U.S. Air Force TSgt. Jacob Haines has dedicated his life to being an aircraft maintenance technician and cannot imagine himself doing anything else. He has always loved airplanes and aviation in general. He joined the US Air Force in 2005 to gain a trade skill and only selected aircraft maintenance-related jobs as his options.
“I love working with my hands and solving aircraft issues,” he said. “It is an interesting field that requires a high degree of technical savvy and for that matter comes with a great deal of responsibility. There is always something new to learn as one grows as an aircraft maintenance technician, which keeps it interesting."
Haines, a fluent non-native Spanish speaker, works as an aircraft maintenance air advisor and assists Latin American Air Forces in the development of effective maintenance operations. He is an all-aircraft system subject matter expert and provides foreign partners formal instruction on aircraft systems theory, troubleshooting techniques, preventative maintenance scheduling and management and technical manual use. He has experience in general aviation and worked for a local shop after duty hours as a volunteer and to gain more experience.
MSgt. Caleb Dysert, operations superintendent, U.S. Air Force, nominated Haines for the 40 Under 40 award. Dysert pointed out Haines innovated the squadron’s aircraft maintenance hiring process by establishing standards and outlining 19 measurable and desirable qualifications. Haines also developed a partner nation maintenance capabilities development strategy.
As an aircraft maintenance advisor, he has contributed to the development of Air Force forces in five different countries. He has worked on Cessna 208, AT-802, Casa 235, C-130J, C-130H, C-17A, C-5M and Maule MXT-7. He has completed multiple training courses that were not required by the Air Force and is working to complete a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Most recently, he earned NCATT (National Center for Aerospace & Transportation Technologies) Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) Certification – with Radio Communications and Dependent Navigation Systems Endorsements.
He currently has 16 years of experience in the Air Force and plans to return home to Louisville, Kentucky, to work for UPS Airlines to continue his work as an AMT upon retirement from the Air Force.
Dysert concluded by saying, “He is a leader in his field and one of the best aircraft maintenance technicians I have ever worked with or met in the U.S. Air Force. He makes every maintainer around him better with his contributions, knowledge sharing and desire for maintenance precision and excellence.”
Haines said he learned a lot from his mentors: Rob Jackson, retired U.S. Coast Guard, and former C-130 aircraft maintenance instructor at CAE in Tampa, Florida, Training Center; and Karl Dauphin of Dauphin Aero in Honolulu, who allowed him to work in his shop and gain experience with reciprocating engines and GA aircraft. He said, "This experience was extremely valuable to me, as we do not have many reciprocating engine aircraft in the U.S. Air Force.”
