Josh Blair on Wrenching, Flying, and Coming Home to GA

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🗒️ Summary

What does it look like to build a life in aviation from the ground up — literally? In this episode, Shawn sits down with Josh Blair, founder of BlairCraft and a multi-rated A&P/IA with one of the most diverse resumes in general aviation. From soloing at 16 out of a small Southern Ohio FBO to hanging engines on Boeing 767s, running turbine R&D programs at the University of Notre Dame, and now restoring tube-and-fabric classics in Northern Indiana — Josh has done it all, and he’s just getting started.

Josh talks about the attention to detail he developed restoring his first car at 14, how that mindset carried directly into aviation maintenance, and why he took a $30,000 pay cut to get back to the airport he loves. He shares his passion for backcountry and STOL flying, his growing YouTube channel BlairCraft, and the big projects on the horizon — including a PA-16 Clipper hot rod and a ground-up restoration of a 1967 Mooney M20E. Oh, and there’s a runway being carved out of the Indiana countryside. With an excavator. That he bought himself.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the unconventional path can still lead somewhere great in aviation, Josh Blair is your answer.

🔑 Key Points

  • Attention to detail starts early. Josh restored his first car — a 1989 Firebird — at 14 years old, clear-coating under the hood and finishing it by his 16th birthday. That same mindset became the foundation of his approach to aircraft maintenance.
  • A local airport changes everything. Josh’s first W-2 job was at PMH (Portsmouth Municipal, Southern Ohio), just seven minutes from his house. He soloed at 16 and had his private certificate ready by his 17th birthday.
  • The unconventional path is still a valid path. Josh spent time in food production maintenance at General Mills before a friend’s text message pulled him into heavy airline MRO work on 767s — where he’d never used his A&P certificate until that point.
  • GE Aviation and turbine R&D. After heavy maintenance, Josh landed a position at GE Aviation working on CF6 engines (50,000 lbs. thrust), then spent seven and a half years at the University of Notre Dame Turbine Machinery Lab as a build lead across five research programs — with sponsors including GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, and Doosan Heavy Industries.
  • GA called him back — and he answered. Josh left the University of Notre Dame position and took roughly a $30,000 pay cut to return to general aviation maintenance full time, eventually earning his IA and launching BlairCraft.
  • The Spirit Engineering SE-1 is turning heads. Josh breaks down why this aircraft is generating serious buzz: approximately $69,500 new, 100 mph cruise on two gallons per hour, and a production approach unlike anything seen since the 1940s.
  • STOL community = family. Josh attended the High Sierra Fly-In solo (drove 29 hours each way), and describes the STOL and backcountry community as his “family reunion” — with Oshkosh as the annual centerpiece.
  • The runway build is real. Josh is actively clearing and grading a 2,600-foot private airstrip on family property in Northern Indiana using an excavator he purchased himself.
  • What’s next for GA? Josh sees the biggest near-term shifts coming in engine options and fuel availability — noting the DeltaHawk diesel and the ongoing transition away from 100LL as areas to watch.

⏲️ Timestamps

[00:00] — Welcome & Introduction: Shawn introduces Josh Blair, founder of BlairCraft, and sets up the conversation around Josh’s wide range of aviation experience.

[00:52] — How It Started: Josh’s first W-2 job at PMH airport in Southern Ohio at age 16 — just seven minutes from home — and soloing within the year.

[01:26] — The Car Connection: Restoring a 1989 Firebird at 14 and a half, and how that early obsession with detail directly shaped his approach to aircraft maintenance.

[05:59] — From General Mills to 767s: How a text message from a high school friend pulled Josh from food production maintenance into heavy MRO work on Boeing 767s — his first real use of the A&P certificate he’d earned years earlier.

[07:12] — GE Aviation & Notre Dame: Josh’s path from CF6 engine teardowns at GE Aviation to leading five turbine R&D programs at the University of Notre Dame, with sponsors including GE, Pratt & Whitney, and Doosan Heavy Industries.

[09:29] — The $30,000 Pay Cut: Why Josh Blair walked away from a great university position to return to GA — and how he built BlairCraft and his IA out of that decision.

[14:25] — Spirit Engineering SE-1 Deep Dive: What makes this aircraft stand out in today’s market — price, efficiency, and a production approach unlike anything in decades.

[17:27] — Building a Private Runway: Josh describes the ongoing project to grade a 2,600-foot private airstrip on family land in Northern Indiana using an excavator he sourced himself.

[21:12] — What’s Next: The PA-16 Clipper hot rod nearing completion, the 1967 Mooney M20E ground-up restoration, Oshkosh Creator Hub, and Josh’s five-year outlook on GA engine and fuel changes.

🔗 Links

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