Most people think of pilots and flight attendants when they think of jobs in aviation, but the behind-the-scenes work performed by Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMT) to keep aircraft running safely and smoothly is just as critical.
In honor of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day on May 24th, we learned more about this profession from veteran AMT Chad Reed. Reed currently serves as Director of Maintenance for Mayo Clinic Air Ambulance Service, which operates out of RST.
Q: How long have you been an Aviation Maintenance Technician?
A: I’ve been in aviation for 33 years. I recently assumed this position as Director of Maintenance for Mayo Clinic Air Ambulance Service. I have a varied maintenance background to include….a small flight school, AMT School instructing, working for a major aircraft manufacturer, corporate flight departments and previous EMS aircraft support. Oddly enough, I’ve worked in the same Rochester Airport hangar three times over the last 30 years: previously for RC Avionics and before that for Rochester Aviation, and now for Mayo.
Q: How did you hear about this line of work and why did you want to get into it?
A: I started at 13 working on our family vehicles, I also had a couple of relatives involved in aviation who were big influences. In high school, I took an Aerospace Science course where the teacher was very influential on me, and I really connected with him. All these factors came together, and I decided to go to school for it. My training to be an Aviation Maintenance Technician was in Winona.
Q: What kind of training/certification does it require to become an AMT?
A: Basically, there are two ways to get certified. The most common is to attend an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School for two and a half years.
Schools that have Airframe and Power (A&P) Mechanic programs:
1. US Aviation Academy – Blaine, MN
2. Minneapolis College – Minneapolis, MN
3. Lake Superior College – Duluth, MN
4. Northland Community & Technical College – Thief River Falls, MN
These schools are regulated by the FAA, with a specific curriculum and required number of training hours. The second, less common, way is if you can find an FAA-certified repair station that will employ you for 30 months. After 30 months, you go through the same testing process as the students who attended school for two and a half years. This second method tends to be daunting for people who take the second route as they didn’t experience a structured curriculum. Regardless of the route you take, the testing process for certification is rigorous.
Q: What are the main responsibilities of the 10 AMTs who work for the Mayo Clinic Air Ambulance Service?
A: Our team works on both Mayo’s helicopters and airplane. The pilots we work with operate in 12-hour shifts. Therefore, we arrive about a half-hour ahead to conduct maintenance pre-flight checks, before the pilots conduct their own pre-flight checks. Our routine involves checking the oil, tires, checking propellers or rotors for nicks or damage, inspecting the engines for fluid leaks, changing interior and exterior lighting bulbs if necessary, and servicing tasks like liquid Oxygen and gaseous Oxygen quantities for patient care.
Beyond the daily routine, we conduct many regular inspections on the aircraft. For example, we inspect for cracks and corrosion on the airframe, we inspect fire extinguishers and passenger restraints. We are also frequently updating databases for flight maps, navigational data, and airport charts. There are a lot of weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly, database uploads and downloads.
Q: How many aircraft do you service?
A: We currently have four helicopters and one airplane. The helicopters are based at Saint Marys, Eau Claire Airport, and the Mankato Airport. Helicopters can fly anywhere from six to ten flight legs a day within a 150-mile radius from their base.
Our airplane is based at RST and covers the United States and some of Canada, therefore, it flies fewer, but significantly longer distance flight legs a day. We are hoping to expand our airplane program to better support Mayo patient relocation needs.
Q: What kind of impact do you have in this job?
A: We deal directly with the pilots and medical crews… They are out there trying to save someone’s life, and I support them in making sure the aircraft they do their life-saving work in can be depended on. It’s very much like the military. People are counting on you and need to trust you. As I used to tell my students when I worked as an instructor, the level of consequences is dramatically different when it’s an aircraft versus a ground motor vehicle; there isn’t a shoulder to pull over to. Consequences multiply fast.
Q: What do you like about working out of RST?
A: I like RST because even though it’s an international airport with an international level of security, it still has a rural feeling to it. I like looking over the farm fields surrounding the airport. It has that Midwest rural feel.
Q: What type of people should consider AMT careers?
A: There are some people who are very well suited for this career, but others may not be internally wired for it. I encourage anyone who enjoys building and/or taking things apart, who can pay attention to detail, but also handle the very structured and demanding schooling to look into being an AMT. Each year there are more AMTs retiring than entering the industry so it’s a great career opportunity.
Thank you to all our AMTs who support Rochester International Airport! You directly contribute to the safe and reliable air travel experienced by everyone flying in and out of RST.
