Captain Potter’s Mojave Airplane Recycling Business Growing
By Pierre A. Kandorfer
Mojave. He is a former TWA captain, a local businessman, and definitely a Mojave original: Michael Potter, owner of P & M Aircraft at the Mojave airport.
With barely twenty, he became the youngest copilot flying for a major US airline. And just three years later, with twenty three, he advanced to a captain. At that time, he was the youngest airline transportation pilot (ATP) to command a passenger plane in US history.
“That’s a long time ago”, captain Potter – as he likes to be called – says. Then, after twenty years at TWA commander seat, everything became to a halt. Michael Potter got diabetes, and could not maintain his medical certificate anymore. His dream career gone!
However, this setback did not slow him down. About twenty five years ago, he started P & M Aircraft at the Mojave airport. Main business focus: Recycling old airplane parts by disassembling them for reuse. He has two full-time employees and several part timers, most of them working primarily at Edwards. Two of his workers are FAA certified mechanics, enabling them do legally identify, clean, tag, assign the parts, and provide them with the appropriate serial and part number. Potter: ”We only deal with aircraft no accident of any kind. Our recycled parts are as good as used parts can be….”
Even though Potter is not an “A&P” , aircraft and power plant mechanic, he has a family history of aircraft maintenance. His father used to own an aviation service company at the Burbank airport, and Potter grew up with airplanes.
Dozens of old-timers are piling up at his plant yard, just waiting to be taken apart. All Boeing models, from 707 to 747, are present – as well as DC9’s, DC10’s – and even an old Airbus 310. Potter: ”Contrary to the common believe, the airplane parts are not scrap metal but a valuable commodity on the used aviation part market.”
His clients come from all-over the states. They are all “old referrals”. No advertising, no marketing, no sales pitch needed. As Mike says, “in the aviation business, trusting people and their reliability is everything. You cannot gamble with aviation parts.”
Therefore, most of his clients are repeat customers. They come again and again. Mike Potter is as busy as always. “We have enough work until late into next year….”
The captain points out, that he “flew and delivered” the first airliners for long-term storage to Mojave in 1983 which established a new business line for the High Desert airport. Years ago, he operated also a fresh fish import from abroad.
Additionally, Mike is a seasoned technical advisor the movie industry. He worked on a series of big Hollywood movies, wrote or co-wrote a number of aviation scenes in movies such as Air Force One, Executive Decision, Pushing Tin, US Marshals, and more.
Even more business dropped in “automatically” after September 11 when airplane marshals needed old planes for their training and explosion tests. He is expecting another training and test session on his 747 soon. Among other things, they intend to blow out the plane doors.
What is the secret of his success? “There is no real secret”, he says. “In our business, you just need total commitment, reliability and honesty. If you deliver that, the customers will return automatically….”
And they do. With 62 and somehow handicapped with his diabetes, there is no way for him to retire anytime soon. In a couple of weeks, he expects another thirteen DC9 airplanes from Mexico for recycling. Almost more work that he can handle. A real business success story….