Depot Avionics was founded in 1975 by Bob Colman in Albuquerque, New Mexico, starting from a bedroom in his home. “When I was in the service, the ‘Depot’ was where all the high-quality maintenance was done,” said Bob Colman, who had previously worked for Cutter Flying Service in the 1950s.
In 1982, Bob relocated to Gunnison, Colorado, and, at the insistence of his loyal customers, continued the business at the Gunnison Airport. Then, in 1997, he moved Depot Avionics to Alamosa, Colorado, where his son, Mark Colman, joined him in running the family business.
Bob officially retired in 2005, selling the company to Mark and his wife, Becky. Over the next 19 years, Mark and Becky successfully expanded the business, building a strong team of professionals who shared their passion for aviation and commitment to providing top-tier avionics service under the guiding principle of “Service for Professional Aviation.”
Rob Garrett joined Depot Avionics in 2006 as an avionics technician and became hangar manager in 2019. That same year, his son, John Garrett, joined the team as an avionics technician and has since taken on many of the company's major installations.
Ashley Vance also joined Depot Avionics in 2019, beginning her aviation career as the office manager. In 2022, she transitioned to the hangar as an avionics technician, further expanding her expertise in the field.
Chris Dahle became part of the team in 2022 after retiring from a career in teaching. He now plays a key role in fabricating panels, contributing his craftsmanship to the company's high standards of quality.
Shortly after purchasing his 1980 Cessna 340A, a customer reached out to Mark Colman with plans to replace the KFC 200 autopilot with a Garmin GFC 600 and upgrade his GNS 530Ws to a GTN 750Xi and GTN 650Xi. The aircraft already had an existing G500 system installed.
Over the next nine months, Mark and the customer explored various upgrade options, expanding the initial wishlist. The owner’s ultimate goal was to prepare the aircraft for international flights, including travel to Europe. It was decided to upgrade the current G500 to a G500 TXi system on the pilot side and install a second G500 TXi system on the co-pilot panel, complete with an air data unit and magnetometer. Additionally, the engine gauges would be replaced with a G500 TXi EIS, and a GSU 485 PFD controller would be mounted under the throttle controls. A GI-275 was selected as a standby ADI.
Other key upgrades included:
The customer also chose to retain his Skywatch SKY497 traffic system, Bendix King ART-200 digital weather radar, and GDL 69A XM receiver. Additionally, a previously removed Aircell ST3100 satellite phone system was reinstalled.
The project required the combined expertise of the Depot Avionics team. Mark Colman provided the vision, working closely with the crew to ensure its successful completion.
This was the last major project the team completed before the tragic and untimely passing of Mark Colman.
Today, Depot Avionics remains owned by Becky Colman and continues to serve the aviation community under the leadership of Ashley Vance, carrying forward Mark’s vision with the dedicated team he built.
Aviation Design and Supply's mission is to revolutionize general aviation by making it easier for our clients to install and maintain their avionics systems with autopilot installation hardware kits, tail number specific custom avionics engineering packages, and work management software.
