Endeavor’s newest maintenance base, which opened in 2019, is based at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). The line base is home to 50 individuals, meeting on average 10 aircraft each day and completing scheduled maintenance on 4-6 aircraft each night. RDU is comprised of veteran technicians and leadership, making it an effective line base for Endeavor’s operation. 

Base Manager Ron Lagace took the helm of RDU in 2024, bringing extensive base manager experience to the line. Ron has 26 years of aviation maintenance experience, with 20 of those being in a leadership role. He joined Endeavor in 2014 as the LGA Base Manager and has held roles of Tech Ops Training Manager and most recently, the MSP Base Manager. 

“Ever since I’ve been a leader of people, I only want to make a positive difference in someone’s life,” Ron said. “As a base manager, I have the opportunity to do that every day. I try to be a person that my team can trust and come to if they need help. The most important tool in this job is the people, and without them, nothing really matters.” 

The RDU team is a tight-knit base that produces strong results and showcases camaraderie. 

“The technicians here excel at providing safe aircraft for our customers but work to be the best for their fellow technicians, too,” Ron said. “Our team works harder for the person next to them. If our base receives a high number of aircraft for overnight maintenance, the technicians are always willing to help each other out as soon as their own work is completed.” 

A line maintenance base may not be for everyone, as technicians brave the weather around them since there is no hangar to work in. It requires a special kind of focus from the technicians to get the job done.  

“Working on the line, you need to do exactly what is in front of you as safely as possible,” Ron said. “There is a level of pressure to get the job done quickly; our technicians are up against the clock for both our operation and for the weather, so staying efficient and focused is key.” 

The team likes to spend time with each other outside of work, too, whether it’s hanging out, grilling, or celebrating one another. This culture has led to individuals staying at RDU even when new opportunities presented themselves. 

“There are a couple of supervisors really into cooking, and they bring in food for everyone at the base,” Ron said. “Even people’s spouses will bake and send the goods in. At the end of the day, technicians stayed at RDU because of the bond they made with other people here. It’s a great testament to our culture.” 

Endeavor’s maintenance bases function slightly differently in their work and capabilities. Some are line maintenance only; others take on modifications or special projects in addition to their maintenance tasks. These are a few capabilities that make Raleigh-Durham unique.  

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE

The East Coast base completes overnight maintenance, line checks, and A checks after the aircraft passes the 800-hour threshold. 

FOAM ENGINE WASHING

The RDU base is currently one of two bases that supports foam engine washing for the Endeavor operation. The team partners with a contractor at the airport to complete the wash and dry out runs.  

ROAD TRIPS 

RDU will send technicians to outstation airports if an aircraft needs to return to an airworthy condition before it reaches another Endeavor maintenance base. The base supports around 7 road trips a month, traveling to most of North Carolina and sometimes Virginia. 

COMMUNITY SERVICE  

Individuals from the base competed as a team in the local Plane Pull, organized by the Special Olympics of North Carolina, and raised over $1,500. Endeavor Air provided the aircraft for the event, and the RDU team, the Premier Pullers, came in second place for their division. 

The base actively looks for ways to support those less fortunate. This past winter, the maintenance team sponsored a local veteran family and raised over $1,000 while the Stores team sponsored a giving tree. 

Want to see what Endeavor’s RDU line operations look like? Scroll through the photos below.