PEOPLE

When it comes to cultivating a long-term industry partnership, there has to be a solid foundation of trust. We spoke to Endeavor Air’ Bill Donohue about why they choose to go the distance with MHIRJ as their MRO.

For 16 years and counting, Endeavor Air has trusted MHIRJ to service their fleet of CRJ aircraft. With around 150 aircraft now in service, it takes the right knowledge, expertise, and trust to troubleshoot and keep their fleet flying safely. Bill Donohue, Vice-President Maintenance and Technical Services, explains what sets us apart as long-standing partners:

 

Check out more insightful conversations with our customers and partners in WINGSPAN.

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple memento to set us on the path chasing our dreams. For Alex Rapoport, a family photo changed the trajectory of his life, took him across the world, and ignited a truly rewarding career in aviation.

As Chief Customer Liaison Pilot at MHIRJ, Alex Rapoport supports Flight Operations for a fleet of 1,300 CRJ aircraft. Based in Montreal and serving customers across the world, he brings a lifetime of experience as a pilot in a role that has proven to be both challenging and rewarding. From learning to fly himself, to then supporting and training pilots, he’s truly gone the distance during his decades in the industry.

A SNAPSHOT OF THE FUTURE

Aviation has been a part of Alex’s family for generations, and his passion for the profession began at a very early age. His great uncle was a fighter pilot in World War II, before becoming an airline pilot in the 1950s. This was during the peak of the romantic era of aviation, when pilots were truly the shining stars of the sky and the silver screen.

But it was a photo of his great uncle Vladimir that stood out to him to the most. The photo saw him decked out in his crisp uniform, standing proudly with his crew in front of Ilyushin IL-14 aircraft. And it was upon seeing this photo that Alex’s strong fascination with aviation began. At age 17, he was finally able to enroll in the Flight Academy in Ukraine, where he spent the next five years training and undergoing rigorous physical, psychological, and medical testing. With his license finally in hand, he began flying prop planes before moving onto larger jets.

As a pilot living and flying out of Uzbekistan, his flight hours took him to many incredible places, like the Maldives for instance, and even saw him handle some in-flight emergency situations. He once made an emergency landing after a major fire broke out onboard a flight over a challenging mountainous range. Alex’s quick thinking and coordinated actions with his crew allowed him to land their 148-passenger airplane safely.

A NEW HORIZON

Now licensed and experienced, Alex decided to leave Uzbekistan with his family and head to Canada where his career then truly took off. This new path lead him to a 23-year adventure as a Production Test Pilot for the CRJ aircraft where he flew new planes right off the assembly line and tested them before turning them over to customers. After two decades, Alex took on another unique role; this time as Customer Liaison Pilot where he began supporting the worldwide CRJ flight operations community.

At MHIRJ, the Customer Liaison Pilot plays a pivotal role, providing customers with a pilot perspective, working closely with our Engineering and Customer Support, addressing operational concerns, working on new flight procedures, facilitating flight training, conducting pilot briefings, in-flight assessments, and promoting best practices.

As children, we all have dreams about what we envision ourselves doing when we grow up. But how many of us truly see those dreams take flight? For young women whose career aspirations are in typically male-dominated fields, the challenge feels even more daunting. What matters is having ambition greater than the obstacles, and determination that’s bigger than fear. Just ask Gisèle Garceau.
 

Growing up, Gisèle Garceau had a fascination with outer space. Her curious research ignited the desire to become an astronaut—a profession that many young children aspire to, but few actually pursue. A girl on a mission, she discovered that the best path to get her there would be a career in aviation. Already intrigued by instruments and switches, this ambition made perfect sense to her, but was met with doubtful reactions from family and teachers. However, this resistance didn’t deter her from beginning what would become a truly inspiring journey.

THIS IS A MAN’S WORLD?
 

It’s no secret that aviation is, and has always been, a male-dominated industry. When Garceau began her post-secondary studies in 1975 at the École Nationale d’Aérotechnique in Quebec, she enrolled in an aircraft maintenance program alongside 600 men and only 11 women. Unfazed, she simultaneously took to the sky to earn her private pilot’s license.

Upon graduation in 1978, she joined Canadair as the very first female avionics technician to work in the pre-flight hangar. This impressive achievement kept her busy, and while she spent most of her time working on aircraft like the CL-215, she spent her free time obtaining her commercial pilot license and working as a skydiving pilot, flying Cessna 182 aircraft every weekend.

From here, her career continued to soar. Garceau transitioned to the engineering department to work on the Challenger CL-600 electrical systems before joining Transport Canada as the first female airworthiness inspector. She then became the first Canadian woman to hold a Category “E” license and continued to break down barriers and forge new paths for the women who would follow in her professional footsteps. “We have to show the man’s world that it’s okay to be a woman in the field,” she said.

GROWING ACROSS THE GLOBE
 

After 15 years with Transport Canada, Garceau went back to school to take on a 4-year electrical engineering program before moving to Hong Kong so that her husband could pursue a career opportunity. Even though she arrived with impressive degrees, licenses, and years of aviation experience under her belt, she soon discovered that, unlike Canada, Asia was not yet receptive to women in the industry.

Rather than feel defeated by this setback, she shifted her focus to new ventures, while also helping her daughters follow their dreams and achieve their goals. Her keen drive to learn and grow led to her taking Mandarin and Feng Shui courses, running half marathons, and even enrolling in the University of Hong Kong to obtain certificates in sports and family nutrition. Life then took her family to Vietnam where they adopted a little girl.

Rich in new skills and an even bigger family, it was time to return to Canada so that she could continue taking her true passion for aviation to new heights. She joined the team at Bombardier, earned her engineer title with the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec, then went on to work with MHIRJ as an engineer in the certification of cabin interiors.

FROM ONE DAY, TO DAY ONE
 

Whether on the ground or in the air, Garceau has always been a true force who never once let anything or anyone stand between her and her goals. “When you love what you’re doing, you don’t see barriers,” she says. “Follow your dreams. Get all the information you need, and take the steps.” In taking that first step, even Amelia Earhart once said, “the most effective way to do it, is to do it.”
 

Not surprisingly, achieving these goals garnered Garceau plenty of well-deserved recognition. She was inducted to the Wall of Fame at the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, and received the Government Award in honour of her contributions and work at Transport Canada. This is where she ranked as the first female airworthiness inspector in Canada, and was instrumental in writing the new regulations and rules associated with avionics work and licensing.

For women who wish to follow in her footsteps, there are currently several initiatives that support them in entering the industry, like the Northern Lights Aviation Foundation, which encourages young women by showing them that they have a place in aviation and aerospace. Air Canada and CIBC also provide scholarships and grants for young women working on getting their pilot license.

Garceau’s pragmatic approach paired with her unwavering determination have made her an incredible role model for women in aviation. She hopes to see many more women follow in her footsteps and make their mark on the industry. “If I inspired at least one person, then I can say I’ve accomplished my goals,” she said proudly.

With the current labour shortage, MHIRJ is taking steps to help accelerate the training of skilled technicians. Our very own Stephanie Bento, Senior Brand Manager, sat down with Anthony Hinton, Head of our Service Centre Network, to talk about the steps we're taking to bring great new talent on board.

Stephanie Bento: Recruiting skilled technicians continues to be a huge topic in the aviation industry, especially post-COVID. So, here to talk to us about that is Anthony Hinton, Head of our Service Centre Network. Anthony, thank you for being here today.

Anthony Hinton: Thank you, it’s a pleasure.

Stephanie Bento: We’ve grown our service network considerably, talk to us about what your team is doing to accelerate the recruitment and training of skilled technicians.

Anthony Hinton: So, recruitment certainly has changed post-COVID, it’s a multi-faceted issue. We use the conventional, we use social media to a large degree to make sure that we’re reaching the target audience. We’re also engaged with the community colleges in all 3 states around our centres to make sure that we’re engaged with the AMP programs and recruiting them. We’re actually at the point now where we’re giving tours to middle school students. We invite them in and take them to the hangar and try to spark an interest within the aviation industry as a whole.

