Michael Sawyer

A&P / IA | Founder, Grease Pilot

Michael Sawyer's love for aviation started long before he ever picked up a wrench. As a kid, he looked forward to airplane rides more than the vacations themselves. From an early age, Michael was drawn to working with his hands — building, fixing, and figuring out how things worked.

That hands-on drive led him to an early start in aviation. During his junior and senior years of high school, Michael enrolled in an aviation maintenance program through DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College), where he got his first real exposure to the world of aircraft maintenance. During this same period, he had the opportunity to shadow crew chiefs with the Iowa Air National Guard's 132nd Wing, getting an up-close look at the F-16 Fighting Falcon. That experience confirmed what he already knew — aviation was his path.

Building the Foundation

After high school, Michael continued his education at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, where he earned both his FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license and an Associate's degree in 2009. While he valued the formal education route, his career would later reveal an alternative path to certification — one that would inspire the creation of Grease Pilot.

Graduating into a tough job market during the tail end of the Iraq War, Michael found limited A&P opportunities in his hometown of Des Moines. He seized an opportunity at Fort Rucker, Alabama, working as a contractor on military helicopters including the UH-60 Black Hawk. The precision and documentation standards demanded by military aviation would shape his approach to maintenance for years to come.

Missing the Midwest, Michael returned to Iowa in 2011 and took a position as the lead A&P mechanic at Connell Aviation II in Independence, Iowa — a fixed base operator providing flight instruction, aircraft maintenance, airport management, and fueling services. It was here that his entrepreneurial instincts first took root, and where he earned his Private Pilot License.

From Mechanic to Business Owner

By 2013, Michael's growing interest in aviation entrepreneurship brought him back to the Des Moines area. He began working at Winterset Aviation in Winterset, Iowa with a clear goal — to purchase the maintenance shop. In 2015, he did exactly that, also earning his Inspection Authorization (IA), the highest level of FAA maintenance certification, which authorizes a mechanic to approve aircraft for return to service after annual inspections and major repairs.

Michael went on to expand under the Phalanx Aviation brand, opening additional maintenance shops in Clinton, Iowa and Longmont, Colorado. Today, Phalanx Aviation operates as a nationwide network of A&P mechanics serving the general aviation community.

Through years of owning and operating small aircraft maintenance shops, Michael noticed a growing shortage of qualified maintenance personnel and independent shops serving general aviation aircraft owners.

Why I Created Grease Pilot

The traditional path to an A&P license — attending an aviation maintenance school — can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or more. After working alongside mechanics who earned their certificates through on-the-job training rather than formal schooling, Michael recognized that the OJT path was underserved and poorly understood. Aspiring mechanics had the option to earn their A&P license through documented work experience, but there was no structured program to guide them through the process.

Having supervised many A&P apprentices himself, Michael learned firsthand what works and what doesn't when it comes to earning your certificate through OJT. He saw talented people struggle — not because they lacked ability, but because they had no roadmap to follow. That experience drove him to build something better.

In 2022, Michael founded Grease Pilot to change that. The platform provides everything an aspiring mechanic needs to earn their A&P license through OJT — a step-by-step how-to course, an OJT document tracking system, an Apprenticeship Finder, and most importantly — expert support from certified A&P mechanics.

I believe your passion should be connected to the way you make a living. For me, that passion is aviation and business. I built Grease Pilot because I know firsthand that you don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars at an aviation school to build a career in aircraft maintenance. If you are willing to put in the work, I am here to show you the way.

Have a question or want to learn more? Feel free to reach out at msawyer@greasepilot.com.