Aviation Masters

In this episode of Aviation Masters, Mike Busch sits down with legendary aeronautical engineer Jimmy Tubbs for a deep, wide-ranging conversation that spans more than six decades of aviation experience.
From military engineering and piston engine innovation to PMA certification battles and the future of autonomous flight, this episode is a masterclass in how general aviation has evolved and where it may be headed next.
Jimmy shares the untold engineering stories behind cylinder design, chrome vs. nickel processes, engine certification challenges, and the hard lessons learned while building some of the most influential piston engine components in modern aviation.
This is a candid, technical, and deeply human conversation with one of the quiet architects of how we fly today.

⏱ Chapters 
03:00 – From Small-Town Texas to Aeronautical Engineering
07:00 – Military Aviation, Engineering Labs & Learning to Fly
12:00 – Inside ECI: Cylinder Reconditioning & Early PMA Work
17:00 – Channel Chrome vs. Nickel Cylinders: What Really Matters
27:00 – Building New Cylinders & The Birth of Titan Engines
36:00 – TBO, On-Condition Maintenance & FAA Certification Reality
42:00 – The Titan Cylinder AD: What Actually Happened
53:00 – Engine Monitoring, CHT Management & Pilot Responsibility
01:05:00 – Life After ECI: PMA Consulting & Supply Chain Challenges
01:19:00 – Diesel Engines, Automation & The Future of General Aviation
01:30:00 – Final Reflections on Innovation, Aging Aircraft & Passion for Aviation

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If you have ever been told, “That’s just how piston engines work,” this episode of Aviation Masters might make you raise an eyebrow and then start asking more questions.
In this episode, host Mike Busch sits down with George Braly, one of the most influential (and unapologetically analytical) minds in modern general aviation. 
Braly is an inventor, trial lawyer, entrepreneur, and the co-founder and chief engineer of General Aviation Modifications, Inc. (GAMI)—the company behind GAMjectors, Tornado Alley Turbo systems, and the FAA-approved high-octane unleaded avgas G100UL.
This is not a surface-level conversation. It is a deep, technical, and refreshingly honest look at how innovation actually happens in aviation and why it is often resisted at every step of the way.

⏱️ Chapters
01:17 — Meet George Braly
02:53 — Early Aviation Roots in Oklahoma
04:51 — Learning IFR the Hard Way
07:09 — From Aerospace Engineering to Law School
08:59 — Buying a Bonanza and Returning to Engineering
10:43 — Founding GAMI and Balanced Fuel Injectors
12:29 — Calling the FAA Certification Bluff
15:24 — Lean-of-Peak: Where Angels Fear to Tread
17:10 — Fuel/Air Balance and Engine Monitor Insights
19:01 — Validation from a Continental Engineering Legend
22:05 — Building the Aircraft Engine Test Cell
25:04 — Teaching Thousands of Pilots How Engines Work
28:47 — Manufacturer Pushback on Lean Operations
30:23 — Airline History Confirms Lean Mixture Operations
35:11 — Tornado Alley Turbo and System Improvements
38:08 — Flying a Turbo Cirrus SR22 at Altitude
42:57 — Cirrus Adopts the Tornado Alley System
46:02 — FAA Rule Changes and Engineering Workarounds
49:19 — The Long Fight for Unleaded Avgas (G100UL)
53:16 — Political Resistance Inside Certification
58:15 — Restarting the Fuel Certification Effort
01:02:31 — Detonation Testing at the Edge of Failure

📍 Subscribe to Aviation Masters for more long-form conversations with the people shaping the future of GA.

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Tune in for:
✈️ Expert insights from aviation pioneers and industry leaders
✈️ Deep dives into aircraft technology, maintenance, and engineering
✈️ Candid conversations about leadership, innovation, and problem-solving in aviation
✈️ Forward-looking discussions about where general aviation is headed

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