Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Things started coming together at last year’s Aviation Maintenance Competition (AMC) in Chicago, thanks to the help of many wonderful people in the Aviation Community. One of our Union Brothers at the TWU (Transport Workers Union) invited the young adults from Aviation High School (AVHS) to visit the American Airlines maintenance facility in Tulsa for hands-on training in some of the events that will be included in this year’s AMC.
We all know that during any assembly process, it helps to have pictures to reference to see if you are performing the work properly. Previously, these AVHS competitors could only read the process and imagine it. To be clear, many Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) filings are for not thoroughly reading the Technical References. We know from experience that continuing to read the correct material while performing a repair is the best on-the-job training!
As the director of District 142 Flight Safety, I hope that this experience will give these students the confidence to succeed and exceed.
The AVHS students were given a mini tour of the Tulsa facilities, experiencing everything from 737s to 787s. One of the chaperones noted that this tour was incredibly inspirational to these young adults. Instead of just reading about these remarkable aircraft, the students could see the aircraft they may have an opportunity to work on someday up close and personal. They got to see what an aircraft looks like, stripped down to the frames and all the complexity behind the interiors that make these incredible machines fly. With new endeavors, there is always a learning curve. Next year we plan to extend the training to two full days.
These future aircraft maintenance professionals who attend Aviation High School never fail to impress. They are going to be the future leaders of our industry. Having experience in the AMC on a resume helps move them straight to the top of the list of potential hires. As a District, let’s support them in every way!
Sincerely and fraternally,
Bud Brown
Flight Safety Director
