Life after the aircraft maintenance game
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Life after the aircraft maintenance game
Up to 480 guys at Qantas in Sydney are about to be out of a job. Yes, there has been speculation for some years but I think the numbers and swiftness involved has come as a shock to all, including myself who at this stage is safe up here in Brisbane. That may be a different story in 2 years time
So the question is, to those that have left the industry in the past, (or who know of others that have left), what careers have you taken up? Are they completely different?? Closely related? How long did it take you to adjust?
So the question is, to those that have left the industry in the past, (or who know of others that have left), what careers have you taken up? Are they completely different?? Closely related? How long did it take you to adjust?
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After 25 years in the business (19 of them as a Licensed Engineer) I joined a consultancy company as a Technical Surveyor. Now, a further 6 years later, I am managing the technical department for an aircraft leasing company.
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Life after Aviation Maintenance
I got a job as an instructor at a poly-technical institute teaching aircraft mechanics. It's been good; although I miss wrenching. Lately I've been trying to find P\T work as a mech
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: British Columbia, Canada.
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Originally Posted by roye
I got a job as an instructor at a poly-technical institute teaching aircraft mechanics. It's been good; although I miss wrenching. Lately I've been trying to find P\T work as a mech
...............Interesting question. As much as the thought has wanted to force its way in to the forefront of my mind, I've sort of subconsciously suppressed it back.
There has always been unsettling times at my MRO, but just in the last 3 months, a union was introduced to represent the approximately 400 engineers, interior techs, sheet-metal techs, and avionics techs, and things got pretty scary. The proposals put forth by the company were rejected twice, and some of our more established customers were understandably wanting to pull out and go find other vendors for their maintenance requirements.
But finally, everyone agreed on the 3rd proposal this past week, and it looks like no one will be laid off after all, nor will the customers be pulling out. At least for now. The bargaining committee convenes in under two years to re-negotiate.
As for me, I have 5 years in this company and a total of close to 14 years in the industry under my belt. I am endorsed on the B737, and carry both the American FAA license and the Transport Canada AME M2 license. I wasn't thrilled with the wage concessions the company made, but decided to accept it, due to the bigger concessions they made in regards to the mandatory weekend overtime roster they had going for a while. That is now gone, in lieu of the company asking for volunteers for overtime, and failing which, they start asking for OT from the top and work their way down.
I've been wondering about how it is all going to end. I mean eventually, and what will I be doing then? I wonder if I should try to take up another trade in my spare time, and develop something else as a backup?
Brian.
Last edited by BrianHA; 15th Apr 2006 at 18:15.
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Life after the aircraft maintenance game
I left aircraft maintenance behind some time ago (aged 35) and moved into flight management which paid considerably more, provided more free time and had its moments but, looking back, it was a life of wall-to-wall trivia and career posturing - the big thrill was planning the budget which was total fiction however many £m and how many joke MBA's were involved. Life was like one long, low-budget edition of BBC2's 'The Apprentice' except nobody got fired. I'm now in my mid fifties and working in IT management and having a ball but, looking back, the people I worked with on the line at Gatwick and around Europe were some of the funniest and cleverest people I worked with anywhere. If you want to stay in aircraft maintenance then there will always be jobs though you may have to relocate to maintain salary and conditions. There are other jobs out there but few, after a life of fixing unserviceable airliners and seeing them on their way, will be as rewarding.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I've known one or two good maintenance people switch to the aircraft insurance business - doing damage surveying, repair estimation, etc. Last I saw them, they seemed to be enjoying it.
G
G
