Stopping in the Pinnacle Aircraft Engines booth we were pleased to meet the relatively new owners Todd Lavelle and JD Kuti. They purchased Pinnacle in May 2019 and have been establishing the shop as a builder of traditional certified and experimental Continentals and Lycomings.
Like everyone else in the aircraft piston engine world they report parts shortages are the word of the day, with the most notable current shortage being Lycoming cylinders. Still, other parts see apparent random moments of shortage, only to seemingly magically re-stock in large numbers as the supply chain snorts and gurgles its way to what is hoped a soon-to-be smooth flow.
Certainly a unique aspect of Pinnacle is JD’s artistic bent. It shows in their booth presentation, custom-finished valve covers, and not to mention his right arm which wears a permanent sleeve of aviation tattoos. Personally we’re not big fans of the modern fashion for body ink, but in this case we’ll make an exception!
