FROM THE EDITOR
GROOMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MECHANICS
LETS FACE IT — WE ARE GETTING AT A POINT WHERE MANY AVIATION MAINTENANCE PROFESSIONALS ARE GETTING READY TO RETIRE. THOSE WHO JOINED OUR RANKS AFTER THE VIETNAM WAR ARE CLOSING IN ON RETIREMENT. OUR COMPANIES NEED YOUNG ENTHUSIASTIC MECHANICS TO FILL JOB OPENINGS AND PREPARE THEM
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
JOE ESCOBAR
jescobar@DOMmagazine.com 920.747.0195
TO BE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW. I recently had the opportunity to witness a local grass-roots eff ort that is grooming future mechanics and pilots. There is a group of mechanics and pilots in Palmyra, WI who are volunteering every Saturday morning to help young kids get some hands-on experience working on aircraft and fl ying them. The group is called the 88 Charlies. The 88 Charlies providee youth aged 12-18 years a hands-on opportunity to explore aviation as a career or hobby. The kids get to work on aircraft under the supervision and guidance of A&P mechanics. As the kids build up their volunteer hours, they get credits for fl ight hours in the club’s aircraft. Some of 88 Charlies’ past students have gone on to careers as pilots, mechanics and even aeronautical engineers. The 88 Charlies says its primary focus
isn’t just about building airplanes. Through its weekly workshops, the program teaches both academic and interpersonal skills to students. The 88 Charlies off ers this program at no cost to the students or families involved, and relies on donations to fund the program. Our publisher Greg Napert and I drove
to Palmyra, WI on a cold Saturday in January to witness the program fi rst-hand. It was exciting to see around 20 adult mentors working with six students that day as they worked on various projects on an American
Champion Citabria. The club is restoring the Citabria with plans to fl y the aircraft to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this summer. There has been much discussion on the looming aircraft mechanic shortage and what needs to be done to promote aircraft maintenance as a career to young kids. It is interesting to see what a local grass-roots eff ort like the 88 Charlies can do to get young kids interested in aviation maintenance. If we could only have more groups like this around the world!
To learn more, visit
88charlies.com or visit their Facebook page at 88 Charlies Inc. The D.O.M. magazine team will be at
several upcoming shows and conferences including MRO Americas April 25-27 and NBAA MC May 2-4. We will be looking for article ideas and new products and services relevant to our readers. If you will be attending either of these shows, consider taking the time to stop by our booth and visit with us.
Thanks for reading, and we appreciate your comments. - Joe Escobar
4
DOMmagazine.com | mar 2017
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
