Michael Barnes started his secondary education studying to be an architect, but a childhood passion for aviation pulled him elsewhere.
“I have been interested in airplanes and aviation since I was a young child, airplanes have always fascinated me. After high school, I attended college for architecture, but something was missing, I had no passion for what I was studying. After one semester I decided to change careers and join the Air Force where I could work with airplanes.That is when I found the passion I was looking for,” Barnes said.
For six years, Barnes served active duty in the Air Force as an aerospace maintenance craftsman on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. In April of 2006, he moved to the North Carolina national Guard, where he continued working on C-130s. Come 2013, Barnes’ became a C-130 flight engineer, his duties changing to include preflight preparation, inflight operation and monitoring and troubleshooting of the aircrafts’ systems.
While still a member of the National Guard, Barnes also began his civilian career with FireFly Balloons in 2011, where he worked until 2015, manufacturing and repairing hot air balloons systems and components, and served as an accountable manager for the company’s FAA Certification Repair Station.
From FireFly Balloons, Barnes began working at AECOM first as a plane captain on the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, performing inspections, servicing and ground handling, then as a plane captain on the MH-60S helicopter in 2016, again performing inspections, servicing and ground handling.
After the long and winding career, Barnes now hold positions at Signature Flight Support, as an on-call aircraft mechanic, providing line type maintenance for all airlines servicing Norfolk International Airport and hangar and line type maintenance for general aviation customers; the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Airframe and Powerplant Instructor, where develops lesson plans, lectures, and presentations based on the Part 147 approved curriculum and deliver instruction to students; and is a FAA Safety Team Representative, volunteering his time to Develop safety seminars and presentations to deliver to airmen and mechanics in the aviation industry.
For the future, Barnes says his career goals are to “continue my education in the aviation field, obtain my Inspection Authorization, where I hope to one day run a maintenance shop. I would like to continue passing my knowledge along to the next generation of mechanics as well.”
“Mike Barnes’ passion for aviation maintenance is infectious! His sharp-witted intellect, and aptitude for problem solving made him an ideal Aerospace Maintenance Craftsmen in the U.S. Air Force. Michael served in a combat theater during Operation Enduring Freedom, and his talent for troubleshooting and working under pressure served him well during his tour. After returning to the states, Michael began working at an air-balloon maintenance facility where he earned the status of chief inspector. Love for his country compelled him to return to active duty, so he enlisted in the National Guard where he worked as a lead mechanic in support of military flight ops. After completing another tour of duty, Mike took himself through the required aviation maintenance subject material, and successfully challenged the federal certification process to become an Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanic. Since that time, Mike has developed a calling to give back to the career field that has awarded him so much success; by training future generations of A&P mechanics,” wrote Timothy Murray, director of education and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, on Barnes’ nomination.
“Aviation is a bug, once you catch it you can never get rid of it. It is a very rewarding career field. You will experience new things every day and you will see things you never thought you would. There is no better feeling than to see an airplane take off knowing you had everything to do with repairing it and returning it back to the sky,” added Barnes.
