Delayed Contract Start Turns into New Opportunities for Service

November 24, 2025

What do you do after bringing in more than 70 aviation engineers, inspectors and maintenance professionals from across the country to support a large aircraft contract, only to have the job start slip by two weeks? At King Aerospace, you put them to work supporting the local community.

Road Show General Manager Rob Leal says many workers had already arrived in San Antonio, TX, when the customer informed him of a delay to the start of the corrosion inspection contract. “These guys were already on the ground and on the clock,” he adds. “So we pivoted to find something to capture their downtime and keep them busy.”

With other King Aerospace projects in the area fully staffed, Leal turned to community programs and local charities. He first reached out to local veteran’s support organization Soldier’s Angels, which had a short-term requirement to construct care packages for active-duty military personnel overseas.

“Our team was happy to help in any way possible,” Leal says. “Next, we reached out to Meals on Wheels along with the Ronald McDonald House and they both responded very enthusiastically.

“We’re running 18 teams of volunteers in three-hour shifts in each charity,” he continues, “delivering meals to senior citizens throughout the area and providing comfort to those in need by keeping the common areas cleaned along with any assigned administrative duties. We’re scheduled out every day this week until our customer is ready for us to start work.”

That job will involve the removal of more than 200 structural panels per aircraft (“none of which are designed to be removed,” Leal notes) to perform visual corrosion inspections along with using other non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. If any damage is found, King Aerospace will make the necessary repairs by using the Structural Repair Manual and/or Engineering Dispositions as required references.

Marshall Townsend, a structural mechanic lead brought to San Antonio for that contract, says he appreciates the opportunity to not only serve that customer, but to unexpectedly help many others as well. “Helping the community with King Aerospace makes me feel good to be a part of this team,” he notes.

“What began as a scheduling headache has turned into an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the King Aerospace spirit of integrity, Servant Leadership and problem-solving,” Leal adds. “And it all happened during this month of Thanksgiving.”