Stephanie Bento: Talk to us about the apprenticeship program. How does that work?

Anthony Hinton: A phenomenal program, been in existence for a few years. It allows us to bring somebody with no experience within aviation at all into our facility. We test them to make sure that they’re mechanically inclined. We bring them in and over a three-year period they are able to obtain the training requirements and the hands-on training requirements to allow them to set and test for their AMP. We tend to find that someone who goes through the apprenticeship program stays with us long-term.

Stephanie Bento: So, what is it like in the service centres? How would you describe the team that you’re building?

Anthony Hinton: There’s commitment to the community, there’s commitment to the team, teamwork before everything, and they’re all driven to provide a great service for our customers. We still try to very much keep that family feel about the operations.

Stephanie Bento: Some of our technicians have been with us for many years so that must just speak volumes of the team that you’re building, the dedication to the trade. Talk to us a little bit about that.

Anthony Hinton: We’re very fortunate. We have some technicians that have 40-plus years of service with us. Again, we want this to be a generational organization. At the end of the day, it’s truly our technicians that make us successful. Without them, certainly, our business would not exist and from a technician point of view, without the technicians the aviation industry doesn’t exist. So, they truly are the cornerstone of everything we do.

Stephanie Bento: Absolutely, I couldn’t have said it better. Thank you so much for your time, I appreciate it.

Anthony Hinton: Thank you!

EXCITING JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT OUR SERVICE CENTERS

Working for MHIRJ is more than working for a company in aviation but being part of a community that is passionate about what they do and offer in this industry. We are driven by leaders who know the ins and outs of the world in aviation. Being part of the CRJ series, a long-standing legacy, and aircraft program success enables our people to deliver maximum value to all our partners.

BENEFITS OF BEING PART OF THE TEAM

> Compensation and Benefits: We offer competitive pay, annual bonus, fair pay equity, and premiums for all – whether working in an office or as a Service Center technician. Those working on the shop floor have access to pay scale transparency and pay raises based on individual performance. As the largest regional MRO in the world, we pride ourselves on offering our technicians competitive bonus plans.

> Health and Well-being: MHIRJ offers a full suite of healthcare benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, prescription drug benefits, life, and disability insurance. We value our people and put their health first.

> Stability: Having been an OEM for over 30 years and constantly growing, we offer long-term job security while benefiting from long-standing relationships with our customers. We are backed by the multinational Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group - one of the world’s leading industrial groups.

> Work-Life Balance: We offer flexibility to our employees. Establishing a healthy work-life balance is a priority for MHIRJ. We accommodate versatile schedules. Office employees benefit from a flexible work-from-home policy, personal days, and sick days. Your family is our family.

> Work Environment: We put safety first and take pride in creating workspaces that invite collaboration and innovation. Our Service Centers are world-class hangars. Our technicians work in climate-controlled facilities that are clean, comfortable and promote a culture of safety.

> Opportunity and Growth: Learn something new every day, ability to grow, learn quickly, and be curious with continuously varied experiences; transparent growth trajectory. Room for growth in a collaborative atmosphere (mentorship program and annual training). Most technicians with us find they have a great degree of autonomy to ‘move up the chain’ or continue in roles they enjoy. Opportunities to expand the scope of job responsibilities and work cross-functionally; you can grow your career here.

KICKSTART YOUR CAREER WITH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

We provide an environment where ideas can thrive and lead to great services and customer experience. We welcome new perspectives and fresh ideas.

At MHIRJ, we have a well-ordered paid-internship program that encourages professional growth for current students and recent graduates.

With our Mentorship Program, new Service Center technicians will learn something new every day while training with senior technicians.

MHIRJ offers a 3-year Apprentice Program where technicians can get hands-on experience at our Bridgeport facility and receive their AMP license after 3 years.

GET IN TOUCH

At MHIRJ, we connect our communities and people. Our Service Centers are open to new recruits. Are you ready to be part of our team?

We currently offer opportunities for:

• Structure (Sheetmetal) Technicians

• A&P Technicians

• Avionics Technicians

• Crew Chiefs

• And more!

