Rick Taig

Rick has a diverse background in the aviation industry and has developed a strong passion for it throughout his 35-year career. He began in the U.S. Air Force as an Aircraft Crew Chief and traveled the world on various war and peace time missions during his six years of active duty.

Next steps involved working his way up from Airfield Maintenance Technician at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) to Director of Willow Run Airport (YIP), a 2,600-acre reliever airport to DTW, both managed by the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA). Throughout his 26 years at WCAA, Rick gained invaluable experience in all facets of airport management.

Expertise

FAR Part 139 compliance
Emergency response
Security
Project management
Wildlife management
Terminal management
Tenant relations
Air show coordination
Training

Education

B.S. in Aviation Management from Eastern Michigan University

Affiliations

American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Certified Member (CM)
American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Airport Certified Employee-Operations (ACE-Ops)
Michigan Association of Airport Executives (MAAE) Member
Chaired the WCAA Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Task Force
Past board member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce