Passing the Wrench

There are a lot of ways that we as skilled Aircraft Maintenance Technicians help promote our profession and elevate the standards by which we hold our craft to. This starts from the very first day we attend A&P classes. Seeing a fellow student having difficulty with a certain task or understanding a particular regulation we are inclined to assist this fellow student if we ourselves understand the problem. By helping others we are helping our craft.

Whether we are certificated and working in the FBO, MRO, General/Corporate or Commercial Airline sector, or if we are not certificated such as are Military Aircraft Maintainers, our desire to be professional never ceases. By always offering to help other AMTs with a work card, troubleshooting or even basic house cleaning around the hangar or ramp we are setting a high level of professionalism. By helping others we are helping our craft.

When we retire we can continue to promote and raise the standards our proud craft and profession is known for. By passing on our experiences to those before us we are behaving like the responsible stewards we have grown into over the course of our careers. By helping others we are helping our craft.

But there comes a time when are called by the Lord to go to the big hangar in the sky. Sometimes this happens to us when we least expect it and at other times it comes after a long life of doing what we love to do. At these unfortunate times it might seem that our ability to help others is over. But not is such the case because there is a way to still help others and continue to help our craft.

AMTSociety has created a program appropriately called "Passing the Wrench". This program will enable the family of AMTs who have passed away to donate a toolbox and tools to those entering our craft and profession. When an AMT is called away from us their family may not want the tool box and tools left behind. In the event that this is the case a family, or fellow coworker may contact the AMTSociety and we will help in finding a school or college that has an A&P program and contact them on behalf of the AMT's family. By putting the family of the AMT and a school/college in contact with each other they can coordinate the donation of the tool box and tools so they can be utilized by a student entering our proud craft and profession who will in turn continue to raise the standards by which we hold ourselves to.

If you would like to know more about this important program please contact Tom Hendershot at [email protected] or one of the other AMTSociety Directors. This program is open to our entire industry because when we all help others we are all helping our craft.