Rudy's Aeros/East Coast Aviation

East Coast Aviation is an Aircraft Maintenance business based at the Latrobe Regional Airport in Traralgon and owned and managed by David Dawson. Dave has worked in the Aviation industry since 1973 when he started at Latrobe Valley Aviation Services which later became Gippsland Aeronautics. He worked there doing general aviation and agricultural aircraft maintenance, modifications and rebuilds for fourteen years. Dave then worked for Air Whitsundays as their Chief Engineer maintaining a fleet of seaplanes, flying boats and land planes for three years. He returned to Gippsland Aeronautics as part of the maintenance team, and provided maintenance support for their agricultural aircraft sales on a number of trips to China. 

In 1994, Dave established East Coast Aviation out of a request by Latrobe Valley Aero Club. He currently has a team of six FTE employees and five contractors reporting to ECA. The customer base is drawn from Tasmania to Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. East Coast Aviation maintains various fixed-wing aircraft, from single-engined ultralights to multi-engine commuters and business aircraft, turbo props, turbines and warbirds.

In 2017 David Dawson purchased Rudy’s Aero Pty Ltd, which was founded in 1989 by Rudy Spiessl. Rudy’s Aero is an engine overhaul facility located at West Sale Airport and currently employs six people. Here we overhaul opposed, inline and radial aircraft engines. We are capable of carrying out complete overhauls including crankcase overhauls, magnetos, starter motor, alternator, generator and fuel system overhauls and weld repairs.