2021 HOLIDAY EDITION
Illustration by: Visual Versa
Sharing the joy of the season through stories of giving, warm holiday cheer and acknowledging the people who make this the most wonderful time of the year.
2021 HOLIDAY EDITION
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A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM
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Dear friends, Warm holiday greetings! It’s hard to believe the holiday season is already upon us. This is a time filled with wrapping up projects while wrapping presents, planning for the coming year while planning family celebrations, and reflecting on personal accomplishments while celebrating our shared achievements. I am also reminded that the regional aviation business we are all a part of, will play a unique role in connecting family and friends at this important time of the year. With 2021 drawing to a close, I naturally think about the past year. I’m reminded of how grateful I am for the tremendous partnerships in our regional aviation community. Together with our customers and partners, we have managed to weather the last year’s storms and are now prepared to build new, more robust networks. During the past 12 months, we continued to grow the Aerospace Engineering Center and MHIRJ Aero Advisory Services, as well as invested in the expansion of our Service Center in West Virginia. More recently, we announced a partnership with Regional One and the unveiling of our new Component Repair Center of Excellence. These two initiatives will allow us to provide even more services to our customers in the coming years to ensure that their aircraft continue to provide crucial connections. Furthermore, we announced our partnership with ZeroAvia to advance hydrogen propulsion technology and launched our quarterly magazine, WINGSPAN. All of these initiatives undertaken over the last year set the stage for our continued growth. I want to thank our customers and partners worldwide for their unwavering trust in our people and our company. We are honoured to be by your side. More than ever, we are committed to supporting you. We have established ourselves with our accomplishments and are excited about new opportunities to keep growing for you. Most of all, enjoy this time with your friends and loved ones. I could not be more excited about what’s ahead and for the opportunity to work with all of you to make it happen. I am wishing you a joyous, safe, and healthy holiday season and a Happy New Year. Let’s soar even higher in 2022! Sincerely,
HIRO YAMAMOTO
President & CEO of MHI RJ Aviation Group
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Hiro Yamamoto standing in front of the Olympic Memorial Tower – one of the most remarkable landmarks of the 1964 Games located in Setagaya, Tokyo.
u! o y k n a th TO: EMPLOYEES, Customers, and partners around the globe A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM US TO YOU
MHIRJ MILESTONES
TOGETHER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
A GLANCE BACK AT AN INCREDIBLE YEAR Throughout the past twelve months, we’ve been busy growing, innovating and working hard every day for our employees and customers around the world.
Cheers to the Year! From expanding our facilities and increasing our capabilities to growing our team and more, throughout 2021, we reached significant milestones and created momentum that will drive our growth.
The future looks bright for 2022!
MHIRJ WINGSPAN |
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2021 HOLIDAY EDITION
GIVING BACK
Giving back Donate
AT MHIRJ, WE BELIEVE THE HOLIDAYS ARE ABOUT SHARING, CARING AND SPREADING HAPPINESS. GIVING JOY WITH TOYS – Paul Rivera, MHIRJ Tucson Coming from a family of nine kids, Paul Rivera understands the joy that even the smallest holiday gift can bring to a child. This holiday season, he is spreading that happiness once again as a volunteer at Menlo United Methodist Church’s annual Toy Drive. For the third year in a row, MHIRJ’s Senior HR Partner at the Tucson Service Center will help distribute toys of all kinds to some 150 excited children, including everything from footballs and basketballs to teddy bears, toy trucks, and more! For Paul, the holidays are a family affair. In addition to spreading the word about the Toy Drive to his friends on Facebook, Paul’s three children get involved too. This year, the toy drive is being held on December 10, 2021 for children in Grade 1 through Grade 6 at Summit View Elementary School in Tucson. The toy drive event is like a big party for kids and features pizzas, sodas, and even a piñata filled with candy. “It’s wonderful to see the expressions of happiness on the faces of the kids when I hand them their present. For many of these children, it’s the only gift they’ll get during the holidays,” said Paul. “I’ve been blessed to give back and this is my way of showing my gratitude.”
SHARING HOLIDAY WARMTH ONE COAT AT A TIME – Linda Stalnaker, MHIRJ Bridgeport While the holiday season can be a winter wonderland, many in West Virginia face the cold reality of not having the means to own a winter coat. That’s where Linda Stalnaker, Training Coordinator at the MHIRJ Bridgeport facility, comes in. As the temperature drops, she maintains her holiday tradition of helping keep kids, adults and veterans warm . Again this year, Linda is spreading holiday warmth one coat at a time by volunteering at the Lions Club Annual Winter Coat Drive, where she has been a member for 21 years. A true community collaboration, the Winter Coat Drive is done in partnership with the Salvation Army Angel Tree program to identify individuals and families in need, and Our Neighbor, to distribute the coats. With so many people struggling to recover from the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coat Drive is even more important than ever. Adding even more happiness to the season, kids not only receive winter coats but also gloves and best of all a toboggan! “No one should go without the essentials,” said Linda. “It especially warms my heart to see kids have a happy and healthy holiday with their new winter coats and of course, their toboggans for sliding down snowy West Virginia hills.” – Linda Stalnaker
– Paul Rivera and family
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TOGETHER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
PAYING IT FORWARD DURING THE HOLIDAYS – Tony Nickles, MHIRJ Tucson For Tony Nickles, Production Planning Supervisor at the MHIRJ Tucson Service Center, giving back during the holidays is more than doing the right thing, it’s deeply personal. During the season, Tony volunteers at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona where he sorts perishable foods and assembles complete holiday food kits for the less fortunate. Tony’s inspiration for giving back began more than 20 years ago when he was working at MHIRJ’s West Virginia facility. At that time, his then 6-year-old son was scheduled for brain surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. The expenses were high, but Tony’s coworkers rallied to help. “I received so many donations from my colleagues that I can never fully repay,” said Tony. “I never forgot that kindness.” Now, Tony pays that kindness forward at the Food Bank. With so many celebrating the holidays with good food, family, and friends, he makes sure others can also enjoy holiday dinners that include turkey, potatoes, stuffing, bread, pies, and, of course, cranberries. Like the Food Bank’s mission, he is helping to change lives in the community.
