The 2012 AMTSociety Maintenance Skills Competition continued the tradition of the previous four years. This year there were 27 teams with international representation from China and Australia, with additional teams from aviation schools and military branches.
In previous years there have been 12 events. This year two events were removed and eight introduced. Two were created by mechanics that participated in the event last year. It shows that the event has struck a chord in the industry and people who want to give back to the industry have a way to do so; it’s a win-win. The mechanics went back to management and said they wanted to do this and the events were created with sponsorship by Boeing for a bonding event and Alaska Airlines for a structural repair event.
A mechanic from PPG introduced a product and an event at this year’s show, an aircraft windshield hump seal repair kit. A mockup of a 767 fuselage made a colorful and bold attention-getter as part of the event. Other event sponsors returned including CAE, ATP, Nida, and the U.S. Navy.
This year a new award was presented, AMTSociety Professional AMT Award. As the competition has grown it is large enough to recognize one engineer or mechanic that embodies the spirit of professionalism in behavior, attitude, and appearance. All 16 judges voted on the person who best represented these qualities. The winner is Senior Airman Kevin Meredith. Besides a plaque and tools he won a framed gold wrench from Snap-on. No one knew about the event so everyone would be evaluated on their professional characteristics whether there was an award or not.
This year’s event was more successful in terms of awards presented. Each team that achieved the fastest score for an event won tools. A thank you to all the companies that provided events along with judges; the event wouldn’t happen without you.
It’s been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this. It takes 12 months to organize and like Christmas it’s over in a blink of an eye. It’s a positive event, and I’m lucky to be a board member and chairman of the event. And wait till next year, it promises to be even bigger. Mark your calendars for March 12-15, 2013 in Las Vegas.
Ken MacTiernan, MSC Chairman and AMTSociety Board Member
AMTSociety toolbox raffle
The winner of the AMTSociety toolbox raffle is Richard Sanders. He works for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, GA. He is going to donate the Snap-on toolbox and tools to the Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Craven Community College, Havelock, NC. Thank you Richard for giving back to the industry.
General Aviation
1. Team Colorado
Commercial Aviation
1. Southwest Airlines (Third year in a row!)
2. Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA)
3. FedEx Team LAX
MRO/OEM
1. Boeing
2. Lode
Schools
1. Redstone College Team Red
2. Aviation Institute of Maintenance Kansas City
3. Redstone College Team Black
Military
1. U.S. Coast Guard
2. U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest
3. U.S. Air Force, Charleston Team 1
O’Brien Award
The U.S. Coast Guard team was first in the Military category and also achieved the overall fastest score among all 27 teams that competed this year for which they received the William F. "Bill" O'Brien Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance Award. Marie O'Brien, Bill's wife, presented the award.
AMTSociety Professional AMT Award
A new award this year is AMTSociety Professional AMT award. It is an award given to the one AMT or AME from among all the AMT/AMEs competing who displays the most professional appearance, attitude, and knowledge. This individual was chosen by the judges of all 16 events. The judges each wrote down the name of one person who they felt deserved this award. Senior Airman (SRA) Kevin Meredith from the Charleston AFB Team 1 received the most ballots. He was presented this award by USAF Colonel Robert E. Miglionico, AFSOC 1 SOMXG/CC, who was on hand to help present awards to the Military Category teams. SRA. Meredith received a "Professional AMT Award" plaque, a Snap-on Gold Engraved 2012 MSC Professional AMT Award Wrench, ProBuilt Professional Lighting Wobblelight, Shure-Step II work stool, Pip Bolle' contour tinted safety glasses, and Stanley Proto combination wrench set.
Hendershot Lifetime Achievement Award
The recipient of the AMTSociety Thomas E. Hendershot Lifetime Achievement Award is Douglas R. Lynn from Euclid, OH.
Lynn is employed as the director of maintenance for PACE-Cleveland Steel Container, which operates a Hawker 800 located at the Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, OH.
He is a 1963 graduate of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology and has been nominated to receive the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award from the Cleveland FSDO.
The number of nominations and the comments speak volumes as to the involvement and passion that Lynn displays each and every day. One nominator's comments stated, "I can say knowing and working for Doug has meant a career for me." Another stated, "Doug has been a mainstay for the Northern Ohio area."
Lynn has served as the president, vice president, and secretary of Northern Ohio Aviation Maintenance Association (NOAMA), and also served a two-year term as vice president and two-year term as the secretary for PAMA. He is also a lifetime member of AMTSociety.
The plaque presented to Lynn reads: "For outstanding personal efforts in improving knowledge of aircraft technicians and inspiring others to enhance aviation safety through self-education. And for your leadership and exemplary dedication to aircraft maintenance, safety, training, your professional attitude, and adherence to the Mechanic's Creed.
"With Sincere Appreciation, the Board of Directors, March 9, 2012."
MSC Participant: FedEx
For the last several years FedEx has donated engines for use in the Maintenance Skills Competition, along with having teams compete in the event.
FedEx Express manager Mike Sanford has attended the AMTSociety Maintenance Skills Competition the three years to support the FedEx Express AMTs from Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Memphis who compete. He comments, “I’m always impressed by the professionalism and dedication I see in all the AMTs who participate in the annual skills competition. We are honored to be associated with the program.”
History of FedEx: In 1965, Yale University undergraduate Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper about the passenger route systems used by most airfreight shippers, which he viewed as economically inadequate. Smith wrote of the need for shippers to have a system designed specifically for airfreight that could accommodate time-sensitive shipments such as medicines, computer parts and electronics.
In August of 1971 following a stint in the military, Smith bought controlling interest in Arkansas Aviation Sales, located in Little Rock, AR. While operating his new firm, Smith identified the tremendous difficulty in getting packages and other airfreight delivered within one to two days. Thus, the idea for Federal Express was born.
The company incorporated in June 1971 and officially began operations on April 17, 1973, with the launch of 14 small aircraft from Memphis International Airport. On that night, Federal Express delivered 186 packages to 25 U.S. cities from Rochester, NY, to Miami, FL.
Today FedEx Express has the world's largest all-cargo air fleet, including Boeing 777s and MD-11s and Airbus A-300s and A-310s. The planes have a total daily lift capacity of more than 30 million pounds, and deliver to customers in more than 220 countries and territories. In a 24-hour period, the fleet travels nearly 500,000 miles while its couriers log 2.5 million miles a day – the equivalent of 100 trips around the earth.
In 1994 Federal Express officially adopted "FedEx" as its primary brand, taking a cue from its customers, who frequently referred to the company by the shortened name. Today, FedEx Express is the flagship operating company of FedEx Corporation, which provides strategic direction and consolidated financial reporting for the operating companies that compete collectively under the FedEx name worldwide: Other operating companies include FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, FedEx Trade Networks, FedEx Supply Chain Solutions, and FedEx Services.
