Why This Conversation with Michael Miner Stayed With Me

Hi everyone,

Every so often, a conversation comes along that recenters you, the kind that reminds you why aviation captures people and never lets go. Our next Skybound Ops episode is that kind of conversation.

This industry has its own gravity. You come in, you start learning, you start serving, and before you know it, years have passed. In the episode, we explore that exact pull - what keeps operators committed, what keeps builders building, and what keeps leaders grounded even as their responsibilities grow.

Our guest, Michael Miner, embodies that story in a rare way. As the founder of GSE America and CEO of ProServe Aviation, he built not one but two companies by doing the work most people overlook. He talks openly about starting with almost nothing —

He shares how he slept “191 nights in that truck” while driving across the country performing field service. And he explains why leadership, for him, begins with presence: “People respect what you inspect… I’m never at the beach.”

What struck me most wasn’t the scale of what he’s built, but the humility behind it. Titles don’t mean much to him. Hard work does. Consistency does. Clearing a path for others does. As I shared in the conversation, “Presence was one of those things that still resonates with me every time I talk to my dad.” It was powerful to see how deeply that belief overlaps with Michael’s approach.

This episode with Michael dives into the defining moments, unlikely mentors, hard decisions, and honest philosophies that shaped his journey, and shape so much of aviation today. If you care about leadership, resilience, or the unseen work that keeps operations moving, you’ll want to hear this one.

The full episode is available now. I hope it inspires you the way it inspired me.

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— Ralph Merhi
Host, Skybound Ops