Category: Rotor

CEO Suzanne Markle Elected to National Aviation Board

The Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) has appointed Suzanne Markle, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA), as one of its six new directors of the board. Markle will serve a four-year term.

In this capacity, Markle will help shape the future at trade schools that train students to enter one of the most important and in-demand career fields in the country: aircraft and avionics maintenance technicians. 

According to Boeing’s 2022-2041 Pilot and Technician Outlook, 134,000 new mechanics and avionics pros will need to join the field over the next 20 years to meet the growing needs of the aviation industry. Many of these openings are due to upcoming retirements, as ATEC estimates 38% of current aviation mechanics are at least 60 years of age — and if these retirees aren’t replaced, airlines will be forced to reduce the number of flights they operate. 

“Every day, the FAA handles 45,000 flights carrying 2.9 million passengers, and every one of them depends on the experience of skilled technicians to ensure their flights are safe, efficient, and on time,” says Markle. “With so many senior technicians about to retire, attracting new talent to fill these positions is crucial, and that means we need to rethink how the skilled trades are presented as career options to students of all ages, genders, and interests.”

As president and CEO of PIA, Markle oversees the strategic direction and operation of all PIA locations and programs. She is a member of the nomination committee for the National Aviation Hall of Fame and was appointed by the DOT to serve on its Women in Aviation Advisory Board. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Seton Hill University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from California University of PA, and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Markle has been with PIA in various capacities since 1999.

New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects about 13,000 annual job openings for aviation maintenance and avionics positions over the next decade. With an average annual salary of $65,550 — and with PIA graduates’ typically starting their careers at $20 to $24 per hour — aspiring technicians can enter this rewarding and stable career field while incurring significantly less student loan debt than a traditional four-year college.

Rotorcorp Names Mike Gomez Vice President of Strategic Growth

Rotorcorp, an authorized Robinson Helicopter Company Service Center, announced that it has tapped aviation industry veteran Mike Gomez to join its leadership team. Gomez joins Rotorcorp as the vice president of Strategic Growth.

While the position is new, Gomez and Rotorcorp have a longstanding professional relationship. As president of Allegro Consulting, Gomez has been providing advice and counsel to Rotorcorp on strategic planning, go-to-market initiatives, and business development.

“Over the course of our working relationship, Mike has earned my trust as well as that of our entire leadership team,” said Rotorcorp president and cofounder, Sean Casey. “Mike has proven to be an invaluable contributor and facilitator of the strategies which have guided our remarkable 385% growth over the past 6 years. We’re humbled and honored to add someone with Mike’s unique qualifications in business and aviation to the Rotorcorp team.”

Indeed, Gomez is no stranger to aviation or the Robinson Helicopter community. Prior to Allegro Consulting, he worked for both Lockheed-Martin and Boeing as a flight safety engineer, international business development director, and program manager. Most interesting among his many duties and accomplishments was leading fighter jet (F-16, F-15, F/A-18) sales campaigns to strategic U.S. military allies.

Gomez served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and as a civilian aerospace engineer for the U.S. Navy. He is both a rotorcraft and fixed-wing pilot. He is a graduate of the Robinson Safety Course and founder of the 2000-member Robinson Helicopter Pilots Group on Linkedin.

“I’m excited to return to the aerospace industry again,” Gomez commented. “But what drew me to Rotorcorp was my experience working with their outstanding leadership team. The opportunity to join such a driven group of professionals — all committed to supporting those who fly my favorite helicopter (Robinson) — was impossible to pass up. I look forward to developing strategies and initiatives that will directly improve our capabilities to serve the small-fleet and independent operators of Robinson R22, R44, and R66 helicopters.” Gomez has a Bachelor of Science degree in Aircraft Engineering from Western Michigan University. His first two years of college were spent at Auburn University, explaining his passion for Auburn football and basketball. Mike is a go-to market strategy and sales process advisor to Atlanta Tech Village (4th largest tech startup hub in America), he is also the recipient of the 2010 Mero Atlanta Global Impact Award for the strategy work he performed for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and their priority to attract new international companies to Atlanta.

HeliService Expands Fleet with Purchase of New MD 530F Helicopter

MD Helicopters (MDH) announced that HeliService of Apopka, Fla., has signed a purchase agreement for an MD 530F helicopter. HeliService Powerline Solutions currently operates six MDH aircraft (MD 500D, MD 500E, MD 530F) that support construction, maintenance, inspection, and emergency response services in different sectors, including utility, energy, and construction.

