The Story Behind Evoke Aviation

People who build experimental aircraft are generally very particular about the paint schemes that adorn their creations. Even more particular are the airshow and fly-in judges who determine which homebuilts are exceptional enough to win a trophy. The most prestigious trophy in the world of experimental aviation is, of course, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Gold Lindy, awarded at AirVenture each year to the best plansbuilt and the best kitbuilt aircraft.

No matter what the design, no matter how excellent the construction, no one wins a Gold Lindy unless it has a flawless—no, spectacular—paint job. If you look at all of the aircraft paint shops in the U.S. that handle experimentals, one stands out: Evoke Aviation, located in Gadsden, Alabama. Over 60 experimental aircraft painted by Evoke have won awards at AirVenture, Sun ’n Fun, and other fly-ins, including three Gold Lindys. In 2017, 2023, and 2025, almost every aircraft painted by Evoke won major awards. Evoke also had a hand in designing the paint schemes for the Gold Lindy winners in 2018 and 2021.

The story about how this little northeastern Alabama town produced such an accomplished business begins with Evoke’s founder, Jonathan McCormick. Born and raised in the even tinier town of Altoona, Alabama, Jonathan began painting cars, mostly his own projects, right after high school. He took two years of college-level automotive collision repair training. In college, Jonathan won a state college-level painting competition, finishing in the top five nationally.

In 2008, Jonathan found himself working for International Jets, a company buying dirt-cheap fighter trainer aircraft from Eastern Europe back in the early ’90s and shipping them to Gadsden where they would be refurbished and sold to discerning American pilots. Jonathan walked into their hangar, saw his first hangar full of L-39 jet trainers, and promptly got himself hired as an aircraft painter. He had never painted anything that left the ground before, but under the mentorship of Larry Baechler, Jonathan quickly learned the ropes, teaching himself the intricate art and science of applying coatings to high-performance aircraft.

In a few short years, Jonathan distinguished himself in the paint shop and later managed the shop for International Jets. At the tender age of 22, International Jets tasked Jonathan with traveling to Nigeria to paint a fleet of 11 light attack Alpha Jets for the Nigerian air force. It was the first time McCormick had been out of the country. During the nine months of this project, Jonathan spent his free time developing a method for designing aircraft paint schemes on his laptop, using Adobe Photoshop. He also came up with a business plan to market and sell aircraft paint scheme designs to owners and pilots who wanted more than the run-of-the-mill paint jobs for their craft.

After he returned to the U.S., taking what he had developed and saved during his Nigerian adventure, Jonathan officially launched “Plane Schemer” at Sun ’n Fun in 2013. Renting a booth at Sun ’n Fun that year took almost all of his savings. Luckily, fortune favors a well-prepared, hard worker. Jonathan’s novel business plan struck a chord with homebuilders, who began to flock to his service. Jonathan continued building his business and meeting new customers at Sun ’n Fun and Oshkosh, all while continuing to manage the paint shop for International Jets. Those years were full of long nights and weekends spent behind the computer and days full of painting aircraft. Eventually, the business needed his full-time attention, and he left International Jets in 2015.

Plane Schemer was a success on a scale that Jonathan could manage himself. However, his reputation for applying spectacular paint jobs led to several customers requesting that he also paint their planes. That’s when opportunity presented itself, stars aligned, and Jonathan made ready for the next phase. International Jets closed its doors to the public in 2016, focusing more on outside operations and military contracts. McCormick gave into customer pressure to paint aircraft, and Evoke was born. He rented a portion of the paint facility once owned by International Jets. Jonathan went into the business with a unique approach, promising that he would only supply the highest quality paint applications, no matter what it took. Jonathan gambled that the market would either pay for the quality and support the mission or it wouldn’t. The bet paid off.

Even though he had a home, Jonathan spent the better part of two years living in a makeshift hangar apartment, sleeping on an office couch, allowing him to paint aircraft well into the night. The Evoke Aviation brand grew as new and amazing experimental aircraft sprung forth from its paint hangar. The Plane Schemer team had also grown well beyond the one-man caffeine-filled band, AKA Jonathan. There wasn’t a “schemer” anymore. It was a team. It made perfect sense to rebrand the company to Evoke Aircraft Design. The facility and design team is now located in one facility simply referred to as “Evoke.”

In 2022, Jonathan hired Autumn Baugh, a talented artist with a fresh bachelor’s degree in graphic design. At first, Autumn was not too sure about her young and nerdy boss who worked all day and slept in the hangar. In the fullness of time, two things blossomed. Autumn forged her own reputation as an excellent paint scheme designer and, as the vagaries of romance would have it, she and Jonathan fell in love. Today, they are not only a formidable business team, but they are also engaged to be married this August, after AirVenture.

Today, Evoke occupies three hangar buildings totaling over 38,000 square feet and encompasses a wide range of services and products. Evoke Aircraft Design is firmly established as a leader in aircraft paint scheme design. Evoke Aircraft Design also produces graphics, decals, and 3D designs for other producers. They even sell Evoke Signature Shine products that are custom formulated for pilots and owners to preserve their paint jobs into the future.

What Evoke Aviation is best known for, however, is their award-winning paint jobs. This service is so popular that there is a waiting list spanning years, not months. Many homebuilders put their names on the list just a few months into their construction. Their Evoke journey begins by teaming up with Evoke Aircraft Design to produce the paint design of their dreams. This time-consuming and collaborative process often involves both builders and their spouses. Most planes have been completed and flying for quite some time before their magic number on the waiting list comes up. Once they land in Gadsden, an intricate process is put into motion.

First, new aircraft enter the body shop where, as the team members put it, the sausage is made. Meticulous cleaning of the entire airframe to prepare for paint and primer is the first step. The body shop then takes care of body repairs necessary to fix the inevitable dings and scratches of construction and disassembles flying surfaces such as flaps, ailerons, elevators, and rudders. Several rounds of sanding, filling, applying primer, and more sanding follow until they create a perfect base for the paint. Some projects require a more involved approach; they can remove tanks, repair fuel leaks, and address any builder flaws that may present longer-term problems.

Next, the paint shop performs the exacting task of taping and masking the aircraft in accordance with the paint scheme. This process takes more time than the actual application of paint. Each base coat of paint is applied in a specific sequence to make sure that there are no bumps or ridges between colors. Running a finger down a painted stripe or accent will reveal a perfectly smooth surface. Once all of the base colors are applied and sanded, clear coats follow, giving the surface a deep shine. Numerous rounds of sanding and polishing follow.

After leaving the paint shop, the aircraft is wheeled to the delivery/assembly hangar, where it is reassembled, inspected, spot-repaired, and detailed before delivery. It is in this hangar where builders who poured their blood, sweat, tears, and money into their treasured projects finally realize the ultimate beauty of their creations. Photos are taken. Tears are shed. Indelible memories are created. And yes, trophies are later collected.

The Evoke phenomenon has produced a cult following of homebuilders, who follow the day-to-day happenings in Gadsden through their YouTube channel, Behind the Schemes. These home-movie-like videos are shot and edited by designer and marketing team member Scottye Moore, who approaches his videos more like an ambush documentarian than a marketer. These low-budget indie-type videos have become surprisingly popular.

As for now, the pace of work at Evoke Aviation is brisk. The team is already preparing for the 2026 fly-in season, beginning with Sun ’n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, in April and continuing to AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in July. After that, wedding bells in August. Sounds like success.