Around the world, aircraft technicians are retiring quicker than they can be replaced. At MHIRJ, our Service Centers business is growing and we are always looking for ways to increase our service with additional talent. To cater to the increased demand for aftermarket services and continue to offer world-class services to our customers, the MHIRJ Quality Assurance Team created an Apprenticeship Journal which covers all regulatory requirements for Title 14 CFR part 147 Appendix B, C and D.

Before moving forward with the program, the Quality Assurance Team first ensured that the FAA was onboard with the program and would accept the Apprentice Journal. As part of this process, the QA Team worked with the Department of Labor (DOL) to complete all the forms required to become a registered program.

FIRST REGISTERED PROGRAM FOR AVIATION IN THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

Televised on local news, the signing ceremony of the first registered program for Aviation in the State of West Virginia took place with the Accountable Manager and the Director of operations. We also worked with the DOL and West Virginia Department of Commerce to gather grants to offset the cost of the program and have received over $290,000 to date. Funds still under consideration for 2021 by the FAA are in the amount of $500,000.

A METHODICAL, STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

To be eligible for the program, candidates must first complete applications and attend several interviews. Next, candidates go through two weeks of orientation during which they meet with upper management, including the Director of Quality, Director of Operations, and HR. They also meet with Quality Assurance to discuss the Apprenticeship Journal and to set expectations - a step that eliminates the use of On-the-Job Training (OTJ) forms used previously.

PAIRED APPRENTICES WITH MENTORS

Once in the program, apprentices are paired with experienced technicians who act as mentors. During this stage, QA tracks the status of the Apprentice and meets with the technicians for up to two years to ensure all requirements are met. Typically, it takes 18 to 24 months for Apprentices to complete the program. Three months before their expected completion date and before meeting with QA, Operations Supervisors review each candidate’s Apprenticeship Journal and determines if their training meets all the requirements needed to move to the next step. At this point, QA meets with the Apprentices and uploads their information into the federal database.

YOU’VE COMPLETED THE APPRENTICESHIP JOURNAL. WHAT’S NEXT?

Upon completion of each Apprentice’s Apprenticeship Journal, an FAA form 8610-2 application is prepared as well as a copy of the Pilots Bill of Rights (PBR) and a copy of the Apprentice’s driver’s licence. Then, the complete Apprenticeship Journal is submitted for review to the local FAA Flight Safety District Office (FSDO). Representatives from the FAA then meet with the Apprentice and sign off the applicant to test for the General, Oral and Practical examinations for Airframe Certification.

During this step, MHIRJ assists the Apprentices as they get ready to sit for their licence test. All training aids are provided to the technician via digital format from Quality Assurance. Also, Baker School of Aeronautics training curriculum, Jeppesen and/or ASA test books are provided to Apprentices.

Once all testing is complete and Apprentices have passed all the requirements to receive Airframe certification, they are closed out in the federal register. HR then meets with the technician to discuss their pay increase. After getting their Airframe certification, the technician can move forward with documentation for Powerplant certification. The Apprenticeship program not only helps build the best technicians, but it’s also a career path that has resulted in four Apprentices becoming Crew Chiefs.

The final result of these efforts is expertly trained technicians who are ready to provide high-quality service and maintenance at our strategically located MHIRJ Service Centers in Bridgeport, West Virginia and Tucson, Arizona.

Contributor: Mary Cheuvront, Director of Material Support & Supplier Management, MHIRJ

For more information about our Apprenticeship Program, please contact our representative through the link below

CONTACT

SUCCESS BY THE NUMBERS

2018

40 Apprentices registered

16 Received airframe certification

2019

27 Apprentices registered

12 Received airframe certification

2020

35 Apprentices registered

4 Received airframe certification

26 In training

2021

24 Apprentices registered

24 In training

AMEL BELKHAMSA LINKS FORESIGHT WITH TEAMWORK TO ASSURE A STEADY SUPPLY OF AIRCRAFT PARTS

A company is only as strong as its weakest link. If that link happens to be the supply chain and it’s disrupted by COVID, then experiencing grounded planes and service interruptions may occur too frequently. That’s precisely the reason why Amel Belkhamsa, Head of Aftermarket Commercial Services, took bold steps to ensure parts availability through a series of creative measures such as the partnership with Regional One. With an integrated portfolio of solutions, Regional One, located in Miami, Florida, is a leading distributor of regional aircraft offering engines and rotable components on operating leases to airlines internationally. This agreement promotes MHIRJ’s Component Repair and Overhaul (CR&O) business and allows MHIRJ to further establish itself as a dependable provider of Used Serviceable Material (USM).

IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO PARTS

Operators around the world depend on CRJ Series aircraft and on MHIRJ to continue supporting them. With many components in inventory and more under management, the agreement with Regional One opens immediate access to parts available for sale or exchange. Besides utilizing the abundance of used parts inventory owned by Regional One for the CRJ series, this will also increase overall maintenance capabilities through expansion and diversification of bases. Further cost and time-saving benefits can be extended to MHIRJ customers with personalized exchange agreements

STAYING ON COURSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM

Supply chain management has always been key to any industry operating smoothly, particularly when businesses are experiencing growth. Knowing that supply chain disruptions could drive up costs and risk slowing down the aerospace industry’s recovery, Amel and the team worked tirelessly at redefining MHIRJ’s service offerings to meet these challenges.

A courageous leader, Amel knew that she had to stay the course, even when it got really scary. ‘’We foresaw what was coming, we knew the industry was resilient,history proves it, so when demand was completely depressed, and when some providers had no choice but to curtail their spend, we maintained our normal investment cycle which brought great relief when airlines started getting ready for recovery.’’ Amel doesn’t hesitate to credit the ability to make these investments to the fact that the CRJ Series is now part of the greater MHI family, noting ‘’MHI brought stability to our company while we, and all players in our ecosystem, had to navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic.’’

A PROFILE IN STRENGTH

Over the past 18 months, the industry has put forward innovative, agile, and flexible approaches. As the weight of customer expectations mount, Amel continually rises to the challenge, just as she has done throughout her career. From Montreal to Munich and back again, no matter the changes or the obstacles, she has never let up and never backed down. As Head of Aftermarket Services at MHIRJ, Amel still sees her work with the same drive she had when she started and makes it her mission to pass it on.

To learn how MHIRJ is solving supply chain challenges and more, watch this personal interview with Amel Belkhamsa.

‘’MHI brought stability to our company while we, and all players in our ecosystem, had to navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic.’’

At MHIRJ, we are committed to playing a leading role in the education and development of the next generation of aviation professionals. To help ensure we benefit from having the best and brightest work with us at MHIRJ, we have partnered with universities across Canada to create a pipeline for talent. Our partnership with Carleton University and their Co-operative Education Program (Co-op) is a prime example of this commitment.

The Carleton Co-op program started in the Faculty of Engineering and Design some 30 years ago and has grown to over 150 study streams today. This innovative and practical program combines academic studies with hands-on experience and is structured so that study terms are alternated with paid, full-time work terms that are directly related to the co-op student’s program of study. For MHIRJ, the program enables us to identify, educate and ultimately hire the right talent across a wide range of areas, including Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Finance, Computer Science and Information Technology.

GETTING A HEAD START IN THE INDUSTRY

To qualify for the Co-op program, applicants need to be full-time students in good standing, attain and maintain GPA requirements for their program, and show a commitment to completing the program. The program’s Co-op work terms allow for the development of key employability skills, exploration of career options and graduation with tangible, workplace experience. As a result, students gain a competitive edge in the job market after graduation.

For many students, the Co-op program is their first professional work experience and the first time they will undergo a formal employer interview. To help students be fully prepared, they take a “prep course” and are assigned a Co-op student advisor who provides guidance and service (e.g. shares career advice, conducts a mock job interview) to ensure that each Co-op student is ready to shine when they interview with MHIRJ or another employer.

