2010 AirVenture in Review

As I mentioned in my last blog myself and several of my colleagues from AMT and AMTSociety attended the EAA 2010 AirVenture last week. For those of you who attended or followed the event you’re aware that heavy rain prior to the event affected arrivals both in the air and on the ground. The EAA website reports there was total attendance of 535,000 people and more than 10,000 airplanes including: 1,106 homebuilt aircraft, 635 vintage airplanes, 374 warbirds, 115 ultralights, 120 seaplanes and 30 rotorcraft, and 777 commercial exhibitors. There were 2,167 registered international visitors from 66 nations. There are two aircraft maintenance related highlights I’d like to mention from AirVenture. First was the awards presentation for the Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) of the Year and the Avionics Technician of the Year award. You may already know but it is worthy of mentioning again, this year’s AMT recipient was Neil Nederfield from Lafayette, New Jersey, and the Avionics Technician recipient was Kirk Peterson of Larimore, North Dakota. The following day these two aviation maintenance professionals were treated to lunch and given numerous gifts for their accomplishments. More to come on these guys. The other event relating to aircraft maintenance that I felt very interesting was the “Future Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance Technician†program held at KidVenture. The EAA in partnership with the FAA developed a course where youngsters had a chance to participate in hands-on aircraft maintenance learning. These kids had a chance to participate in a series of technical training activities in five areas; Airframe Riveting, Wooden Rib Construction, Powerplant, Propeller, and Hydraulic/Electric. Each student was provided a curriculum to follow and at the successful completion of the course each student was given a certificate from the FAA granting them two hours of credit toward their A&P certificate, along with a really great looking pin to proudly wear that says, “Future A&P.†The current Online Reader poll on AMTOnline.com asks if you attend Airshows, Fly-Ins, or other aviation events, and if you feel these events help generate interest in an aviation career. Sixty percent of those who took the poll answered yes to attending Airshows and events, and felt this does generate interest in aviation as a career. A whole lot of enthusiasm was observed from the youngsters participating in the Future Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance Technician program held at KidVenture. I hope a few of them continue on to become aircraft maintenance professionals like us. Keep ‘em flying, Ron