The movie Top Gun has inspired many to join the world of aviation, among them Stephanie Nita.
“I always knew that I didn’t want an inside, desk job growing up, and I was always interested in how things work. I was always able to actually fix things myself. Airplanes would always fly over my house when I was little and one of my favorite movies is Top Gun, so I guess I just put two and two together,” said Nita.
Nita got her feet wet in aviation refueling and working the line at Flightline when she began going to A&P school.
“I would go to school during the day, then head straight to Flightline to work the 3 to 11 shift. After getting my A&P, I was able to get a job in the maintenance department and have been working as an A&P ever since. As of this year, I got my inspection authorization, so I now sign off annual inspections for return to service and also do regular maintenance jobs on Piper 46 models, mainly,” Nita described.
“In 2008, after completing her course work and successfully testing for her A&P license, she transitioned from working Line Services to become a member of the company’s Technical Services Team. In the years that followed, Stephanie worked alongside a group of very experienced and qualified aircraft technicians. Her work ethic and commitment to the job earned Stephanie the respect of her co-workers and the confidence of the company’s management Team. She gained significant experience working as lead technician on annual inspections, with her focus being on the Piper M500/600 Class turbine aircraft. The training and experience she gained has made her a key member of the Flightline Technical Services Team.
During her time working with Flightline, Stephanie also became the proud mother of two young children, Easton and Raeghan. With both children, Stephanie continued to work with the team right up until the day she went to the hospital. While working full time and as the mother of two, with the support of her family, Stephanie continued to pursue her aviation qualifications by applying to the FAA for Inspection Authorization (IA). In April 2019, Stephanie received IA certification by the FAA. Out of the 286,000 A&P Technicians, she is one of only 6,800 women. Only a small fraction of A&Ps achieve IA certification, making her accomplishment even more significant,” wrote Paul "Mac" Langston, CEO of Flightline and Nita’s nominator.
Nita says that now that she has her IA, her future plans are to keep learning and getting better.