UP TO SIXTEEN MONTHS OF 100% REAL WORLD LEARNING

In the Co-op program, landing a job with an employer works just like in the real world. MHIRJ posts the job opening and Co-op students compete for it. After the job interview, successful applicants are onboarded the same way as full-time employees with an emphasis on ethics and compliance in our industry. For four to sixteen months, students experience the work-life of an aviation professional with all the associated responsibilities. As opposed to other internships, participants aren’t treated like summer students. Instead, they are treated as an employee and are expected to perform in the same manner as a full-timer. The intent is to offer a 100 percent real work experience.

INVALUABLE INTANGIBLES

While the Co-op program emphasizes experiential learning, the intangibles experienced by students are invaluable as well. This includes working with a team in a real-world setting, getting tasked with projects that have meaning outside the classroom, adhering to deadlines that have an impact on the finances of the company and learning how to effectively communicate and collaborate within a company setting.

Before securing their first Co-op Work Term, students must complete a minimum of two years of study. Students who complete the required number of co-op work terms receive a Co-operative Education designation on their degree. This special designation indicates to future employers that they have successfully demonstrated both strong academic performance and realworld experience and dedication.

A WIN/WIN PROPOSITION

The Carleton Co-op program offers many important advantages to both students and MHIRJ. Firstly, students get to build a solid resume and earn income at the same time – all while still in university. There are a lot of tertiary benefits that extend beyond the internship itself as well, such as making valuable network contacts, forging relationships with industry professionals and most of all, gaining a gateway into kickstarting their careers. For MHIRJ, the benefits of taking part in the Co-op program are numerous. The flexibility of Carleton’s hiring timelines, professionalism of their Co-op Team and ease of use of their Co-op hiring platform, make hiring enthusiastic and talented Co-op students a pleasure.

The Co-op program also helps make our permanent hiring process more efficient and effective as these students are ready to hit the ground running when they are hired back as full-time employees. We know exactly what we are going to get because our chosen candidates have interned with us for 16 months. Co-op students are fully versed in the job at hand and are immersed in the culture of our company, making them an ideal fit within our organization.

As a past graduate now working at KF Aerospace in Kelowna, British Columbia, Andre Lawrence states the Co-op program is a great way to prepare for the real world work environment and gain the experience needed to qualify for a position.

“Having job experience through the Co-op program definitely gave me a leg-up. It’s an excellent way to get up close and personnel on how things work in commercial aviation and have the opportunity to make a real contribution to on a daily basis,” said Andre. “I didn’t feel like I was a student, I was part of the team. And by participating in the program, I was hired before I got out of University.”

FACILITATING FUTURE SUCCESS

Creating partnerships with the institutions that are training the future generation of the aviation industry is important to MHIRJ. We believe it’s vital that academia and industry are more closely linked, so that graduating students are matching what the industry genuinely requires. By working with the Carleton Co-op program, we are facilitating the future success of MHIRJ with talent that is tested and ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

Contributor: Margaret Haswell, Business Development & Maintenance Engineering Manager MHIRJ

ELIO HAS OVER 25 YEARS OF AEROSPACE EXPERIENCE IN ENGINEERING, OPERATIONAL, AND EXECUTIVE STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ROLES.

Currently at MHIRJ as Senior Vice-President, Head of Aircraft Development and Quality, he holds the strategic and technical responsibility for Product Safety, Engineering, Product Strategy, Design, Repair, Certification, Testing, Quality, Flight Ops and Technical Publications.

A strategic leader responsible for end-to-end Product Strategy, Elio is recognized for building strong team networks, for bringing continuous strategic improvements to meet evolving business requirements, and for implementing step-change evolutions to adapt team culture and mind-sets. He is results-driven and known for his accountability and for consistently achieving or exceeding results year after year.

In an industry that is known for being tough but rewarding, Elio shares a passion with his colleagues in continually seeking to find ways to make regional air travel safe and accessible with the purpose of bringing people together worldwide.

Elio leads the Product Development Team that collaborates closely with the MHIRJ Aftermarket Team and CRJ Series operators, developing solutions that help operators improve their business, reduce costs from their operations and remain competitive

“I think that the most important thing that MHIRJ brings to the CRJ platform is continuity. It’s so important that our customers understand that we were here before, we’re here now and we’re going to be here tomorrow.”

