D.O.M. Blogs

I'd like to pose the following question: What's in a title? I don't mean the title of an article or book. I'm talking about job titles.

My brother-in-law is a vice president for a large financial institution. How many departments does he oversee? NONE! He has been with the company for so long and has reached a certain level of pay that he was given the title of vice president. He is hard-working and deserves his pay and title. But the title could be deceiving to someone on the outside.

2019 is here. Do you want to get your year off to a good start? Then DON'T make a New Year's resolution!

That's right — by making a New Year's resolution, you are likely setting yourself up for failure. Psychology Today reports that 80 percent of New Year's resolutions fail by February!

I am writing this blog from the road. Last week we were in Orlando, FL for NBAA-BACE. This week, we are in Jacksonville, FL for the ADMA conference. One topic that has come up again and again during these two weeks has been the difficulty of finding qualified mechanics to fill job openings.

West Star Aviation had an open house at its Perryville, MO facility on September 19. Bob Graf and I were in attendance. The last time I was in that facility was in early 2013 when I interviewed Sabreliners' Tracy Ogle for the cover of our March issue. Not that the facility was bad then, but West Star has done a great job giving the place a face lift! It is good to see that it already has customers coming in for work.

As I chat with directors of maintenance, I always like to ask what they look for in new employees. Just about every one of them says that having a positive attitude is at the top of the list. Technical knowledge can be taught, but if someone has a bad attitude, he or she makes life hard for the whole team.

President Trump is on a tariff spree. In January, Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines. He recently announced tariffs on steel and aluminum. The main reason the Administration gives for enacting these tariffs? Leveling the playing field.

Since the President is of a mindset to "level the playing field," wouldn't he want to address one of the most contentious issues in aviation — outsourcing aircraft maintenance to overseas repair stations?

May 24 is AMT Day. It is the birth date of Charles E. Taylor, the machinist who worked at the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop in Dayton OH and built the engine that propelled the Wrights into history. Taylor is known as the "father of aircraft maintenance."

This year marks 16 years of celebrating AMT Day. Richard "Dilly" Dilbeck was instrumental in getting the first State AMT Day resolution passed in California in 2002. 

As I write this blog, it is the end of the first day of the MRO Americas trade show. The Aerospace Maintenance Competition is being held in conjunction with the show, and our both is right across the competition arena. It has been a fun day seeing the teams compete!

The Aerospace Maintenance Competition presented by Snap-on (AMC) will take place April 9-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in conjunction with MRO Americas. The AMC provides an opportunity for current and future aviation maintenance professionals to showcase their abilities as they compete against their peers from around the world in five-member teams. The teams compete in timed events that test their skills and knowledge.