Honoring Technicians and Companies Who Lead the Way
The top aviation maintenance professionals seek the most comprehensive instruction and practical training. What sets apart leading companies and corporate flight departments is how they hire and retain the technicians who strive to achieve.
FlightSafety International’s Master Technician program provides technicians with the highest level of training – and recognizes those who do with certificates that acknowledge their career-building advanced skills. The innovative and first-of-its-kind program allows technicians to further enhance their contributions to the safety, reliability and operating efficiency of the aircraft or components they support and maintain. The first Master Technician was recognized in 1997, having completed this comprehensive curriculum.
Beginning earlier this year, FlightSafety introduced a new way to recognize the companies who prioritize the highest level of maintenance training, especially by promoting and emphasizing the importance of the Master Technician program. Three companies have recently been recognized with the Aviation Maintenance Excellence Award, joining inaugural recipient Gulfstream Aerospace.
Setting a Benchmark in Aviation Maintenance Excellence
At October’s NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, FlightSafety recognized these three leaders as the newest Aviation Maintenance Excellence awardees: Walmart Aviation, ExxonMobil Corporation and Abbott.
The selected Aviation Maintenance Excellence award recipients came from an active nomination process throughout FlightSafety departments and based on the companies’ specific dedication to supporting high-achieving technicians.
All three companies shared in their dedication to hiring and training the best, with Walmart currently having 26 Master Technicians on staff, with the promise of new technicians needing to also obtain that status. ExxonMobil now has 12 Master Techs on staff, with 40% of their technicians currently training with FlightSafety having achieved that certificate. Abbott has emphasized having Master Technicians for more than a decade, with 12 current techs on staff and another four in progress.
Master Tech Sets Professionals Apart
FlightSafety’s industry-leading Master Technician training program was developed nearly 30 years ago in close collaboration with aviation manufacturers and the experience and expertise of FlightSafety’s highly qualified maintenance training professionals.
This comprehensive training program complements the experience gained from day-to-day operations while increasing knowledge and refining skills. After successfully finishing the courses, schedules and examinations, students join the elite group of Master Technicians, which publicly acknowledges superior performance and technical proficiency.
Technicians follow up to six specific paths to becoming a Master Technician, and frequently expand their capabilities by seeking multiple Master Tech certificates. This well-defined, inclusive program helps put careers on the fast track and creates a path for professional development.
More than 5,800 FlightSafety Master Technicians are working in aviation worldwide and are highly sought after to work in maintenance departments. The high standards achieved by the knowledgeable, motivated technician benefit all aspects of flight operations, with improved safety, lowered operational costs and increased aircraft dispatch reliability.
The six certificates allow technicians to achieve in:
- Airframe, which builds on initial skills and knowledge with increasingly challenging airframe-specific instruction and hands-on practical training
- Avionics, taking focused elective courses on a range of the newest technology installed in modern aircraft
- Cabin systems, which allow in-depth cabin communication and cabin management training to troubleshoot issues
- Composites, to repair and fabricate composite structures
- Engine-specific, for in-depth Honeywell or Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, including line and base instruction and engine condition trend monitoring
- Management, to prepare technicians to lead aviation departments and to interact with customers, managers and co-workers
Committed to Professional Development
Aviation values the technicians who know their craft and have received the highest level of training from expert instructors and programs. The result shows up in the work they do every day, keeping aircraft flightworthy and reducing downtime for operations.
Peer and employers recognize what they are to flight departments. Now, FlightSafety is recognizing the organizations who lead the way to help achieving technicians enhance leadership skills and handle today’s aircraft, ensuring it remains working in optimal condition.