In addition, he leads the Aerospace Engineering Center, which takes the expertise, knowledge and methodology developed over the last 30 years and for the first time, offers full product lifecycle capabilities as a service.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Elio is a proud husband and a father of two girls. His passions include aviation, music, running, swimming, travel and cooking. He holds an Engineering degree, speaks five languages, and is known for bringing leadership, commitment, innovation, professionalism and expertise to issues, roundtable discussions and conferences. He was part of the Industry Advisory Board at Concordia University, and has been the Campaign Director of the annual Centraide fundraising campaign for many years.

Students learn to work on a wide range of aircraft, from small general aviation aircraft to transport category aircraft. (Source: Pierpont Community and Technical College)

From the technicians who ensure aircraft are airworthy to the pilots that fly passengers around the globe and the engineers behind technological advancements in flight, plus countless others, the aviation industry is one big family that shares a rich history of innovation, quality workmanship, and a passion for helping the next generation enter this exciting community.

At MHIRJ, our people are passionate about sharing their industry knowledge and being mentors to future industry professionals. One such example is Anthony Hinton, Head of Service Centers for MHIRJ Aviation Group in Bridgeport, West Virginia. As a member of the Board of Trustees at Pierpont Community & Technical College, Anthony collaborates with fellow trustees in developing strategic goals, objectives, and policies related to Pierpont’s Aviation Maintenance Technology, A.A.S. program.

FURTHER DEVELOPING A WORLD-CLASS AMP PROGRAM

Pierpont offers the only Federal Aviation Administration-approved training program in the state of West Virginia in aviation maintenance technology that leads to careers with some of the largest international and local companies in the aviation industry seeking certified aviation professionals. The aviation program focuses on the areas of knowledge qualifying students to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 147 Airframe and Powerplant (AMP) certification examinations. The technical areas of study focus on mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and propulsion systems used on modern aircraft. Graduates of the program are qualified for entry-level positions to work as AMP Technicians. To help bring more people to the market sooner, Pierpont has also launched a fast-track AMP program where students study for 11 months to qualify for their Airframe license or Powerplant license.

MEETING AN EVER-GROWING INDUSTRY NEED

As tens of thousands aviation professionals reach retirement age over the next decade, educational outreach and career pathway programs will be critical to inspiring and recruiting the next generation. According to industry outlooks, it’s estimated that 739,000 new technicians will be needed worldwide over the next 20 years. With such significant growth opportunities on the horizon for the aviation industry, Pierpont and the State of West Virginia are further positioned to build their reputation as an aviation center. To that point, Anthony is currently collaborating with Pierpont on ways to increase enrollment in the program from 100 students per year to 200 students annually.

OPENING THE DOOR TO A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES

As Anthony has experienced, a career in aviation can open the door to a world of opportunities. Prior to joining MHIRJ, he worked with leading companies such as Pratt & Whitney, UTC Aerospace Systems, and Collins Aerospace to name but a few. “An Airframe and Powerplant license from Pierpont is your ticket to the dance,” said Anthony. “How you dance when you get there is completely up to you. Once you have your license you can work virtually anywhere in the world in aviation production or in a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, or you can be a traveling Maintenance Repair Technician (MRT).”

BUILDING ON A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP

Anthony’s involvement with the college is the latest step in a long-term relationship between MHIRJ and Pierpont. But the commitment to developing the next generation of aviation technicians doesn’t stop there. In addition to having MHIRJ technicians teach at Pierpont, MHIRJ itself offers a 3-year internship program where attendees get hands-on experience at the Bridgeport facility and receive their AMP license after three years.

A LASTING LEGACY

Helping to develop fulfilling careers within the aviation industry and bringing new people into the fold is an honor and a privilege shared by many in aerospace. For Anthony who was born and raised in Bridgeport, it’s also very personal. “I’m excited to be back in West Virginia and to invest in the community where we operate,” said Anthony. “To help West Virginia become an aviation center and feed the futures of many. That’s what I want my legacy to be.”