– Tony Nickles and family
MHIRJ WINGSPAN |
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2021 HOLIDAY EDITION
In Celebration of the People Who Bring Joy to the World To the countless pilots, maintenance workers, and people in the field who bring joy to so many by connecting them with friends and family during the holiday season, we appreciate everything you do throughout the entire year.
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FUN FACT The name on the left nose fuselage area “Emilio Serratosa” is the founder and 1st President of Air Nostrum.
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“Often working through the holidays means that you must work when many people are at home with their families celebrating their traditions. Working in maintenance ensures that others can travel safely to their destinations to be with family and friends.” – Mark Miller “When I think of the holidays, I always reflect on the many times over the years that I wasn’t able to travel to be with my entire family. Being an FSR can mean being based at a location far from your extended family, and you celebrate with your spouse, children, and the many friends you make at your assignment location. I’ve had the luxury of being based mostly in North America, so it was easy to celebrate Christmas as I experienced as a child. In each area there were some differences that helped make the holiday season more enjoyable.” – Michael Robinson
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1. RwandAir, Kigali, Rwanda (L to R) Line Technicians Ronald Kazoora, Penninah Makandamage, Nicole Umutoni, Gerard Nizeyimana and Eric Mutsinzi 2. Proflight Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia (L to R) Martin Sibanda, Engineer, Sam Mbwainga, Cleaner, Jimmy Chinyanta, Engineer 3. IBEX Airlines, Japan (L to R) Cabin attendants with Musubimaru, Japanese Samurai 4. MHIRJ, Singapore, Rajeev Sharma, FSR, MHIRJ 5. Endeavor Air, Minneapolis, Minnesota (L to R) Lori, Inspector, Josh – Aircraft Maintenance Technician, Derek Wallraff, Fleet Program Manager, Kondiway – Aircraft Maintenance Technician with Peter Baker, FSR, MHIRJ 6. Mesa Airlines, Phoenix, Arizona (L to R) Douglas Sharpe, Inspector, Robert Garcia, Stores Clerk, Bryan Barenburg, Lead A&P Technician, and William Blevens, A&P Technician 7. PSA Airlines, Cincinnati, Kentucky (L to R) Mark Miller, Maintenance Supervisor with Michael Robinson, FSR, MHIRJ.
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“The work we do all year to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the aircraft is even more meaningful over the holiday season,” – Derek Wallraff
“Wishing the CRJ community Merry Xmas, Happy Holidays and Smooth operations,” – Rajeev Sharma, FSR, MHIRJ
TOGETHER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
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“It is important for me to do everything I can to ensure the aircraft are ready to transport passengers all over the US so that they can be together with friends and families over the Holidays. For me personally, I am counting on the Maintenance and Flight Ops Teams as well as all the other groups that operate behind the scenes to make sure that I can travel home for the holidays to see my family. It truly is a team effort.” – Peter Baker
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“Every holiday season represents a very busy time for us. Christmas this year is particularly special as our country opens up and we are offered the opportunity to allow our customers to travel and be with their loved ones.” – Christian Daoud, Sr. Manager, Maintenance, Mesa Airlines
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“This time of the year, the holiday season meaning is to spend quality time with friends and family and reflect on the last 12 months. So many changes and so many close friends and family lost this past year. Embrace the time we still have together.” – Anton Du Plessis
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8. Air Nostrum, Valencia, Spain (L to R) Fermin Tirado – Account Manager, Lourdes Beltran, Director, Engineering & Technical Services, Air Nostrum, and Serge Rosa – FSR, MHIRJ 9. MHIRJ, Alex Rapoport, Chief Pilot, Customer Liaison 10. MHIRJ, Salt Lake City, Utah, Claude Perron, FSR, MHIRJ 11. MHIRJ, Johannesburg, South Africa, Anton Du Plessis, FSR, MHIRJ 12. PAS Airlines, Cairo, Egypt, Sherif Ezz (Engineering Manager) and PAS team 13. China Express, Chongqing, China, (L to R) Tao Liu, Dy GM, Engineering, Ruifeng Wen, GM, Engineering and Yafeng Li, FSR, MHIRJ 14. Ibom Air, Uyo, Nigeria (L to R) Victor Ekpe, Line Maintenance Manager, Patrick Etim, Engineer, Jacob Ogwu, Team Leader, Edidiong Udohitinah, Engineer, Anthony Akpan, Engineer.
MHIRJ WINGSPAN |
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2021 HOLIDAY EDITION
WINGSPAN is published quarterly and can be found at mhirj.com and www.issuu.com CRJ, RJ, CRJ Series, CRJ200, CRJ550, CRJ700, CRJ900, CRJ1000, MHIRJ, MHIRJ ATMOSPHÈRE, Aero Advisory Services, MHIRJ Aerospace Engineering Center, MHIRJ WINGSPAN and Move The World Forward are trademarks of MHI RJ Aviation ULC or its affiliates. The information in this document is proprietary to MHI RJ Aviation ULC or its affiliates. This document does not constitute an offer, commitment, representation, guarantee or warranty of any kind. This document must not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of MHI RJ Aviation ULC. All rights reserved © 2021 MHI RJ Aviation ULC.
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