A Sign of Things to Come?
The AMT team was in Houston this past Sunday through Tuesday attending HAI’s HeliExpo trade show. The trade show floor was buzzing with activity (HAI announced that it broke previous exhibitor and attendance records).
I spent the first day of the show attending press conferences and seminars. As I was looking over the schedule in the morning to decide which press conferences and sessions I would be able to attend, two sessions stood out. The first was titled Maintenance Director’s Forum, and would address regulatory issues affecting maintenance personnel including avionics, field approvals, and current issues. Sarah MacLeod, Executive Director and Marshall Filler, Managing Director and General consul, of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), and Ed DiCampli, HAI’s Executive Vice President would lead the discussions.
The session was hosted in a room that could easily accommodate two hundred attendees. If you didn’t count journalists (myself), consultants (Richard Komarniski from Grey Owl Aviation), and associations (me, Brian Finnegan, Director, Professional Certification, SAE Institute and Clark Gordon, Chairman, PAMA), there were not two hundred. There weren’t even one hundred. There were two. And both of them were from the same company. So the eight of us pulled our chairs in a circle and had a nice two-hour discussion on industry issues. It turned out to be a great discussion.
The second seminar I had on my list was a session titled Maintenance Techs’ Mentoring Program. The program said that in this session, “a panel of top industry experts would share their experiences and expertise with individuals attending or just completing training, maintenance technicians already in the industry looking to pick up valuable information from seasoned professionals, and students considering a career as a maintenance technician.”
Across the hall at the same time as the Maintenance Techs’ Mentoring Program was a similar session for pilots titled Pilots’ Mentoring Program. As I passed that room, the room (that could probably accommodate around 80 people) was full and had people standing around the room.
I walked into the maintenance room and met four maintenance students, all from the same school in Pittsburgh. So we pulled our chairs together in the large room and had a great discussion. The students present asked plenty of great questions and soaked up a lot of information from the maintenance veterans in the room .
As I sat in the second session, I couldn’t help but think if it was a sign of things to come. A room full of student pilots in one room wanting to pick the brains of those that have risen through the ranks, and a room right across the hall with four student mechanics taking advantage of the same opportunity to learn from industry veterans.
It was disappointing to say the least.
Thanks for reading,
Joe Escobar
Trade shows are full of sellers and buyers and a sprinkling of company execs on networking visits.
We users don’t get company trips nor the time off to visit those shows. I’ve been to a few through the years and can’t say that I gained much. Have enjoyed the presentations by Bill O’Brien that I’ve been to.
I’d attend a show held on a Saturday less than 100 miles from home for a reasonable price
Perhaps holding a seminar, with a company’s approval, on the property of a certain coampy/corporation, would allow more of a turn out for a particular seminar. It would be much less expensive for an AMT to punch out and walk across the street to a conference room than fly across the country.
The previous two commenters are correct as far as they go.
From my perspective the dismal turnout at the maintenance seminars are what the industry is going to. Everyone wants to be a pilot and nobody wants to bend wrenches. The mechanic employers are notorious for requiring mechanics to attend trade shows on their own time and own expense. And to provide their own advanced training, again at their own expense. To the tune of about $5000 per field maintenance course.
the employers are also going to have to start paying their mechanics better, with a benefit package that is worth the expense of buying into it, and to not lay off mechanics at the first opertunity.
Corporate officers today see the outsourcing of maintenance the same way airlines do. It’s the bottom line that matters, and AMTs are the most vulnerable for cost-cutting. As more and more outsourcing takes place, with large nationwide maintenance organizations being contracted for corporate aircraft maintenance, there are fewer and fewer “deep pockets” to send mechanics to out-of-town seminars. When jobs are sent overseas, the new job holders, mostly independent contractors, won’t come to the USA for the conventions, even if they can get visas and can afford the air fare. US air carriers and the FAA have conspired to eliminate aviation maintenance jobs from our country and are now reaping the results. When airframe manufacturers set up their own field maintenance facilities, as some have at this point, it is only a matter of time before there is no more need for “home grown” AMTs. There appears to be no organized opposition to this trend, either. After all, operators pay the HAI bottom line, not AMTs. Same with the airlines and ATA. NATA and NBAA are also dominated by pilot types, rather than maintenance managers. Pretty soon, unless something changes, operators will be bringing in Chinese and Indian AMTs because “no Americans want to do the job.”—at least not at the sub-standard wages they want to pay. Just look at the computer industry if you want to see where we’re headed.
