August-September-2021 - 38

A R S A INS IG H T
Recruiting Trip
During my nephew Frank's recent visit with the " Virginia Levantos, " we heeded
the call to actively recruit the next generation of aerospace professionals.
My wife and I expanded the usual itinerary of D.C. stops to include an aviation
maintenance technician school and a " discovery flight " from a local airport.
Frank is a good candidate; already committed to
By Brett Levanto
Brett Levanto is
vice president of
operations of Obadal,
Filler, MacLeod &
Klein, P.L.C. managing
firm and client
communications
in conjunction with
regulatory and
legislative policy
initiatives. He
provides strategic
and logistical support
for the Aeronautical
Repair Station
Association.
technical training, he is studying carpentry and planning
a career in construction. We spent more than two
hours at Reagan National Airport, touring the hangar,
workshop and classrooms of the University of the
District of Columbia's maintenance training school.
Instructor Ron Cruz described the typical student's
experience, showed off equipment and explained the
rewarding careers available to successful graduates.
Before we left, Ron turned on the virtual maintenance
instruction simulator, digitally walking us through a
Boeing cockpit, while describing the tests and checks
performed by AMTs.
Frank was engaged throughout, asking questions and
sharing experiences from his own hands-on learning.
He sat in one of the school's aircraft, debated whether
he could fit through a hatch to check cabling, which
no student would ever have to do ... if they've properly
mastered the correct techniques for testing tension,
measured sheet metal thickness and watched a student
proudly show off her composite materials project.
Two days later, we arrived at Potomac Airfield
to meet up with Pilot Pete Castine. After talking us
through a basic pre-flight, Pete ensured clearance for
Washington's highly-restricted airspace and loaded
us for departure. With Frank advancing the throttle,
we left Runway 6 and turned toward the practice area
south of the city. An hour later, Frank had flown the
aircraft, practiced basic turns, learned to read airspeed
and altitude and could interpret the artificial
horizon. He remained attentive through stall simulations
and claimed to enjoy some unexpected " roller
coaster " maneuvers.
" What do you think? " I asked while driving home.
Frank knew what I meant. There was no secret about
my motivation for the outings. " It was really cool, " he
said, a description used no less than five separate
times, without prompting, throughout his experience.
" I still think construction's for me, but planes could
be a neat hobby. "
Recognizing why Frank didn't immediately become
interested in turning his talent to aviation is important.
He, and thousands of other candidates, are not
38 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
exposed to the possibilities in aerospace. His wood
shop teacher is not pitching broad exploration for his
talent, and guidance counselors and administrators
aren't equipped to direct students to our industry. Even
after experiencing the " magic of flight " he still focused
on how much roofers were getting paid to build developments
off of Route 1 in Alexandria. Construction
sites and careers are ubiquitous, " everyone " knows
someone that works in that field.
When discussing my efforts to recruit Frank with
the ARSA team, some great points came to light.
Though he saw the " magic " in the aircraft, he did not
translate the same qualities to a potential career. Youth
tend to look for the obvious while aviation employers
look for the elite: Regardless of what can be earned laying
shingles or operating a construction crane, those
tasks will never demand as much as a career designing,
manufacturing, operating or maintaining an aircraft.
Recruitment may seem like a foot race or competition,
but it doesn't work that way in aviation. A 16-yearold
may already think his or her future is all figured out,
but life will provide numerous opportunities to create a
real future. While a subcommittee of the Youth Access
to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force established that
most potential applicants are first exposed between
ages 10 and 18, at that tender age, the aviation industry
competes with countless other technical fields with
easier entry points but far fewer career opportunities.
Earlier is not always better, one of the miracles of aerospace
is its ability to embrace knowledge and dedication
from and by all age groups in its workforce. We know
plenty of aviation professionals that started out in other
fields, including construction.
My first-hand experience establishes something
already known: our narrative must present aviation
as part of exciting career journey. Learning to work
with your hands, becoming knowledgeable in structure,
fasteners, weight and balance on a residential or
commercial roof or in the aviation school aren't just job
skills, they represent opportunities for future growth in
a dynamic industry with multiple choices for a rewarding
career. Our potential candidates must see the sky as
the limit, not a roof, whether at 18 or 80.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
August-September-2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August-September-2021
