Stephanie Lindquist, 30, is a Line Maintenance Supervisor for UPS Airlines. She supervises a crew of 11 mechanics for the unscheduled maintenance on MD11 and B767 aircraft. She assigns the maintenance workload to AMTs, verifies maintenance plans and availability of parts and tools, and ensures compliance with FAA regulations.
Lindquist was always interested in large machinery and enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked. In high school she started researching career paths and found a brochure for aircraft maintenance and was instantly intrigued.
She didn’t have a mentor until earlier this year; one of the managers in her department chose her and a fellow coworker to mentor. They meet for lunch and discuss goals along with any issues they are facing or would like feedback on.
Lindquist enlisted in the Air National Guard and went through training to become a certified ejection seat mechanic. For six years she maintained the seat integrity and system explosives of the A-10’s that were stationed in Battle Creek, and Detroit, MI. During enlistment she worked full-time for two summers at the base for more training while taking the prerequisite classes. In 2007 she was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom.
She graduated with a bachelor’s in aircraft maintenance (and a minor in management) from Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation. In 2009 she obtained an internship in the Aircraft Maintenance Department for the college’s fleet of Cirrus SR22s, Cessna Senecas and Seminoles. After graduation she accepted a position at UPS in its Aircraft Maintenance Division. She worked for a year in a management trainee program (rotating through different ACMX departments) and then accepted a full-time position in the MD11 Maintenance Programs department. Additional training has included: B757 Familiarization, MD11 Familiarization, and FCC Radio Operators License.
Armando A. Unzueta, division manager, UPS Airlines, says, "Stephanie is a team player, eager to assist the organization wherever needed. She is a very positive individual and has great communication skills. She is never afraid of challenges and adapts very well to change. Last February there was a need to cover the supervisor role at Ramp Control Center (RCC). She stepped up to cover RCC temporarily and did an outstanding job with very little training. She is the liaison between the departments of Aircraft Maintenance, Flight and Ground and managed the inbound and outbound aircraft. Stephanie is a quick learner and eager to gain knowledge. She is a great organizer as she manages her personal life, work, and community service. When she is asked to take on a project she is always willing to take the lead. There is a bright future ahead for Stephanie in her aviation career and future in UPS Airlines. She possesses the leadership and initiative talents to become a leader and mentor of young women in the aviation industry."
To give back to the industry she is president of Association for Women in Aircraft Maintenance (AWAM) Chapter 18 (Louisville, KY) and attends Women in Aviation conferences. The AWAM Chapter raises money every year to award scholarships for men and women entering the aviation maintenance career field (some help pay for schooling and some send the recipients to the Women in Aviation conference so they may network with employers and attend training classes). The chapter also finds ways to reach out to young kids and teenagers in the community to encourage their interest in aviation, create awareness of the different career paths, and raise awareness of women working in the industry.
One of her goals is to be a part of the culture change at UPS; another is to be the director of maintenance or vice president of aircraft maintenance and engineering. "I also want to continue to bring awareness to young people about career path options in aviation."
