It is S & T Aircraft’s mission to deliver excellence in all levels of service to our customers through innovative use of maintenance, support and technology.
Our humble beginnings created our fundamentals which we live up to today: Provide support and maintenance to our customers at the highest level possible and accept nothing less than our best.
We work hard every day because we love what we do. S & T Aircraft builds long term relationships with our customers thanks to our unrivaled and friendly support, as well as our commitment to providing a lasting product.
years in business goes far beyond marking time; it serves as a statement of our dedication to quality and superior support to our customers.
Our Values
Safety
We prioritize the safety of our employees, customers, the community and the airmen who have placed their trust in our work.
Customers First
We place the needs of our customers first by listening to our customers which allows us to exceed their expectations.
Accountability
We hold ourselves accountable for our decisions and actions which allows us to perform to our full potential and exceed our standards.
Quality
We maintain the highest standards in all aspects of what we do to maintain the quality of the service, workmanship and parts we provide.
Integrity
We demonstrate integrity through honesty, transparency and ethical behavior in all of our actions and decisions.
Community
We are more than just a business, we are a community of aviation professionals and we take pride in giving back to the aviation community.
Our History
1950
Humble Beginnings
Our founder, Orville Turner, begin Engine Accessory work at L & H Supply, Inc., located at 4212 West Lovers Lane in Dallas, Texas. The knowledge and experience he gained working along side L. H. Lucky (president of L & H Supply, Inc.), was invaluable as Orville continued his passion. While L & H Lucky, Inc. is no longer in business, it was the first stepping stone in the birth of S & T Aircraft.
Pictured is an aerial photo of West Lovers Lane in Dallas, Texas.
1956
Gaining Experience
Orville left L & H Supply, Inc. in 1956, and joined forces with Ab Orman and John Yur to found Aero Accessories, Inc. of San Antonio. Through the founding of Aero Accessories, Inc., Orville learned what mistakes to avoid and how to create a great repair station where customers come first.
Pictured is the front entrance to Aero Accessories, Inc. located in San Antonio, Texas.
1983
The Founding
Orville left Aero Accessories, Inc. in the fall of 1983, and joined forces with Hoyt Smallwood to found S & T Aircraft in New Braunfels, Texas. Their goal was to provide aircraft engine accessory service and support to the radial engine, vintage aircraft, and agriculture aviation industry. Beginning work from a small 10,000 square foot old Pepsi Co. warehouse, S & T Aircraft rapidly began to gain traction and grow.
Pictured is Mary, Orville’s wife, standing in front of the main entrance.
1984
FAA Certification
In October of 1984, S & T Aircraft obtained its FAA Accessory Class 2 rating allowing the repair station to expand into the electrical accessory market. This rating provided authorization to perform maintenance on components that depend on electrical energy for its operation such as generators, starters, voltage regulators, electric motors, electrically driven fuel pumps, magnetos and more.
Pictured is a copy of our first FAA Certificate.
1987
Expanding Capabilities
In January of 1987, S & T Aircraft obtained another rating from the FAA. Our Accessory Class 1 rating authorized the repair station to provide service for mechanical accessory. The rating allows us to perform maintenance on accessories which depend on, friction, hydraulics, mechanical linkage, or pneumatic pressure for operation, such as wheel brakes, hydraulic pumps, fuel pumps, propellor governors, carburetors, aircraft wheel assemblies, shock absorber struts and hydraulic servo units.
Pictured is our FAA certificate with the newly added class 1 certification.
1990
Partners Part Ways
Hoyt sold his shares back to S & T Aircraft, and since then S & T Aircraft has been 100% family owned and operated. Mary Turner, Orville’s wife stepped up to fill the gap that Hoyt left. Rising to the occasion, she learned all that she could about the industry and became the Vice President of S & T Aircraft. Hoyt would go on to operate another company he started, supplying parts to the aviation industry which continues to be a supplier to S & T Aircraft and many others to this very day.
1992
New Facilities
S & T Aircraft purchased 3 acres of farm land and built a 12,000 square foot building. While moving our operations from the old Pepsi Co. warehouse, we continued to deliver the quality aircraft components and support that our customers had come to expect.
Pictured is the foundation and framing of our new building.
1996
Expansion and Growth
Prior to 1996, S & T Aircraft would have to send damaged armatures and fields out to third-party rewind shops, but this caused longer repair times for our customers. So in 1996, we built an addition to our new shop, bringing our total building size up to 22,000 square feet. We purchased a rewind shop, and moved our rewind process in house. This gave us a competitive edge over our competition by allowing us to remove extra delay in time and extra cost in maintaining our customer’s items. While we no longer perform rewinds in house, we still have the ability should the need arise. Rest assured, that we demand the highest quality from our vendors so that your components are perfect.
Pictured is the foundation and framing of our new building.
1998
A Great Loss
Orville passed away in 1998, and it was a great time of mourning, not only for his friends, family and S & T Aircraft, but for many in the aviation industry. At that time, it was almost as if a plane had fallen from the sky. There wasn’t anyone in the radial engine industry, who hadn’t been friends with Orville, or had understood his commitment to service and support. Before his passing, he made sure to teach everything he knew to his wife Mary and his step-son Nathan. Because he passed his knowledge on, he setup S & T Aircraft to press forward and continue his legacy and commitment of service and support.
Pictured is a photo of Orville.
2021
Parts Production
The radial and agriculture aviation industry was delt a significant blow and much needed aircraft parts were not available. Without these parts, vintage and radial aircraft would cease to operate, and much needed agriculture aircraft would not be available to farmers for aerial crop spraying which would impact the global food availability and pricing.
S & T Aircraft refused to allow this to happen and made the decision to branch out and begin producing parts under Repair Specifications and Parts Manufacturing Approval issued to us by the FAA. Working with the FAA and engineers, we were able to design, receive approval and begin manufacturing in record time preventing the aviation community from feeling the burden that the loss of these parts would have cause.
Pictured is a part being produced by our manufacturing facility.
2023
A Period of Mourning
Mary passed away in August of 2023, causing a huge shock to the agriculture and radial engine community, S & T Aircraft and her family. Mary was a frequent feature at many aviation conventions and tradeshows and had many friends in the community who felt the lost. Before her passing, he made sure to pass along everything Orville had taught her to her son Nathan and grandson Thomas. While the lost of Mary is still fresh, Nathan and Thomas have moved S & T Aircraft forward and positioned it for the future while still maintaining the quality and commitment that Orville and Mary had established many years ago.
Pictured is a photo of Mary.
2024
Global Expansion
With S & T Aircraft’s ever growing presence in the global market, in particular the European continent, we obtained EASA and UK CAA certification allowing us to better serve customers in the United Kingdom and in European Union member countries.
Pictured is a copy of our EASA certificate.
2025
S & T Aircraft Today
Today, S & T Aircraft is considered by many in the aviation industry, to be the authority in vintage, radial and turbine engine accessories. Every day, we strive to accomplish accessory repairs and provide the support that our customers deserve. Whether you’re a one person operation, or a global air operator, we provide you with the personalized support that you need.
Pictured is a photo of S & T Aircraft.
Nathan DurbinCEO & Accountable Manager