About ERA & Associates
Aviation experience built from the hangar floor to the executive office. ERA & Associates exists because aviation organizations deserve advice from people who understand what it actually takes to operate, lead, grow, and transition an aviation business.
Julian Duran
Founder & Principal Consultant
I did not learn aviation business management from a consulting manual. I learned it by living it.
My career has given me the opportunity to experience aviation from several very different perspectives — major aerospace organizations, maintenance operations, leadership, entrepreneurship, growth, business integration, and ownership transition. That experience became the foundation of ERA & Associates.
Mission-Driven Discipline from NASA
Julian's aviation career includes formative experience with NASA, providing immersion in a mission-driven environment where technical discipline, precise documentation, seamless teamwork, and clear communication are paramount. That standard of excellence directly shapes ERA & Associates' approach to operational discipline, accountability, and structured problem solving for aviation businesses.
Operational Insight from Sierra Nevada Corporation
Julian's experience with Sierra Nevada Corporation brought extensive exposure to complex aviation operations and demanding technical programs. This pivotal background reinforced the critical necessity of aligning frontline technical personnel, experienced leadership, structured processes, and overarching organizational objectives to achieve sustainable success in high-stakes aerospace environments.
Broadening Perspective Through EPIC
Julian's experience with EPIC further broadened his understanding of aviation operations, customer relationships, and maintenance organizations. Working across dynamic environments provided critical insight into how different aviation businesses approach people, processes, and performance—reinforcing our commitment at ERA & Associates to building resilient, high-performing teams.
Our Philosophy
ERA & Associates helps clients establish compliant operations, capable leaders, trained employees, clear communication, and efficient workflows. By fostering satisfied customers and self-supporting teams, we lay the groundwork for healthy business performance and a truly sustainable aviation organization.
Build a business that does not need a hero every day.
Strong aviation organizations are never dependent on a single individual knowing everything, resolving every emergency, and single-handedly holding the operation together. When success relies on heroic individual efforts, operations remain vulnerable to burnout, turnover, and costly disruptions.
Why ERA Exists
Turning experience into practical solutions. ERA & Associates was created to make the lessons gained through Julian's aviation career directly useful to other organizations. We are not advising companies from the sidelines; we bring real-world insight from having lived many of the exact same challenges ourselves, from the hangar floor to executive ownership.
Let's talk about your operation
You do not need to know exactly what service you need. Every engagement starts by understanding your organization, identifying the objective, and determining where ERA can provide meaningful value.