Darrell Stephens: NDT Crew Lead

The first things to strike you when you talk to Darrell are his positive attitude and affable demeanor. With 24 years in the business, he has seen many ups and downs and credits his long perspective for his current state of calm.

Darrell is originally from Hickory Corners, Mich. His parents owned the skating rink in the nearby town of Richland and he grew up working in the family business—renting skates, running the music and working the snack bar. In 1974, his family sold the business and moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, for another opportunity. Darrell graduated from high school in New Mexico, but moved with his family back to Michigan shortly after graduation. He worked odd jobs during the economic downturn of 1979 and 1980 and then moved to Texas to take advantage of the better job opportunities there. He went to work building modular homes and soon changed jobs to work for Aviation Technical Support, a division of American Airlines. At 20 years old, Darrell got his first taste of aviation. Although he started at the bottom, he credits this job with first introducing him to the industry. Again, economic conditions intervened and Darrell was laid off, then moved back to Michigan and was again looking for work. After several years of working different jobs and always looking for something better, a chance meeting at the grocery store brought him to Kal-Aero. A friend told him about an opening in the Line Department. Darrell got the job and started in Feb 1985. By August of that year, he was in the Accessory Shop and has been working in the Accessory Department ever since.

Just before the merger with Duncan Aviation was announced, Darrell was considering a job offer in Florida. While taking a week to decide whether to move, the merger announcement was made and Darrell decided to stay and see what the future held in Michigan. Darrell says, “I’m so glad I did.”

Darrell was a Team Leader in Accessory and made the switch over to NDT a few years ago. “NDT is awesome and I don’t plan to leave it.” Darrell describes NDT as high-tech to the point of being nerdy. There is a lot of pride and satisfaction in the work. “We know we’re keeping the aircraft safe. We are empowered to do the job; we have great responsibility and we take it very seriously.” NDT is a complex process and the team stays very busy.

When he’s not at work, Darrell and his wife, Cathy, enjoy being “empty nesters.” They live on Mudd Lake near Delton, Mich., and enjoy fishing and golfing. Together, they have four children, Dorothy, Hugo, Judson and Chelsea. They also have seven grandchildren, Ty, Telia, Dakota, Kadie, H.W., Austin and Breanna. Most of the kids and grandkids live nearby and visit often. Darrell and Cathy like to travel to Texas to visit their son and Darrell’s mother. With ties to Florida and Texas, they may eventually retire to a warmer climate. Or they may just sell the house, buy a fifth-wheel RV and live a life on the road.

Darrell’s goal is to continue to perfect the craft of NDT and to continue to develop his team. He likes to teach, enjoys training and is excited about the future of the NDT team company-wide. There is a shortage of NDT technicians in the industry, so he knows that he will be responsible for developing a portion of the next generation of NDT professionals. That idea both humbles and inspires him. Darrell knows that perspective and patience come with experience. He believes in staying positive, keeping his eyes open and looking forward. As he says, “Change is the only constant in aviation.”

Stephens, Darrell - NDT Tech - Battle Creek, MI (BTL). Aviation professional since 1982. Direct: 269.969.8438

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