An affection for traveling as a child is what Sandra Granados says “brought on the curiosity of the many layers in Aviation” for her.
“The airplanes, the apparent defiance of gravity, the speed, and the glamour that I felt as a kid traveling every year to my parents’ hometown in Mexico. I knew very early that I wanted to submerge myself in that environment and pursue a career as a pilot to fulfill my dream of traveling the world. This goal would inevitably morph into my passion for aviation maintenance and lead me where I am today: Traveling the world, not as a pilot but as a flight technician,” she continued.
Granados would go on to acquire her airframe and powerplant license her junior year of college at Lewis University. During the same timeframe, Granados serendipitously got her first job in the aviation world by attending a career fair at her university.
“During the career Fair, American Trans Air ATA was offering on-site interviews as they had a high demand for mechanics at the time. I went in for the interview just to prepare for what I was to expect after graduating. To my surprise I got a call from ATA’s HR department offering me a job the very next day. While I wasn’t seeking a firm job opportunity, my excitement about entering the field right away took over and I ended up accepting the job. My senior year was the most difficult and challenging year. I was working midnight shifts at ATA then I was off to my early morning classes at Lewis, but I accredit this dedication and sacrifice to my successful path in this industry, Granados recalls.
She would continue to work for ATA for six years until in 2006 when the company declared bankruptcy, but Granados credits those six years with giving her the strong foundation that has carried her throughout the rest of her career.
“Over the course of those six years I had built a solid foundation and gained tremendous knowledge on the Boeing 727, 737, and 757. It was this experience on the 737 that would land me my next job with the Gary Jet Center contracting for the Boeing Corporate flight department. I leveraged my knowledge and experience from the commercial aviation side and made the jump into the corporate aviation world,” Granados described.
For the next six years, Granados worked as a hangar technician for Boeing two Boeing 737 Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) and four Bombardier Challenger 604’s. She also accepted an opportunity to be the first travelling flight technician supporting the BBJ’s on international trips, fulfilling that role for five years.
Last year, Granados was promoted to Lead BBJ Flight Technician supporting three BBJ’s and four CL-650s.
“I have two other extremely savvy and competent flight technicians on my team. It’s our responsibility to provide maintenance support to the Boeing Fleet on international trips. Should the airplane experience any mechanical difficulties while on assignment my team and I are there to assist and repair the aircraft as quickly and efficiently as possible. This allows our team of executives to conduct their global business successfully and without any interruption to their schedule.
“I monitor our flight schedule and provide adequate coverage by our team, as well as keeping our group motivated to always provide exceptional service. My current role takes me all over the world and I have recently checked off my 73rd country. Remember that affection for traveling I mentioned before? I have managed to combine my two biggest passions into a beautiful, challenging, and rewarding career, I accredit the Gary Jet Center and the Boeing Company for giving me this incredibly unmatched opportunity,” said Granados.
And Granados doesn’t merely keep her success in the skies to herself, but routine share her life experiences and passion to inspire the next generation of up and coming aviation experts.
“I pride myself in being an advocate for women in aviation. I participate in grade school and high school career fairs. I very much enjoy bringing the younger generation of students into my work environment. Very few things rival seeing an airplane up close and sitting in the cockpit, touching the controls. The excitement, interest, and curiosity this experience creates is unparalleled, even more so when that excitement presents itself on the faces of children. Continuing to provide that exposure, I am confident that more kids, and hopefully more girls, will decide to follow a career in this exciting industry full of boundless opportunities,” Granados said.