 “The purchase of a new MD 530F supports the growth and modernization of our fleet, reducing risk, improving safety, and increasing operational performance,” said Ben Williams, president of HeliService Powerline Solutions. “This allows our helicopters to stay airborne completing mission-critical services our clients expect.” The new MD 530F helicopter will be delivered in 2023. 

The MD 530F helicopter is a five-blade, single RR250-C30 engine, four-passenger, single pilot capable, multi-purpose aircraft specifically designed to deliver increased operational capabilities, greater mission versatility, and superior performance. Outfitted with an advanced glass cockpit design, the 530F which supports maximum visibility for the pilot and co-pilot. Using the latest display technology, the pilot maintains the ability to manage navigation, communication, and aircraft systems. 

HeliService’s 530F will also come equipped with specialized mission equipment that includes a Recoil auxiliary tank, wire strike protection, and an OnBoard dual cargo hook. 

GLOBAL PARTS, INC. IS NOW
VSE AVIATION

As of December 5, 2022, Global Parts, Inc. (Global Parts) has merged with its corporate affiliate VSE Aviation, Inc., a Florida corporation, and has become part of the VSE Aviation, Inc. entity. The company said it will continue to operate the business with the same structure, officers, personnel, account information, quality systems, FAA and EASA certifications and policies and procedures.

New Mechanic Figures Trending in Right Direction, But Major Workforce Shortage Still Looms, ATEC Pipeline Report Finds

A healthy but expected increase in newly certificated mechanics last year did not offset momentum lost during the pandemic, leaving the new-technician pipeline at least 20 percent below the levels needed to meet rising demand across civil aviation, the latest Aviation Technical Education Council (ATEC) Pipeline Report concludes.

The latest edition of the Pipeline Report, produced annually to chart U.S. airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic workforce trends, found that 6,929 individuals obtained their FAA mechanic certificate in 2021—a 33 percent increase from the previous year. While the jump was the biggest in recent history, the increase left the total number of new mechanics short of 2019 levels and did not make up for the previous year’s 30 percent drop in certifications.

Considering the significant decline, ATEC estimates that the pandemic cost industry 5,000 new mechanics.

The global aviation maintenance industry was facing a shortage of certified mechanics before the pandemic, and the U.S. market was no exception. The downturn’s ramifications mean meeting demand now will be even more challenging.

“The number of prospects in the mechanic pipeline needs to grow by at least 20 percent to meet industry’s needs,” said ATEC President and WSU Tech Aviation Program Dean James Hall. “National enrollment at A&P schools is only growing at about 2 percent per year, so we have a lot of work to do.”

The council has several initiatives focused on spreading awareness and funneling more students into A&P programs. “The ATEC community is committed to getting more future mechanics into that pipeline,” said Hall. “The vast majority of the council’s planned activities for the coming year are focused on increasing awareness and removing pathway bottlenecks.”

Much of that effort is being driven through Choose Aerospace, an ATEC-backed non-profit that is deploying aviation curriculum into high schools across the country. The initiative is focused on getting students on an earlier path to mechanic certification, while building pipelines directly into A&P programs.

Other trends noted in the report:

  • Repair stations hired the most new mechanics, scooping up 31 percent of all aviation-employed A&P graduates, followed by regional airlines at 17 percent. Major passenger airlines came in third, but they are the fastest growing aviation employer segment for new mechanic entrants.
  • Last year, major passenger and cargo airlines combined to hire 25% of all A&P gradates, up from 15 percent in 2020. If this keeps up, it will put more pressure on sources that traditionally feed skilled technicians to large carriers–notably repair stations and regional carriers—to fill open positions.
  • AMTS continue to increase their market share of mechanic production—and by extension their importance in helping industry meet demand. Last year, 67 out of every 100 new mechanics went through A&P school. The other 14 came from military and 19 from civilian work experience.
  • Females make up 2.63 percent of the population, a number that is trending up, but only slightly. One positive sign is that 9 percent of all new A&P graduates last year were female.

Download the 2022 Pipeline Report & Aviation Maintenance Technician School Directory at www.atec-amt.org/pipeline-report.

TACG Has Added a New Human Factors Trainer Recurrent Course

Dr. Bob Baron and The Aviation Consulting Group announced a brand new course for Human Factors Instructors.

