full inside look on The Future in Flight Podcast when host Shawn Staerker sat down with Zach Fryar and Mat Davis of Sarasota Avionics to talk about aviation careers. Here’s what we took away.
Family First — Even When It’s a Business
What makes Sarasota Avionics stand out isn’t just the tech. It’s the culture.
Mat Davis moved from New Jersey to Florida knowing absolutely nobody. His first birthday at the shop? They threw him a party and made him cupcakes. Holidays without family nearby? The team invited him over. “They just really took me in,” Mat said simply.
Zach Fryar, whose family helped build the company, put it plainly: making the customer family is what’s grown the business. The same goes for the team. Guys who’ve been there 20 years are still hanging out together on weekends. That’s not a company perk — that’s a culture.
If you’re 14, 18, or 22 and wondering whether aviation is a place where you’ll belong? Stories like Mat’s are your answer.
Wrenches, Wires, and a Really Cool Career Path
Here’s something you might not expect: Mat didn’t start in aviation. He came from automotive — and the switch changed everything.
“Working on cars… I think working on airplanes is just cleaner,” he said. “You’ve really got to fix stuff on airplanes. On your car, something breaks, you buy a new part. On an airplane, sometimes you’ve got to fix what’s actually broken. It makes me think harder, and I like that.”
That intellectual challenge is the heartbeat of avionics. We’re not talking about tightening bolts — we’re talking about installing Garmin G1000 NXi touchscreen systems, programming autopilots, and troubleshooting the kind of electrical puzzles that require serious problem-solving skills. As Zach put it, you can’t just read it in a book. You’ve got to do it and absorb the wisdom of the people around you like a sponge.
And the field? It’s not going anywhere. Zach’s advice to young people considering avionics careers: jump in. Immerse yourself. Take advantage of every opportunity. This is a career that computers won’t replace — because the people who install and maintain the computers are the ones keeping aviation safe.
Glass Is the Future (And the iPhone Unlocked It)
One of the biggest trends Sarasota Avionics sees every day? Pilots ripping out their old six-pack gauges and going full glass panel. Garmin GTN navigators. G3X touchscreens. Autopilots that practically fly the plane for you.
Nervous about making the switch? Zach had the best line of the whole interview: “If you can use an iPhone, you can use a GTN or a TXI.”
That’s it. That’s the unlock. If you’ve grown up swiping through apps, you already have the intuition to navigate modern avionics. The screen layout, the color-coded displays, the tap-and-drag interfaces — it’s all built for a generation that thinks in digital.
The upgrade process at Sarasota starts with a conversation: What do you want your plane to do? What’s your mission? What’s your budget? From there, their team finds the setup that truly fits — not just what a customer saw on YouTube, but what will actually work best for how they fly.
The Takeaway: Cool Gets Cool
From a one-third-of-a-hangar radio shop to a Cirrus Authorized Service Center with locations across Florida, Sarasota Avionics grew by doing one thing consistently: bringing in great people and treating them like family. That’s a blueprint worth studying — whether you want to start a business someday or just find a place where your career actually matters.
Aviation is full of those places. You just have to go looking.
Want to hear the full conversation about avionics careers, the future of automated aviation, and more? Catch the complete interview with Zach Fryar and Mat Davis of Sarasota Avionics on The Future in Flight Podcast right here: Long Form Conversation with Sarasota Avionics
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We’ll see you out there — and up there!
🔗 Links:
Sarasota Avionics: https://sarasotaavionics.com/