I agree with you Joe. I was at the Heli Expo this past week and I was disapointed in a few ways also. I am the Director of Maintenance for a fixed and rotor wing EMS company. I agree with the previous posts stating it is very expensive to travel to the various trade shows and educational opportunities in the aviation field. I have only traveled to HeliExpo or IA renewal seminars on my companies dime for the past 19 years. I have made sure the executive team of my company is fully aware of the importance technician training is now, and will be in the future. A company will spend thousands of dollars to set up a pilot with intial company type rating training for specific aircraft, and recurrent training. I am constantly reassuring my technicians that their position in the aviation industry is not below that of any pilot. I fit an expected level of training expense in my department budget each year and will spend it everytime. I was fortunate, or maybe unfortunate enough to stand duty at our booth at the Heli Expo Job Fair. In three and a half hours, I only met two very green A&P’s who talked to me about aviation maintenance as a career, and dropped off a resume. I also noticed a very anemic turnout by mechanics is six Manufacturers Technical Briefings I attended. No one took notes, no one asked questions. It feels like the IA’s in the room were only worried about having their renewal time sheet signed off for sitting in the presentation for one hour. I am paying each of my eight IA’s a day’s pay to attend the IA renewal seminar next month. I realize the importance of staying up to date with the industry, establishing new contacts, and maintaining the relationships you have built during your career. I have hired some fresh A&P’s over the past few years and they have all turned out to be very good mechanics and friends. I will continue to put my best effort out everytime, and teach others to never stop seeking more knowledge. I guess lunch with Bill O’Brien in Reno at an IA Seminar about 11 years ago stuck with me.
Joe; It’s a sign of the times for sure. I think if you want maintenance types to go to meetings and have a presence, you need to go to the PAMA/AS3 show. I feel it is geared more toward the maintenance and ground operations guys, so you’ll have more of those types at that show than any Heli Expo, NBAA, etc. We are a slowly becoming non existant and if the industry does not change, then all of the maintenance jobs will be outside of the U.S.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the HAI show for half a day on Tuesday. Work constraints made it difficult for any more than this. There were many good comments made by other readers on this topic. The participation issue has daunted me also in the past. On a side note, one comment I find reoccuring in many of the above replies is the fact that many have been influenced by Bill O’Brien. I am the same. I would travel hundreds of miles by car on a weekend just to sit and listen to the humor and wisdom of Bill as he taught us to be the best at what we do. As a PAMA member, I attend the monthly meetings as often as I can. Participation has been lower and lower each year. And I agree that with the downsizing of flight departments, the maintenance end is usually the easiest to trim as there are service centers that can handle that function. The corporate mechanic is in a fight for their futures all the time, trying to be as productive and efficient as possible. This does not mean that because the participation level was lower than pilots, that we are less dedicated to our profession. We just have less opportunity to network with others. So, respectfully, I hope that your glimpse into the future is inaccurate. And to the technicians out there, I say network were you can, constantly look for ways to improve your skills, and educate yourself though any means available.
