Jayne Snider, maintenance coordinator/A&P mechanic, Aira Aviation in Michigan, has never met Elena Gonzalez in person, but nominated her for this year’s 40 Under 40 award.
“We have messaged back and forth many times, always encouraging each other,” said Snider, who has gotten to know Gonzalez through her Instagram account, fixflytravel. “Elena creates content showing her working as a technician. Her Instagram posts are full of tips, ticks and knowledge that she shares.” On Instagram, fixflytravel has more than 22,000 followers. “I admire Elena for how she is using her platform on Instagram to promote our industry, share her knowledge and encourage others,” Snider said.
On the website Fixflytravel.com, Gonzalez has a blog with titles like “Top 10 Tools I Would Recommend,” "Study Tips for your AMT Tests,” and “How to Survive the Midnight Shift.” There's also an online store with T-shirts, badge holders, keychains and stickers. “The end goal with the website is to create scholarships to help those who are trying to get their airframe and powerplant certificates but do not have the means to afford them,” she said.
There's more. On TikTok, FixFlyTravel has 31,000 followers. And, in February, Gonzalez introduced herself on Clubhouse, a social audio app. As she does more for the aviation community through social media, she said, “it sheds light, positivity and encouragement on how hard we work to maintain the safety of these aircrafts.”
Gonzalez began her training at a high school in south Florida, which had an aircraft donated by American Airlines. Through dual-enrollment in high school and George T. Baker Aviation Technical College, Gonzalez graduated high school with a powerplant certificate, then worked as a teacher’s assistant at the college. She obtained an airframe certificate, then at Broward College, earned Associate of Science in Aviation Maintenance Management.
Her first aviation technician job was working at a repair station overhauling hydraulic pumps, actuators and pneumatics. Next, she worked for an MRO to get experience working on commercial aircraft and then a cargo company until she got a call to work for American Airlines, where she has been for nearly seven years. She started working for American in Philadelphia. Now, based out of Miami, she is qualified to work on every aircraft in the fleet (B737-8 and Max, A319- A321 and Neo, B777 and B787).
Industry associations she belongs to include Women in Aviation, TechForce Foundation and the South Florida Chapter for the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance, of which she is president. She has attended Women in Aviation and MRO Americas conferences, inspiring her to put together an all-female American Airlines team for the Aerospace Maintenance Competition.
