Aircraft Maintenance Technology - 52

Stephanie Nita, 34, Lead Aircraft Technician & Inspector, Flightline Group, Inc., Tallahassee, FL

he movie Top Gun has inspired many to join the world of
aviation, among them Stephanie Nita.
"I always knew that I didn't want an inside, desk job growing
up, and I was always interested in how things work. I was always
able to actually fix things myself. Airplanes would always fly
over my house when I was little and one of my favorite movies is
Top Gun, so I guess I just put two and two together," said Nita.
Nita got her feet wet in aviation refueling and working the
line at Flightline when she began going to A&P school.
"I would go to school during the day, then head straight to
Flightline to work the 3 to 11 shift. After getting my A&P, I
was able to get a job in the maintenance department and have
been working as an A&P ever since. As of this year, I got my
inspection authorization, so I now sign off annual inspections
for return to service and also do regular maintenance jobs on
Piper 46 models, mainly," Nita described.
"In 2008, after completing her course work and successfully
testing for her A&P license, she transitioned from working
Line Services to become a member of the company's Technical
Services Team. In the years that followed, Stephanie worked
alongside a group of very experienced and qualified aircraft
technicians. Her work ethic and commitment to the job earned
Stephanie the respect of her co-workers and the confidence

of the company's management Team. She
gained significant experience working as
lead technician on annual inspections with
her focus being on the Piper M500/600
Class turbine aircraft. The training and
experience she gained has made her a
key member of the Flightline Technical
Services Team.
During her time working with Flightline,
Stephanie also became the proud mother of two young children,
Easton and Raeghan. With both children, Stephanie continued
to work with the team right up until the day she went to the
hospital. While working full time and as the mother of two,
with the support of her family, Stephanie continued to pursue
her aviation qualifications by applying to the FAA for Inspection
Authorization (IA). In April 2019, Stephanie received IA certification by the FAA. Out of the 286,000 A&P Technicians, she
is one of only 6,800 women. Only a small fraction of A&Ps
achieve IA certification, making her accomplishment even more
significant," wrote Paul "Mac" Langston, CEO of Flightline and
Nita's nominator.
Nita says that now that she has her IA, her future plans are
to keep learning and getting better.

Michael Barnes, 38, A&P Instructor, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Chesapeake, VA

ichael Barnes started his secondary education studying
to be an architect, but a childhood passion for aviation
pulled him elsewhere.
"I have been interested in airplanes and aviation since I was
a young child, airplanes have always fascinated me. After high
school, I attended college for architecture, but something was
missing, I had no passion for what I was studying. After one
semester I decided to change careers and join the Air Force where
I could work with airplanes. That is when I found the passion I
was looking for," Barnes said.
For six years, Barnes served active duty in the Air Force as
an aerospace maintenance craftsman on the Lockheed C-130
Hercules. In April of 2006, he moved to the North Carolina
National Guard, where he continued working on C-130s. Come
2013, Barnes' became a C-130 Flight Engineer, his duties changing
to include preflight preparation, inflight operation and monitoring and troubleshooting of the aircrafts' systems.
While still a member of the National Guard, Barnes also began
his civilian career with FireFly Balloons in 2011, where he worked
until 2015, manufacturing and repairing hot air balloons systems
and components, and served as an accountable manager for the
company's FAA Certification Repair Station.
From FireFly Balloons, Barnes began working at AECOM, first

52 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

as a plane captain on the F/A-18 Hornet and
Super Hornet, performing inspections, servicing and ground handling, then as a plane
captain on the MH-60S helicopter in 2016,
again performing inspections, servicing and
ground handling.
After the long and winding career, Barnes
now holds positions at Signature Flight
Support, as an on-call aircraft mechanic,
providing line type maintenance for all airlines servicing Norfolk
International Airport and hangar and line type maintenance for
general aviation customers; the Aviation Institute of Maintenance,
Airframe and Powerplant Instructor, where he develops lesson plans, lectures, and presentations based on the Part 147
approved curriculum and delivers instruction to students; and
is a FAA Safety Team Representative, volunteering his time to
develop safety seminars and presentations to deliver to airmen
and mechanics in the aviation industry.
For the future, Barnes says his career goals are to "continue my
education in the aviation field, obtain my inspection authorization,
where I hope to one day run a maintenance shop. I would like
to continue passing my knowledge along to the next generation
of mechanics as well."

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

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