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Show Engines are 'Patients' For This Highly Rated Airplane Mechanic: By Loren Webb Spotlight Writer As the only aircraft mechanic in central Utah with an aircraft power-plant rating and an authorized inspector's rating, Ken Hulet keeps busy servicing planes at Richfield City Airport. Hulet has always had a love of airplanes and likes the satisfaction of working on engines and putting them back together again. He's done SO major engine overhauls without one engine failure, he states. Hulet who has a lease with Richfield City for his hangar, has been at the airport four years and averages a 12 hour, five-day work week maintaining some 115 airplanes every year. Prior to coming to Richfield, Hulet spent' four years in the U.S. Air Force doing aircraft structural repair. He then moved to St. George where he became the first air frame engine repair and air frame and power plant licensed student to graduate from Dixie College in 1967. He also began working for Skywest Airlines, and later graduated from University of Utah in 1969 with an aeronautic technology degree. Even before the Air Force, Hulet, as a kid at Cedar City airport began fueling airplanes for his boss, Art Wells. After graduation from the U, he began working again for Cedar City Airport, although he would still fly from his home in St. George to work. While at Cedar City, he noticed most of his maintenance work came from Richfield, Delta and Hanksville. Because Richfield was centrally located, he sold his home in St. George, brought a tool box and his family with him and opened shop at Richfield Airport. He nearly froze in the process as the old existing hangar, had no heat. Acquiring funds, Hulet finally had a hangar built for him. Hulet now does complete engine overhauls along with minor and major maintenance. Having all the ratings he can get as an A & P license, means he can service airplanes, jets, and helicopters. He also has a private pilot's license. He remembers the license board giving him the license, then taking it way, then repeating the process, before finally allowing him to keep it, because of a -condition in one eye. He has never had an accident to date. A love of airplanes runs in the family, Rowena, his wife, also has a pilot's license and is the second woman pilot to get it at the Richfield Airport. Out of 16 people taking ground school, four passed, but she was the only one to pass the flying portion in November of 1981 While Hulet was in the Air Force, he served in Vietnam. During those years, he serviced F105's, F-100's, F4C Phantoms, Douglas C-130's, C-124's, C-133's, C-141's and C5A Lockheeds. He was one of 17 people to recieve an Air Force Commendation Medal. Today, Hulet is content to work on passenger planes with the part-time assistance of senior high school student Tim Olsen, with him for one and a half years. Working on airplane engines has uiways been a challenge and a source of satisfaction for Ken Hulet, based at Richfield Airport. Ilulet has an aircran power plant rating and authorized Inspector's rating. |