FUTURE FACES By Allison McKay
Pilot Finds True Calling in Maintenance G
ROWING UP IN WESTFIELD CENTER, Ohio, HFI scholar- ship winner Derek Galla was
fortunate enough to live next door to a pilot for Continental Express. They forged
“My advice to others is to look into and experience the different career paths. See where you will be the happiest. … You want to wake up every day excited to go to work.”
a friendship playing flight simulator games together. Galla even had the opportunity to tour the training facility where his neighbor
Upcoming HFI Events
SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT
All proceeds will fund scholarships for future pilots and mechanics Stone Mountain Golf Club Stone Mountain, GA • Sun., Mar. 3 Check-in 10 AM
Shotgun start at 12:00 PM Register at
rotor.org/golf
HERITAGE OF HELICOPTERS Take a break from aviation’s latest on the HAI HELI-EXPO show fl oor and visit this display of vintage rotorcraft Hall C Static Booth #C01 Georgia World Congress Center Mar. 5–7
ONLINE SILENT AUCTION Support HFI’s missions of preserving the past, ensuring the future Bid 24/7 at
www.biddingforgood .com/HFI Mon., Feb. 25, 12:00 PM EST Thu., Mar. 7, 4:00 PM EST
HFI HELICOPTER INDUSTRY CAREER AND MENTORING FAIR Find the job that will advance your career Georgia World Congress Center Georgia Ballroom Tue., Mar. 5, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM Free for attendees but registration is required
Register at
rotor.org/careerfair
worked and to fly a full- motion Embraer ERJ145 flight simulator. This really sparked his interest in avia- tion and is ultimately what led Galla to pursue his pri- vate pilot license. Once he obtained his pilot rating, Galla realized that although he was pas- sionate about aviation, maintaining aircraft was his true calling: “I enjoy work- ing with my hands and the challenge of troubleshoot- ing.” He looked forward to seeing a helicopter that he worked on all day take off, knowing that his work
helped make that happen. Galla enrolled in the Aviation Mainte-
nance Technology program at MIAT College of Technology in Canton, Michigan. To off- set the expense of his training, he applied for and won an HFI Maintenance Technician Certificate Scholarship. He completed his training in October 2018. With demand for aviation maintenance
professionals at an all-time high, Galla is glad he pursued his A&P license. “My advice to others is to look into and experi- ence the different career paths (pilot, mechanic, air traffic controller, airport man- agement). See where you will be the hap- piest. Don’t just go with a high-paying career that you will be miserable in. You want to wake up every day excited to go to work.”
Preserve The Past. Improve Safety. Secure The Future. 64 ROTOR WINTER 2019
Galla looks forward to continuing his training and obtaining his inspection autho- rization (IA) and nondestructive testing (NDT) certifications and training, as well as a bachelor’s degree. His ultimate goal is to attain a leadership role by becoming a director of maintenance.
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