Jayne Snider, 2020 AMT 40 Under 20 Award Winner
Jayne Snider realized her love for aviation after being immersed in the industry inadvertently. While finishing EMT school, a classmate of Snider’s knew she was looking for work and encouraged her to apply at the local FBO. “I ended up starting out working for the FBO as a ramp and ticketing agent, contracting to airlines,” Snider explained. “I moved into line service full time with the company and realized my passion for aviation. I wanted to learn more and have a more sustainable income, so I enrolled in A&P school.”
She took a full time position as a line service representative at Avflight Lansing, fueling aircraft, loading and unloading freight, performing preventative maintenance on fuel trucks and tugs, performing quality assurance checks on fuel tanks and trucks, deicing and working as a ground security coordinator for charters. She then was contracted to load cargo for Ameriflight while completing school and has also been a ramp agent for Delta Global Services in LAN.
Currently, Snider is an Airframe Technician II at Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek, MI. "At our facility, we do everything from aircraft sales and acquisitions, interior and paint refurbishment, component repair, airframe and powerplant maintenance, avionics installations, and engineering. I work alongside my team leader and aircraft leads to complete inspections and repairs on Bombardier business jet airframes. I also am part of a team that provides contract maintenance to the regional airlines at AZO (Kalamazoo- Battle Creek International Airport)," Snider said.
Snider says she has had several fantastic mechanics in her corner as great mentors. Helen Haag, a corporate pilot and mechanic, has been a great mentor. At Duncan Aviation, she has many knowledgeable technicians to learn under, such as Beka Hughes, Don Allen, Andy Mehl and Dale Vandelaare.
While in school at Lansing Community College, Snider nabbed a few scholarships. The three most notable were the Delta Air Lines Aircraft Maintenance Technology Scholarship through Women in Aviation International, the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737NG maintenance gen fam school through the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance (AWAM), and the Delta Air Lines Principles of Troubleshooting course through AWAM. As for additional training, Snider has completed Southwest Airlines Boeing 737NG General Familiarization Maintenance Training and Delta Air Lines Principles of Troubleshooting.
Snider is currently active with the Women In Aviation Great Lakes Chapter, and serves as the vice president. Snider is also a AWAM member and Women in Corporate Aviation member.
Even though Snider says she got a late start in her A&P career, she enjoys sharing experiences and advice with coworkers who are newer. “We have a great crew, and we can all learn something from each other, no matter how much (or little) experience we have. I think my second shift teammates work so well together because we all are willing to share information to help each other learn and grow as mechanics,” she sated.
In the future her career goals are pretty simple: “To learn as much as I can and grow into a well-rounded mechanic, so that I can help mentor the next generation of mechanics,” she said.