At last count, among all of its diverse operating companies, NetJets, Inc., had 734 business jets in its worldwide stable. NetJets Aviation, the conglomerate's higher-profile fractional ownership division, accounted for 440 of them in its North American operation. So it knows about maintenance management.

Although now vice president for business development at Portland, Ore.-based EVS-manufacturer Max-Viz, Lou Churchville chalked up considerable experience in previous postings with maintenance service businesses and aircraft completions and modification centers. This gave him a window into how repair stations operate and the potential pitfalls to look for when evaluating them.

According to Len Beauchemin, it's easy to make "big mistakes" outsourcing heavy inspections if an operator's maintenance management isn't knowledgeable and vigilant.