David, I agree whole-heartedly with your last sentence. I also agree with the others that most techs cannot afford the time and cost to travel to these shows, and most employers won’t pay for it. In fact,I used to do booth duty and presentations at IA renewal seminars and I would estimate that fully 80 to 90% of the attendees were either local students or retired guys who just love to talk about airplanes, probably for the same reason stated above. As far as outsourcing, guys, it’s not all about sending jobs overseas. When I started as an A&P in a small shop 30 years ago we fixed everything we could. We took things apart, troubleshot, and repaired whatever we could (get away with). Today it’s all about changing components with an 8130 attached from someone else. There are many possible reasons for this shift in the market: efficiencies that arise from specialization; lack of initiative, expertise, and aptitude; or lawyers. I have done engine work in an aircraft OEM service center that employed several competent and willing techs but because I have specialized I can do it faster and, bottom line, cheaper. I have flown across several states, rented a car and stayed in a hotel (read: expenses) to change an oring that was leaking because of the shop’s perceived or real liability exposure. I have met young “mechanics” who would not do the dirty jobs because, “I already know how to do that”. I have met innovative business owners who do outstanding maintenance but are harrassed to the point of quitting the business by a local PMI with his career ambitions driving the show. The trend I see is a polarization of our industry into 2 or more camps. There’s the unfortunate who work for a union or repair station and are stuck doing, or not doing, just what they are told by the MBAs. Then there are the fortunate ones who through personal ambition, personal expense, or are just plain in the right place at the right time who become experts and are sought after. These guys mau ultimately find value in the trade show seminars, but they represent the minority. Most of the bright, ambitious, potential technicians are not entering or remaining in our field due to the subjects we’ve all heard for years. Low pay, lack of respect, poor benefits, advancement opportunities, working conditions, etc. On the last one, I am struck by something as I travel to different shops every week: do A&Ps not get hot water and towels for washing because the management thinks they don’t deserve it, or because the technicians don’t believe they deserve it?
I remember my first and unfortunately last PAMA convention thus far in my short career. I paid for it myself and no subsequent employer I have had would pay for it. I was told by another maintenance attendee to get out of the business as fast as I could, I was only in my first year of A&P School and thought how sad and strange, but remain proud of what I do. In the last 5 minutes in two different situations on this website I was referred to as a “wrench bender” what the “*&^%” is that? I consider myself a PROFESSIONAL, AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN not some shade tree mechanic. I have stood in front of a classroom of mechanics (I have a master’s in education and am a mx trainer for a regional airline and FAASTeam Rep) and they have told me they are not professionals because they have been labeled as “semi-skilled” workers. It breaks my heart when I hear this. When are we as an industry going to address this classification - has it been corrected? If so it needs to be disseminated immediately if not it needs to be one of our priorities. Remember auto mechanics are considered skilled workers! I saw a commercial about an auto mechanic on his day off working on his car that showed more professionalism (ASE certification…and then I’m referred to as a “wrench bender” by my so-called peers - please!
The only place an A&P mechanic, which the general population does not even know what this means, is referred to as an AMT is in FAR Part 147, all other regulation sections still refer to us as mechanics. I have had mechanics refuse to accept this term as they think it is a joke like a “waste removal technician” i.e. garbage man. I beleive most mechanics would prefer their children to become trash collectors, they believe it gets more respect.
I’m tired of the complaining, self-deprecation and solemn resignation that nothing can be done but to take it or get out.
It is time to take action! What do we have to do? What can we do? If we are going to talk, let us make it productive!
Make it Doctor of Aviation Maintenance (AmD) and I’m afraid the situation would not be much different.
We’re discussing the lack of participation/attendance at tradeshows.
How about small regional shows or even a state-by-state tradeshow/seminar circuit. Make it close to home (can’t get time off work) and inexpensive (make the folks that are trying to sell stuff pay for it/employer won’t pay for it) and provide information and training to the users!
Joe, I can’t believe that your just now noticing this trend for the first time. Back in May 2003 the FAA put on a big ‘dog-n-pony’ show celebrating 100 years in aviation maintenance. This show was in actuality celebrating 100 years in the business of maintenance. They had absolutely nothing for the individual mechanic. This show was strictly for vendors, suppliers and distributors who were hawking their services to each other. So don’t act suprised when mechanics don’t show up to business shows.
Part of the issue is that mechanics will work for 9 dollars a hour. If we set the bar at a min of 30.00 to start. We as aircaft mechanics should make as much as pilots or more.
The belief that professional mechanics don’t exist is not valld, but the validity of the working mechanic. not being able to attend a high end trade show is very real. The show as a whole is offered to meet the networking requirements of management and operators, not to present useful current training of the professional mechanic. Let’s have this same conversation after AMT’s Aircraft Maintenance Summit, later this month!