Aerospaces Maintenance Competition

Skill sets on show

The AMC celebrates upcoming aviation maintenance talents from around the world

MRO Americas is home to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition which recognizes and celebrates the aviation maintenance technician

The Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) is held annually in conjunction with Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas. Teams competing represent educational institutions, commercial airlines, repair and manufacturing companies, general aviation and space. Taking place on the MRO Americas exhibition floor, the AMC provides an opportunity for current and future maintenance professionals to showcase their abilities and see how they stack up against peers across the country. The AMC also hosts student competitors from educational institutions around the country. The Aerospace Maintenance Council, which runs the competition, is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports the aerospace maintenance community.

“The Aerospace Maintenance Council competition takes place every year. We were incorporated in 2014, although the competition took place in various different forms prior to that. Under the Council, it’s been around since we started, only stopping during the pandemic. So this is our fifth year running it,” said AMC Operations Vice President, Crystal Maguire. “It’s grown every year. I believe we started out with eight to ten events and this year we have 26 events and 74 teams. It’s about as big as we can get in this space.

The AMC, presented by Snap-On, recognizes and celebrates the aviation

maintenance technician, and the knowledge and skill required to maintain safe, airworthy aircraft worldwide. The five-member teams compete in competitive events in one of six categories: Commercial Aviation, General Aviation, Space, Education, Military and Repair & Manufacturing. Other events during the AMC cover a range of activities. Clearance control valve and bleed valve solenoid was one event from AMC MRO Americas 2022. Others included airframe damage inspection, and external power receptacle. Air data test, antenna test and handheld bond meter test were all events, along with XR process optimization. In total, 27 such events took place during the AMC. “It’s almost like a two-day interview where these young men and women can showcase their skillsets to employers and compete a little bit for pride in their organizations and schools,” said Brian Bilski Talent Acquisition Business Partner, Northrop Grumman. “The value in being here is giving rewarding career opportunities to young men and women who have gained the skills sets, and indeed requirements to be, in avionics or aircraft technicians. So, as a leading producer of aircraft for the military, it’s very important for us.”

The competition is supported through the generous contributions of the aerospace community. Sponsors host events, provide prizes, and make monetary contributions. “Yes [we come every year] and we sponsor the competition,” said Chris Moore, International Representative, Airline Division, International Brotherhood of Teamsters. “It’s actually helping to create more and more aviation technicians. We come here representing the industry, promoting the job and the craft. We get to talk to folks from all over the world and tell them what it’s like to be an aviation mechanic.”

Bronze sponsors have the opportunity to set up a table in the competition area’s, Recruitment Row, to discuss career opportunities with these future aviation workers. The platinum, gold and bronze sponsors include Snap-on, jetBlue, FedEx, Northrop Grumman, SkyWest and Pratt & Whitney. Mark Stucki, a Designated Trainer at SkyWest Airlines, said: “We’re here to recruit mechanics because we need the workforce, the students that are competing. We’re here to get our name, out there so they are interested in working for us once they get their airframe and powerplant license. It’s a great event. Competitors from all across the country are here, as are all the vendors. It is a one stop shop. It’s a great way to get the name, SkyWest out there.”

The AMC includes two awards, one for excellence and the other for an individual’s impact. The William F. “Bill” O’Brien Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance, sponsored by Snap-on, is the grand prize for the team with the top overall score. The four-foot tall O’Brien trophy, featuring a bust of the first aviation mechanic Charles E. Taylor, remains with the winning team until the next competition. The second award is the Paul Cousins Award. It was created to recognize and remember the positive impact one individual made on the aviation maintenance craft and profession. Paul Cousins was a former president of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, and a strong advocate of the AMC, who passed away in 2018 from cancer. The award is presented each year to the non-United States based organization with the lowest score, in recognition of the influence Cousins had on expanding the competition to an international audience. ■