“Perhaps now more than ever, our industry needs honest, ethical, hard-working role models to stoke the interest and pass the torch to a new generation waiting in the wings. Jesse Klein is that role model, and embodies the very essence of the unflappable integrity and proficiency that our industry so demands. We owe it to him, those like him, and to aviation as a whole, to celebrate these otherwise unsung heroes of our industry.” David Carmichael, owner of Aerotech Solutions LLC, concluded his 40 Under 40 nomination of Jesse Klein with those words. Klein is the director of maintenance and safety officer at MicroStrategy Services Corp in Virginia.
“Jesse set a course for excellence early in his career and has never looked back, nor ever accepted anything less from himself,” Carmichael said.
At age 17, Klein, inspired by his grandfather (a U.S. Air Force veteran with a 42-year career in the aerospace and defense industry), joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 171st Air Refueling Wing. He was a crew chief performing isochronal/phase inspections and line maintenance on the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.
In 2005 he moved to Connecticut to work for Bombardier Aerospace as an A&P technician in the Global Express/XRS/5000 Program. He transferred to the Connecticut Air National Guard to continue his military service and was stationed at the 103rd Fighter Wing, Bradley Field. As a crew chief on the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, he performed phase inspections, line maintenance, and launch and recoveries until his contract ended (2007).
In 2007 he moved to Washington, D.C. to work for J.E. Robert Companies as a corporate A&P technician on the company-owned Global XRS until the flight department dissolved in 2010. That same year, he started doing contract work, mostly for Bombardier Aerospace Entry into Service Team. His contracts involved traveling the world, accompanying newly purchased aircraft and assisting the manufacturer and operators. After “living out of a suitcase for a year,” he received a call from BAE Systems in Washington, D.C. to work as an A&P technician maintaining the company’s Dassault Falcon 2000LX and Falcon 900EX.
In 2016 he accepted the job to be director of maintenance for MicroStrategy’s Global XRS. In addition to maintaining the aircraft, he is the safety officer and oversees the safety management system and has successfully led the team through multiple IS-BAO Stage II audits.
Carmichael said, “Jesse provides a clear example for all that integrity and hard work are paramount, and an unwavering commitment to safety, quality and professionalism is the only path to true success in our industry. Jesse has trained to the highest standards in order to perfect his craft and in addition to his A&P certificate and FAA excellence in training awards, holds the hard-earned Master Technician certification from FSI (Flight Safety International).”
