Why Aircraft Maintenance?

Not too long ago, I was talking with an AMT reader about the magazine and about aircraft maintenance in general. During the conversation, I asked him why he got into aircraft maintenance. He said his father was an aircraft mechanic and he just ended up following in his footsteps. He remembered when he was growing up that he would hang out at the hangar where his dad worked and bug the mechanics, asking if he could do something to help out. Aviation became a part of who he was. That got me thinking. We get lots of feedback on the current state of the industry. We hear about the job losses, the pay cuts, the poor working conditions, etc., etc... We have heard people tell us why they are leaving the industry. But we don't hear the stories of why we pursued aircraft maintenance to begin with. So, why did you get into aircraft maintenance? I'll start the ball rolling. It was kind of by accident for me. It was the late '80s, and I was in college pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering. The oilfield crashed, and the oilfield industry went from boom to bust just about overnight. Not knowing what I wanted to do, I took a job washing airplanes at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, TX. That's where the aviation bug bit me. What started off as a temporary job to make some money and decide what I wanted to do, ended up being the start of my career in aircraft maintenance. Thanks to encouragement and support from my supervisors and co-workers, I ended up getting my A&P certificate and later, my inspection authorization. So, what's your story? Thanks for reading! Joe Escobar