The best, funniest, most endearing Christmas movie in the 21st century is about aviation maintenance.
Elf, starring Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart (the North Pole’s apparent Director of Maintenance), is undeniably the MRO community’s “Christmas Carol.” And it can teach us a few things about engendering the aviation workforce.
Buddy the Elf – the orphaned human raised in the North Pole who likes to whisper, loves to smile and eats gum off the street – grew up in the world’s most important schoolroom: The hangar (garage) where Santa’s sleigh gets inspected and maintained between its yearly departures. Through a “tinker training” session – not adherent to FAA-approved curriculum but extremely educational – we learn that St. Nick’s ride has undergone modifications to account for flagging global reserves of its natural power source, Christmas spirit.
Buddy’s wrench-turning skills are pivotal to the story’s climax. Spoiler alert: Father Christmas and his team of reindeer are grounded in Central Park with mechanical issues, and only Buddy the (non-FAA certificated) Elf can save the day. With some spirited help from the nearby public and after a close call with the villainous Central Park Rangers, Rudolf and the team are able to get back in the air. A mechanic saves Christmas.
So what’s the message for aviation professions who don’t rely on magical assistance to introduce the next generation of technicians to an exciting and essential field?
Start Early
Why Papa Elf waited until his adopted son was past 30 to introduce him to aviation is beyond me. For goodness sake, if kids get to high school without knowing about a future in aeronautics – whether in the cockpit, the control center or on the maintenance line – they’re lost. With no guidance counselor to save the day, Buddy’s future as an AMT was over before it began.
Introducing youngsters to the intricacies of “fixing” something is not difficult; get some old equipment, invite your employees to bring their kids to work for a “tear-down” session. Get them used to using tools and equipment, the excitement of getting something broken to work again. It’s a great feeling to be told: “You’re gonna help me make it fly.”
Find New Audiences
An administrator at a part 147 school related the challenge of training and placing students unfamiliar with simple maintenance tasks let alone the aviation industry. Aspiring technicians who grew up fixing cars, tinkering or working on farms are now exotic and hiring managers are challenged to recognize novel sources of talent. To find the workforce of the future we need to cultivate new students from different places. If a human-turned-honorary-elf can be Santa’s best hope in crisis, surely we can find new sources of talent to address a crisis of our own workforce.
Although mechanics with certificates from the FAA are invaluable, equally important are specific technical skills, look for interest among automobile, energy, pipeline, electronics technicians and their educational institutions. Reach out to local grade and high schools for basic mathematics and science capabilities; provide support by donating equipment, time and by occasionally bringing the classroom to your facility.
Create Freedom to Adapt
Innovation in the form of a “500 reindeer-power, jet turbine engine” keeps Santa ferry flight safe despite a Christmas spirit-less world. To allow ingenuity in our realm, we must create space through proactive engagement with the agencies that regulate training and operations. Managing the intersection of business and government (an illustration used constantly in my office) ensures the freedom and flexibility for industry to overcome changing market and regulatory needs.
This holiday season, give thanks for the hardworking men and women who keep us safely in flight. To honor their commitment, let’s dedicate ourselves to building a future workforce that doesn’t require rescue from an ex-pat elf. Meeting that challenge will keep our businesses competitive, our aircraft safe and our travelers on time.
In the meantime … Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good flight.
Brett Levanto is the Director of Operations at Obadal, Filler, MacLeod and Klein, the Virginia-based law firm that manages both the Aeronautical Repair Station Association and the Aviation Technician Education Council. Visit the global aviation maintenance industry’s information portal at avmro.ARSA.org.
