Team & Certifications

A Blackhawk founding partner, Jim Allmon created the Blackhawk brand and concept of upgrading turboprop aircraft with new, higher horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines. Prior to founding Blackhawk in 1999, he served as the president and CEO of Aurora Aviation in Waco, Texas, an FBO offering aircraft sales, avionics, MRO and flight training. He has also served as president and CEO of Allmon Aviation and TulsaJet, Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A pilot himself, Allmon follows the mantra of “quality and safety above profits, always.” He enjoys keeping an open door to any employee or customer, willing to roll up his sleeves and find solutions as quickly as possible.

Outside of Blackhawk, together with his wife, Blackhawk EVP Lynnette Allmon, Allmon founded the Freedom Ball, an annual fundraising event for aviation scholarships that honors our veterans and active duty soldiers.

An original founder of Blackhawk, Matt Shieman serves as chairman of Blackhawk Aerospace and Blackhawk Performance Upgrades business units. He works directly with key partners in Blackhawk’s supply chain, banking, and international distribution to ensure the company’s smooth operation. He’s also directly involved in Blackhawk’s customer service, working directly with customers to address any issues with the goal of exceeding their expectations of Blackhawk support and service.

Himself a private pilot with more than 3,500 hours in single and multi-engine airplanes, Shieman comes from both financial and aviation backgrounds. He uses his unique skill set to improve the company’s operational and financial performance while working to develop and grow relationships with key vendors, distributors, and service providers. Shieman holds an MBA in finance, a bachelor’s degree in business and economics, and is a licensed CPA.

A composite tooling and parts manufacturing expert, Steve Ell oversees and manages composite fabrication at Blackhawk. Prior to joining the team, he worked five years as a material and process engineer, overseeing teams in two divisions at NORDAM in Oklahoma, an aerospace composite manufacturing company, where he worked hand in hand with aerospace OEMs including Boeing, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, GE, and Gulfstream. He also worked at Cirrus Aircraft Company, from the company’s inception, for nine years in a variety of manufacturing engineer and management positions.

Ell holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota.