Avionics Mysteries Energize Long-Time Field Service Engineer

Field Service Engineer John Braidich has always loved a good mystery. When a Honeywell customer reaches out, Braidich digs in like a seasoned detective to assess the situation, gather evidence, analyze the problem and find the right solution as quickly as possible.

“You never know where a call is coming from or what it’s about,” Braidich said. “You have to be able to switch gears quickly, but I thrive on a fast pace and enjoy helping customers fix technical issues. It’s all about little victories.”

Braidich grew up in the business and general aviation industry, taking his first job at a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center at 17, soon after graduating from Cleveland Aviation High School. “As a kid, I was always into electronics and was enticed to take a course called ‘Avionics,’” he said. “Little did I know that I would spend the next four decades working in the field – and loving every minute of it!”

From his Cleveland office, Braidich works with a wide range of Honeywell customers, including leading fractional business jet operators and corporate flight departments. He spends a lot of his time supporting Honeywell avionics products, including satellite communications systems.

He recently helped a customer solve a problem with an air data computer display, which the maintenance team had been troubleshooting for more than five hours. “I wish they had called earlier,” Braidich said, “because we were able to get to the root of the problem and fix it during a five-minute phone call. Then, the next customer that might have this issue can check our MyAerospace database to find an article that I wrote on this fix.”

Starting out on the ground floor gives Braidich a unique perspective that helps him deliver an outstanding customer experience even when things may not go right for them. “I’ve done just about everything there is to do from replacing an instrument to wiring a brand new airplane,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of change in this industry and I’ve worked on every kind of aircraft from small Cessnas to Gulfstreams and even the Goodyear blimp.”

He worked at several MROs and Fortune 100 Corporate Flight department before joining Honeywell in 2004 as a field service engineer. He worked on a number of high-profile projects, including the entry into service of Honeywell’s landmark Primus Epic integrated avionics system with Gulfstream.

Braidich took a break from Honeywell to serve as avionics director at a Cleveland MRO, before returning to Honeywell and his current job last year.

“I think working on the operator side has given me a unique perspective of what our customers want and need from Honeywell,” Braidich said. “I always try to put myself in the customer’s shoes and I know they’re under extreme pressure to keep the airplane flying and stay on schedule. I feel that pressure, too, and I thrive on it .”