This Human Factors Trainer Recurrent course is appropriate for HF trainers who need refresher training (something that should typically be done every two years). Upon completion of this course, the attendee will be up-to-date on HF topics and course development/delivery methodologies.

Full course information can be viewed at https://www.tacgworldwide.com/Human-Factors/HF-Trainer-Recurrent.

Helicopter Pioneer Frank Robinson Has Died

On November 12, 2022 Robinson Helicopter Company bid a final farewell to its founder, Frank Robinson. Robinson, 92, passed away peacefully at his Rolling Hills, California home.

One of the most recognizable names in the helicopter industry, Frank Robinson was a pioneer, not driven by reward or accolades but by a vision that redefined the industry and changed general aviation.

Robinson will be remembered for the design and manufacture of the R22, R44, and R66 model helicopters. Known for their simplicity and reliability, the popular helicopters have a distinct profile and can be spotted easily and frequently all over the world.

Robinson’s fascination with helicopters began in 1939, at age nine, when he saw a picture in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of Igor Sikorsky hovering his VS-300 helicopter, an image that captivated Robinson and set the course for his life’s work.

He earned a BSME degree from the University of Washington, later attending Wichita State University’s graduate aeronautical engineering school. His career began in the late ‘50s with Cessna and continued through the ‘60s working for many leading aerospace companies, including Bell and Hughes. In 1973, at age forty-three, unable to interest any of his employers in the idea for a simple, personal helicopter, he resigned from his job at Hughes and founded Robinson Helicopter Company in his Palos Verdes, California home. Six years later, defying critics and overcoming enormous obstacles, Robinson was granted FAA certification for his two-place, piston powered R22 helicopter. The unknown helicopter company delivered its first production R22 in October 1979. By 1989, the R22 had gained a foothold in general aviation, opening a previously untapped market for private helicopter ownership.

In the early ‘90s, realizing the potential for a light mid-size helicopter, Robinson introduced the four-place piston powered R44. Orders for the R44 quickly piled-up and the company became a recognized player in the aviation industry. In 2010, Robinson once again expanded his line with the five-place, turbine powered R66.

Robinson’s relentless determination earned him the respect of both colleagues and competitors. Affectionately called a rock star in certain aviation circles, Robinson retired in 2010 at age 80.

The list of awards and honors bestowed on Robinson is long.  Most notable:

2013      Daniel Guggenheim Medal – AHS International

2011      Lifetime Aviation Engineering Award – Living Legends of Aviation

2010      Cierve Lecturer – Royal Aeronautical Society

2011      Inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering

2004      Howard Hughes Memorial Award – So. California Aeronautic Association

2000      Named Laurels Hall of Fame Legend – Aviation Week & Space Technology

1997      The Doolittle Award – Society of Experimental Test Pilots

1992      Laurels Award – Aviation Week & Space Technology

1991 & 1990      Igor I. Sikorsky International Trophy – American Helicopter Society

Today, the company continues under the leadership of Frank’s son, Kurt Robinson and, to date, has delivered over 13,000 helicopters worldwide.

Michael Damiana Joins MicroCare; Will Lead Global Sourcing Efforts

MicroCare announced that Michael Damiana has been appointed the director of Global Supply Chain for MicroCare. Damiana comes to MicroCare with more than 20 years of experience in sourcing and supply chain management.

In his new role, Damiana will drive operational excellence by developing and executing a company-wide strategy focused on procuring services, raw materials and finished good supplies to ensure adequacy of manufacturing process and timely customer response on a global scale. 

“We’re very excited to have Mike on the MicroCare team,” announced John Stardellis, MicroCare chief financial officer. “MicroCare is growing globally and Mike is going to be focused on integrating our supply chain with our four logistics centers and our evolving production needs.”

Prior to MicroCare, Damiana held senior sourcing management positions at Ikonisys, Medtronic, Hobson & Motzer, and most recently as Procurement and Lean Programs manager at Okay Industries.  

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biological Sciences from Central Connecticut State University and is PMP (Project Management Professional) certified.

“I’m ready for new challenges and new opportunities,” Damiana said. “I’m really looking forward to making significant contributions to the MicroCare team as the company adds new products, new customers and reaches into new industries.”

Aviation Maintenance Training Offered in Gorge

By Dan Spatz Columbia Gorge Community College

Columbia Gorge Community College is home to America’s newest aviation maintenance technician training program upon official recognition this month by the Federal Aviation Administration. (FAA)

The achievement follows nearly four years of research and development as the college worked with industry partners and the FAA to validate job demand for aviation technicians, then developed a curriculum to meet the rigorous technical requirements of “Part 147 Airframe & Powerplant” training.

