Never Stop Learning

My dad was the first person that shared the importance of continuous learning. He taught me this not only by his words, but by his actions. Dad worked in the oil industry and was always learning new things. If there was an opportunity to take a class, he would sign up for it. His ever-increasing knowledge eventually made him one of the go-to guys when it came to drilling, especially problem wells. He always stressed the importance of continuous leaning to me and my three siblings.

I am privileged be an A&P working in aviation journalism. I learn from each article I write. I also learn about new products and services as I cover trade shows throughout the year. I also learn from our contributing writers. They have a broad range of expertise and graciously share that expertise in each issue of D.O.M.. They are an important part our team, and we appreciate their contributions to the magazine.

Every person I interview has his or her own unique experience and knowledge, and it is always fun learning from them. One of the most interesting interviews from the past 3 ½ years with D.O.M. magazine was my recent interview with Bill Pobanz for this month’s cover story.

The theme of lifelong learning was evident during our interview. It was also apparent as I spent time with Bill during my visit to West Star’s East Alton, IL facility. Even though he has only been with West Star for around four years, he was quite the “teacher.” When it came to the company’s founding and its history he was very knowledgeable and informative.

He shared how he has learned a lot over the past few years as he has gotten more involved in engineering. He works closely with the company’s engineers to meet customers’ requests for interior re-designs. I learned that there are a lot of things to consider when performing even a seemingly simple re-design. Fire testing, emergency egress, electrical system inductive capacitance, etc.……my head was eventually spinning as he mentioned all the things I would have never thought of.

At one point, a co-worker approached Bill and thanked him for the vegetables he had brought in. Bill told me that he has always been a farmer at heart. Although he hadn’t had as much time to devote to farming this year as he would have liked, he offered the use of the farm to his children and grandkids. He says his 11-year-old grandson Alex set up a watermelon stand selling the watermelons he grew this summer. Alex is also learning to fly. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

At the end of my visit, Bill invited me to join him and his QA team for lunch. We sat around the table enjoying casual conversation as we waited for our food to arrive. One of his inspectors, Gordon Bishop, told Bill that he had recently seen a documentary on CCD. He said a team of scientists in France have theorized that the genetically altered seeds that are meant to make plants resistant to disease are affecting bees as they pollinate the plants those seeds produce. The film showed bees pollinating flowers and then becoming disoriented, basically losing their ability to navigate back to their hives.

As the conversation continued around the table, Bill leaned over and told me that CCD is “Colony Collapse Disorder,” a phenomenon over the past several years where bee colonies around the world have seen drastic collapses in their numbers. Scientists have been working hard to find the cause of CCD. “I forgot to tell you, I am also an apiarist — a beekeeper,” he said. “I taught Gordon the art a few years ago and he is now a fellow beekeeper.”

My visit with Bill and his team was truly a lesson in lifelong learning.

Just as Bill shows a passion and hunger for knowledge, it’s important as A&P mechanics that we never stop learning — never stop challenging ourselves to be better. A DOM once told me, “The day an A&P stops learning because he thinks he knows it all is the day he needs to step away from aviation.”

 
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About D.O.M. Magazine

D.O.M. magazine is the premier magazine for aviation maintenance management professionals. Its management-focused editorial provides information maintenance managers need and want including business best practices, professional development, regulatory, quality management, legal issues and more. The digital version of D.O.M. magazine is available for free on all devices (iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle).

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Joe Escobar (jescobar@dommagazine.com)
Editorial Director
920-747-0195

Greg Napert (gnapert@dommagazine.com)
Publisher, Sales & Marketing
608-436-3376

Bob Graf (bgraf@dommagazine.com)
Director of Business, Sales & Marketing
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