Some of the AMT Day events around the country.
AAR Corp.
AAR Corp. leaders, Cheryle Jackson, vice president of government affairs and corporate development; C. Rayner Hutchinson III, vice president of quality and safety; Danny Martinez, general manager of AAR’s Indianapolis facility; and Greg “G-Man” Dellinger, director of recruiting, along with AAR’s Great Place to Work Team, coordinated and sponsored an out-of-the-classroom experience for the entire eighth-grade class of Ariel Community Academy, a Chicago charter school, as a special way to honor Charlie.
On Tuesday, May 24, Ariel’s Class of 2011 was transported to Purdue and Vincennes Universities, within the Aviation Technology Center (ATC), which is on the airfield at the Indianapolis Airport. In the same spirit of collaboration it took to build the engine used by the Wright Brothers, Illinois and Indiana educators shared with the students the type of education required to become an AMT.
In addition to seeing a variety of aircraft at the ATC, the students were given a ride on a 737 (for most their first) as they were tugged across the airfield to the AAR repair station, while being served lunch onboard. As the students deplaned, they were met and welcomed by Indiana and Illinois aviation/community leaders including Landon Larson, a fuel system analyst from Southwest Airlines, and Cheryl Chew, the executive director of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals. From there, the group toured AAR’s 1.6 million-square-foot hangar at IND. All along the way, the link between AMT education and aviation maintenance employment opportunities was reinforced.
Baker’s School of Aeronautics
Baker's School of Aeronautics hosted its 7th Annual AMT Day picnic on Friday, May 27. There were about 140 attendees. The same chefs from years past, Jennifer Baker’s husband, Eddie Baker and Orville Hale from Trade-A-Plane grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbecued bologna. It also had pork and turkey barbecue with all the fixings catered by Whitt's.
This year there was a jazz band instead of blue grass. "The Halfbrass Band" really put on a great show and had the crowd dancing and marching to the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In" toward the end.
It also held our corn hole competition for a second year and the winner, Troy Cashdollar from Glenmora, LA, won an oversized arm chair. It had more than 200 door prizes donated this year that included tools, posters, hats, t-shirts, and complimentary overnight rooms at local hotels. Each picnic attendee also received an 8-ounce drinking glass with Charles Taylor's picture on it, compliments of Baker's School of Aeronautics.
The dunking booth ended up being the most popular attraction. Wally Bevan, Nashville FSDO manager; Joe Hawkins, AMTSociety board member and MTSU professor; and one of our instructors, Jimmy Holderfield, volunteered to be the "dunkees." Baker's offered the chance to throw the balls in exchange for donations to be given to the AMTSociety Scholarship Program and collected $185.
Cincinnati
AMTSociety and PAMA worked together and planned the first annual AMT Day cookout in Cincinnati, OH, on May 24. The cookout was a huge success with well over 150 attendees. The event was sponsored by West Star Aviation and Apex Aircraft Detailing, who not only provided the food and drinks but also provided door prizes. The cookout was open to everyone and was attended by aviation students, corporate aircraft personnel, general aviation personnel, and the FAA. Cincinnati State Technical and Community College scheduled a tour of a corporate flight department and showed up to the cookout with more than 40 aviation technician students. AMTSociety Director Gary Goodpaster and PAMA's Dale Forton were in attendance.
Denver Centennial Airport
The fourth annual Charles E. Taylor Day program was held on Saturday May 27 at Centennial Airport and was sponsored by Mark May, director of maintenance services, Epic Aviation Services.
There were 15 aircraft and 12 antique cars on display for the 109 people who attended to view and ask questions of the sponsors/operators who were on hand. The food was great and the weather cooperated fully for the day’s festivities. Also contributing to the day’s activities were Dan Bryant and Tac Air, and Chuck and Jackie Mangan who supplied the entertainment. Mark’s comment: “Next year will be bigger and better.”
South Carolina Aeronautics Commission
The South Carolina Aeronautics Commission AMT Day event included some of its past Charles Taylor Award winners, playing a jeopardy game made for aircraft maintenance, Gene Grant being presented the Charles Taylor Award from Dwayne Pittsenbarger, the FAASTeam manager, and the director of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, Paul Werts, presenting a gift to Gene Grant from the State of South Carolina.
