Kenosha, Wis., May 4, 2017 – The Cavaliers aren’t the only team winning a title in Cleveland. United Airlines Team Cleveland were big winners in the 2017 annual international Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by Snap-on.
United Airlines Team Cleveland topped more than 50 other teams from around the world to capture the prestigious William F. “Bill” O’Brien Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance, awarded at the Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by Snap-on, April 25-27, at the MRO Americas Convention in Orlando.
“We worked really hard. We knew we were doing well during the competition; but we were surprised we came in first,” said Brian Hall, lead technician, and captain of United Airlines Team Cleveland. “We’re very honored to take home the O’Brien Award. Everyone here worked very hard. I’m so proud of these guys.”
Joining Hall on United Airlines Team Cleveland were Bryan Brown, Garrett Morrison, R.J. Peterson and Jack Waldeck.
The William F. “Bill” O’Brien Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance, is the grand prize for the team with the overall winning score in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. The four-foot tall O’Brien trophy will be on display at United Airlines’ Cleveland maintenance facility for the next 12 months. The trophy, which features a bust of Charles E. Taylor, will return to Orlando next year for the 2018 Aerospace Maintenance Competition, and will again be up for grabs by the winning overall team. Sponsorship of the Award is part of Snap-on’s continued commitment to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition and aviation technicians around the world.
“The skills these men, women and students displayed at the Aerospace Maintenance Competition are indicative of what it takes to be an AMT today,” said Andy Ginger, president, Snap-on Industrial. “AMTs play such a critical role in keeping aircraft flying safely – they deserve a lot of praise and credit, and that’s why the thousands of Snap-on professionals around the world are happy to sponsor the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. Congratulations United Airlines Team Cleveland, and all the teams that participated. They’re all a credit to their profession.”
The Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by Snap-on is an event that gives teams of licensed AMTs, AMEs, international military personnel and qualified aviation maintenance students the chance to test their aviation maintenance skills against those of their peers. The competition included 24 challenges in areas such as avionics, safety wiring, fiber optics/flight control rigging, hydraulics, jet engine troubleshooting, workplace safety SMS and other tasks. Teams had 15 minutes to accurately complete each task; teams that finished their tasks in less than the allotted time received higher scores.
School Category; Other Top Finishers
This year, 17 schools entered the competition, with Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, taking home top honors.
“The students – they’re the ones that did it, all we did is give them the encouragement and some ideas on ways to get things done,” said Terry Dunkin, an instructor in the aviation maintenance program at Indian Hills. “We did a lot of training after hours; they just busted their butts to make this happen. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Other first place winners from the competition included:
• Space Category: Virgin Galactic
• General Aviation Category: FlexJet
• Military Category: Coast Guard Clearwater Air Station
• MRO/OEM Category: Boeing
• International Commercial Aviation Category: JetStar
Individual award winners included:
• Charles E. Taylor Professional AMT Award: Chris Chiodo/Team Apache
• Charles E. Taylor Professional AMT Award (student): Shayna Newman/West LA College
In addition to the William F. “Bill” O’Brien Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance, Snap-on provided all the tools and equipment used by the participants during the competition, and donated more than $75,000 in tools and equipment prizes to top finishers in the competition.
For more information about Snap-on, call 877.740.1900, or visit http://www.snapon.com. For information on the Aerospace Maintenance Competition, visit www.aerospacecompetition.com.
About Snap-on Industrial
Snap-on Industrial is a division of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostics, equipment, software and service solutions for professional users. Products and services include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle dealerships and repair centers, as well as customers in industry, government, agriculture, aviation and natural resources. Products and services are sold through the company’s franchisee, company-direct, distribution and Web-based channels. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $3.4 billion, S&P 500 Company headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
