LIFT Academy Welcomes Sean Gallinat as Director of Maintenance

We are thrilled to welcome Sean Gallinat as our new Director of Maintenance at our Indianapolis LIFT Academy Hangar! With over three decades of experience and a lifelong passion for aviation, Sean is a valuable addition to our team. 

Sean’s Journey into Aviation 

Sean’s fascination with aviation started at a young age, sparked by trips with his parents to watch airplanes at the local airport. This early love for aviation led him to enroll in aviation shop classes during high school. It was during this time that Sean knew his future was in aviation. 

Taking Off into a Career in Aviation Maintenance 

Sean’s professional journey began in 1992 as an aircraft technician. Over the years, he worked for several regional careers and a major airline before joining Chautauqua Airlines in 2003 as a technician at CMH (Columbus, OH). His strong leadership and technical expertise quickly propelled him into more advanced roles and ultimately landed his position as a Director of Engineering for Republic Airways. In June of 2024, Sean made the move to LIFT Academy as Director of Maintenance.  

For Sean, the people in the aviation community are what make his career truly rewarding. “I’ve been fortunate to make some great friends within the community and worked with some of the same people over my 30+ year career. I also find the day-to-day challenges rewarding. Every day brings new challenges and working to overcome those challenges is very rewarding.”

Looking Back and Looking Ahead 

From technician to leader, Sean has afforded many opportunities to take his career to new heights. “Continuing to learn and grow from a technician on the floor to a people leader is one area I’m proud of. I enjoy building a team and watching them grow. At Republic Airways, achieving an approved Reliability Program and the work done with data analytics is something I’m very proud of,” he shared. 

Advice for Other Aviation Technicians 

Sean’s advice for those starting their careers in aviation maintenance? “Never stop learning and be curious.” His dedication to lifelong learning has been a key driver of his success, and he encourages others to remain inquisitive and open to new opportunities.

We are thrilled to have Sean leading our maintenance team, especially as LIFT continues to grow and set new standards in both flight training and aviation maintenance. We look forward to seeing the positive impact he will make at LIFT Academy. To learn more, visit the Aviation Maintenance page on our website.