Aircraft Maintenance Technology is proud to recognize Jeff DesRoches of StandardAero as one of AMT’s Most Influential in Maintenance with the 2026 Outstanding Inspector Award.

The Outstanding Inspector Award honors a mechanic with Inspection Authorization (IA) who goes above and beyond in their duties, ensuring aircraft are safe and airworthy.

DesRoches is a mechanic on StandardAero’s Flex Team, where he’s worked for 26 years in roles like Inspector, Lead Hand and Supervisor.

StandardAero Vice President of Marketing Alex Youngs says, “Jeff is the Summerside facility’s go-to-guy for inspection issues and the company’s inspection database (IDB).”

Youngs continues, “He has the ability to fit in with any shop team, regardless of its local culture, and to get different teams on board with learning new processes.”

“Jeff is always willing to go the extra mile to support the company’s 50+ facilities and to share his knowledge,” adds Youngs.

He stresses, “Jeff has a very positive reputation, and because of his exceptional knowledge, people know that they can rely on him to get the work done and to do the right thing.”

How DesRoches’s inspection background guides his accomplishments

When reflecting on his career accomplishments in aviation maintenance, DesRoches highlights his advancement to high-level roles at StandardAero as well as his involvement with the company’s PW150A engine project.

He says, “Over my 26 years within the company, I have never said no to learning something new. This has given the experience needed to be called upon to travel to other sites to train and help out where needed.”

DesRoches elaborates, “I spent my first 13 years as a detail inspector, leaning what makes these engine tick.”

“Those 13 years were probably the most influential to my learning. It gave me a really in-depth understanding of how a turbine works and what defects affect performance,” notes DesRoches.

He continues, “After my 13 years as an inspector, I took on the role of lead hand and supervisor for about three-to-four years. This experience gave me more expertise on the business side of things, which added to my knowledge of the business as a whole.”

DesRoches shares, “Due to my inspection background, I was later picked for a implementation project to bring the PW150A engine into our business and later move it to Singapore.”

Youngs comments, “Jeff’s commitment to ensuring the success of the PW150A program has included him dedicating significant time to mentoring and training new employees on a variety of PW150A workscopes, including inspection and assembly, etc.”

“He played a central part in the program subsequently being relocated to the company’s brand-new facility in Seletar, Singapore, explains Youngs, “Since 2017, Jeff has travelled to Singapore on nine occasions to assist our team there, spending approximately six months in-country.”

Youngs provides some insight on DesRoches current responsibilities, stating, “Jeff is currently a member of the Flex Team at StandardAero’s Summerside facility, this being a group of six senior employees who are highly skilled in their trade and—as such—excellent mentors to dig into issues and help solve problems.”

Youngs continues, “Jeff goes where he is needed at any given time, whether this involves troubleshooting complex issues and test cell rejects or working closely with engineers to develop and apply new workscopes for incoming engines.”

Highlighting DesRoches’s willingness to travel wherever his skills are most useful, Youngs explains how in 2012, DesRoches went with the implementation team to Brisbane, Australia after StandardAero acquired a former Pratt & Whitney Canada facility.

He also praises DesRoches for traveling to Grapevine, Texas, to help with inspection database (ID) implementation in 2022.

Another key example of DesRoches’s international maintenance work is his time in Gonesse, France, where he helps local technicians learn best practices and inspection processes.

Why an aviation maintenance career was the right move for DesRoches

While DesRoches notes there is no specific event or experience that led him to his career in aircraft maintenance, he shares, “I had a strong need to know how things worked growing up. This resulted in a lot of my toys being torn apart to see how they functioned.”

Touching on how he ended up in aviation maintenance, DesRoches says, “I had the opportunity to train and work without leaving where I grew up,” highlighting his dedication to his hometown and local community.

When asked what he enjoys most about working in aircraft maintenance, DesRoches answers, “You never stop learning and are challenged every day.”

What does DesRoches want to see in the future for aircraft maintenance?

On the impact DesRoches aims to have on StandardAero and on the maintenance sector, he says, “I hope to keep providing quality service to the sector and to keep our company successful in the future.”

He continues, “[The aircraft maintenance industry’s] focus should be to ensure we are developing quality-minded personnel to succeed us in the future.”

To new AMTs who are newly entering the industry or who are considering a career in aviation maintenance, DesRoches says, “Never be scared to keep learning.”

Youngs comments, “Jeff has developed a reputation as a highly knowledgeable go-getter who is always willing to help train new employees.”

Youngs also notes that Jeff’s son has been working at the Summerside StandardAero location since 2021, following in his father’s footsteps.