Veteran MRO sales leader joins 80-year-old Wichita platform as it takes on larger aircraft.
Wichita, Kan. | Aug. 6, 2026 – Yingling Aviation, a full-service business and general aviation MRO, parts, and FBO platform headquartered at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, has named Kerry Heiss Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Heiss stepped into the role on July 13.
Heiss leads sales and marketing across all of Yingling’s service lines: airframe maintenance, avionics, paint, interiors, parts distribution, accessories, AOG support, and FBO services. He reports to Gregg Fahrenbruch, who became Chief Executive Officer in March.
“Kerry led the MRO sales organization at Western Aircraft, one of the strongest independent shops in the West,” said Fahrenbruch. “He has spent two decades in aviation MRO, and he knows that when an operator schedules a shop visit, every extra day the aircraft sits is a day it isn’t flying. He’s also a pilot, which means he’s comfortable talking with a chief pilot or a director of maintenance about both a project work scope and how they use their aircraft.”
Heiss has spent 24 years in aviation, more than 20 of them in Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO). He joins Yingling from Western Aircraft in Boise, Idaho, where he was Director of MRO Sales and Marketing for more than nine years, leading the sales organization at one of the premier independent service centers in the western United States. A former U.S. Navy Supply Corps officer, he began his aviation career at GE Aircraft Engines, then held sales and marketing leadership roles at StandardAero and BendixKing Avionics. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings.
“Yingling has decades of aviation history in Wichita, and what these shops can take on has grown a lot in that time,” said Heiss. “That now includes larger jets: Global Express, Challenger, and Gulfstream aircraft. I look forward to introducing more operators to everything we can provide.”
Yingling Aviation is one of the largest independent MRO service providers in the central United States, with more than 500,000 square feet of hangar and shop space and an 80-year history in Wichita, Kansas. The company serves business and general aviation aircraft owners, fleet operators, and charter companies across a broad range of airframes.
About Yingling Aviation
Founded in 1946, Yingling Aviation is a full-service maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider based in Wichita, Kansas. With capabilities spanning interiors, avionics, paint, propellers, engines, and AOG mobile support, Yingling Aviation is known for its employee-centric culture, customer-first approach, and commitment to excellence. Yingling Aviation is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense, and government services. Learn more at www.yingling.aero
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