PROFILE
succeed. I was able to help the students learn by teaching them the correct approaches and techniques. In addition, it was a rewarding way to earn an additional income while attending school myself.” D.O.M. magazine asked Highfi ll if his eagerness to teach has helped him over the years. “Absolutely,” he says. “There is always room for growth in this industry. Whether it be as an employee or an individual, everyday is a learning curve for all of us. I enjoy educating the newer and inexperienced employees, gearing them in the right direction.”
THE FIRST JOB Prior to graduation, Highfi ll attended a job fair at Embry- Riddle. He visited employer stations and engaged with possible employers, always handing them his resume. The job fair was successful — he got several job off ers, and ended up taking a job with Gulfstream Aerospace in Appleton, WI. Highfi ll spent almost 1 ½ years at Gulfstream. Gulfstream initially off ered him a job in its avionics department. Despite his strong avionics background, he didn’t want to work in the avionics shop. “I wanted to be able to do a lot of diff erent things,” he says. “I didn’t want to work on just avionics, I wanted to work on a wide variety of systems and components. So I rejected their avionics department off er and took a job working as an entry-level mechanic on the hangar fl oor.”
Highfi ll got some hands-on experience as a mechanic doing maintenance, inspections and repairs on Hawker 800s at Gulfstream Appleton. After about a year with the company, he worked on other airframes when the Hawker work slowed down. He had the chance to gain experience working on Gulfstream G3s and G4s and Challenger 604s.
FLIGHT OPTIONS Highfi ll saw the DOMs who brought their aircraft to Gulfstream’s facility. He thought he would like to work in a corporate environment, hoping to eventually become a DOM himself. He started to send his resume out to diff erent fl ight departments, and ended up taking an employment opportunity in Cleveland, OH with Flight Options as a crew chief in the company’s maintenance control division. He oversaw the maintenance on the company’s fl eet of more than 40 Hawkers on his shift. This was Highfi ll’s fi rst supervisory job. We asked him how the transition to a supervisory role went. “It went pretty well,” he says. “I worked with two other individuals on what we called the Hawker row. It was about a week’s worth of learning curve, but I adjusted quickly in order to help accomplish what we needed to do on a daily basis.” As a crew chief at Flight Options, Highfi ll was going to
WWW .CONCORDEBA TTER Y .COM
work in professional dress attire instead of the mechanic’s uniform he wore at Gulfstream. But being an eff ective crew chief means more than the clothes you wear. He was excited to take on the responsibility that came with the job — working with maintenance personnel all over the country. “I entered the position with my previous knowledge and also learned much more along the way,” Highfi ll says. “The other crew chiefs showed me the ropes and supported me as I learned my role as a crew chief.”
RELIABILITY MATTERS
Even if the battery is providing engine starting power it is not a sign that it has enough capacity for essential power. The minimum lead acid battery capacity to return to service (AC 43.13-2B) as recommended by both Concorde Battery Corporation and the FAA is 85%.
Fly safe and reliable with Concorde Battery’s Platinum Series®
RG-380E/46 – 24V, 46 Ah Weight & Size of RG-380E/44 with more power
AVBASE AVIATION After a short tenure, Highfi ll departed Flight Options to pursue a career with Avbase Aviation, a Part 135 charter management company also based in Cleveland, OH. Highfi ll assumed the position of mechanic/maintenance administrator, working with his supervisor for guidance.
In this position, Highfi ll was working on the aircraft, overseeing other mechanics on the fl oor and assisting with scheduling needs. After 1 1/2 years, Highfi ll was promoted to DOM at Avbase following his supervisor’s resignation from the position.
03 2015 8 CONCORDE BATTERY CORPORATION | 626.813.1234 | ISO 9001 + AS9100
DOMmagazine
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68