Age: 39
Years in Aviation: 10
David Karnuth from Suffolk, VA, is an aviation maintenance technician instructor at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Virginia. Karnuth was nominated by his supervisor Brad Groom. He holds an FAA A&P mechanics certificate and an FCC Ground Radiotelephone Operator License with a radar endorsement.
He’s been part of the FAASTeam since 2007, and has received the Ruby Award in 2007 and Bronze Awards since 2012.
He attended the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Chesapeake with no previous experience in aircraft maintenance, but with the intention of obtaining a career not just a job.
Karnuth had a mentor during his time attending A&P school, Nancy Jones who was the 2015 Aviation Technician Education Council’s (ATEC) Teacher of the Year. Nancy was one of his first instructors and got him excited about aviation and this industry.
After receiving his A&P certificate he held positions as a technician at Empire Aero Center in Rome, NY, starting as a mechanic and working his way into the avionics shop. He has experience doing heavy maintenance checks and modifications on many large aircraft including the B737, B747, B767, DC10, A310, A320, A330 and C130. After leaving there he went to work for Sikorsky in Elmira, NY, as a final assembly inspector on UH-60 Blackhawks and S70B Seahawks.
In 2012, he went to work as an AMT instructor back at The Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Chesapeake, VA, teaching both airframe and powerplant classes and preparing students for their A&P certification.
Groom says, “David’s career has been earmarked by continuously increasing and expanding his knowledge and experiences in the aviation maintenance environment.”
Karnuth says he gives back to the aviation industry by training and educating new mechanics while keeping them informed and up to date on new and current industry standards while also emphasizing the importance of safety.
As for his career goal, he says, “As of now, I plan on remaining an instructor at the school because I get a real satisfaction of seeing new A&Ps enter this field.”
