On Sept. 23, 2017 the Aircraft Technologies Group hosted an aircraft structures regional competition at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, VA. The competition was open to both certificated, and student mechanics. Several students from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) Chesapeake Campus participated in the event, and winning cash prizes.
The competition was broken up into two categories; a main event and three exhibition events. All of which offered cash prizes and trophies to the respective winners. The participating AIM students competed against each other in the junior division. They were evaluated on their quality of work, and the speed in which they were able to complete their assigned tasks. The main event required each student to fabricate 3 sheet-metal parts. The parts were then presented at the competition for a score, and judged by how well they adhered to specifications. The students then had to assemble the pieces together, and then disassemble them, without damaging the parts. Each student competed against the others, and the highest overall score determined the winner.
The winner of the main event was AIM’s Chesapeake’s own Kilifi Maluafou, a student with no sheet-metal experience outside of class. Kilifi was able to practice outside of class time, under the supervision of an AIM instructor, and honed his sheet-metal skills to a point where he was able to win first prize. Kilifi also received first place in a few exhibition events, winning a grand total of $1,350 in cash, and a few trophies. Kilifi will go on to the Nationals Competition, which will be held in Las Vegas, NV in 2018, where he will compete against other regional finalists. AIM Chesapeake campus would like to congratulate all students who competed.
About the Aviation Institute of Maintenance
AIM-Chesapeake, Virginia campus is part of the nation’s largest family of aviation maintenance schools, with headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Other campuses are located in Duluth, Georgia; Irving, Texas; Houston, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manassas, Virginia; Oakland, California; Casselberry, Florida; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Learn more at: www.aviationmaintenance.edu