Students graduating from the program will be prepared for their FAA licensing test as aviation maintenance technicians. Licensure will allow them to maintain fixed-wing aircraft — jets as well as prop planes — and helicopters across the Pacific Northwest or anywhere in the United States.

America’s aviation industry faces an estimated shortage of 79,000 maintenance technicians by the year 2039, according to a 2020 estimate by the Aviation Technician Aviation Council (ATEC). The global aviation industry will need 626,000 technicians over the next 20 years, according to a 2021 projection by Boeing. Existing training programs do not have the capacity to meet that demand, ATEC determined. Demand is driven by growth of civil aviation and an aging workforce.

“This approval by the FAA marks an historic milestone in our college’s history,” said Dr. Marta Cronin, CGCC’s president. “Our goal is to make CGCC a destination institution. Given the vast, unmet need for aviation technicians and the family-wage salaries offered by these careers, we are pleased to be part of the national network of community colleges providing this vital training.”

Cronin cited encouragement from FAA training officials in Portland, industry partners such as Horizon Air, and other colleges as CGCC developed the program. For instance, faculty at Lane Community College provided guidance and site tours of their extensive program in Eugene.

As a new program, CGCC’s Aviation Maintenance Technician training is designed to comply with a recent Congressionally-mandated reform of aviation technician training. The 18-month program comprises 104 credit hours of instruction in 45 subject areas. Students emerge with an associate of arts and science degree, together with airframe and powerplant certificates required to qualify for FAA testing to become licensed aviation mechanics.

Students learn equipment operation, maintenance and trouble-shooting in such varied topics as navigation and communication equipment, oxygen, pressurization, heating, ice and rain protection systems, fuel control, hydraulics, welding and sheet metal fabrication, wood and composite structures, piston and turbine engines, and maintenance record-keeping. Most is hands-on experience.

Enrollment in Airframe and Powerplant pre-requisite instruction is available for the 2022-23 academic year. CGCC joins “A&P” programs offered by Lane and Portland community colleges in Oregon; the closest community college programs in Washington State are in Puyallup, Moses Lake and Spokane.

“I am grateful for CGCC’s dedicated career-tech faculty team and the unwavering support of the local and regional aviation community,” said lead instructor Bryan Despain, who brings three decades of experience with Delta Airlines to the college. Despain designed the curriculum and was instrumental in obtaining equipment for the training lab. “CGCC and I are excited to embark on this wonderful adventure in offering aviation maintenance as part of our suite of certificates and associate degree programs.”

Civil aviation continues to expand in the United States, with more than 5,000 general aviation airports operating and hundreds of thousands of aircraft, according to the FAA.

“The aviation maintenance technician role continues to evolve as new generation airplanes become more prevalent in the global fleet,” Boeing noted in its 2021 annual industry assessment. “With the increasing use of sensors and flight data recorders, the global commercial fleet could generate over 100 million terabytes of data annually by end of the decade. This could enable new predictive solutions, which would drive a need for technicians who can accurately analyze, interpret and act on the information generated. Older aircraft remain in service, which will require technicians with a wide set of skills to maintain aircraft that were built decades ago.”

“We are thrilled to welcome this new program to the aviation mechanic education community,” said Crystal Maguire, executive director of the Aviation Technician Education Council, which is based in Oklahoma. “CGCC will play a vital role in the Northwest, creating sorely needed talent to support industry’s projected growth. Planes cannot fly without maintenance technicians, and those with the requisite skills and certification are and will continue to be in high demand.”

Since embarking upon this new program, the college reached several preliminary milestones: Two aircraft have been donated, and the college secured temporary, leased warehouse space at Port of The Dalles. It has a draft lease with Columbia Gorge Regional Airport, where funding is pending from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to construct a dedicated training hangar and expand the airport industrial park. (The airport is jointly owned by City of The Dalles and Klickitat County, both of which are providing matching funds for the $3.5 million EDA grant.)

In 2021 the college and Horizon Air approved a memorandum of understanding establishing CGCC as an official training partner of Horizon Air. As part of this, students enrolled in the CGCC program are eligible to participate in the “Horizon Technician Development Program,” which provides qualified students with a stipend to complete training in exchange for committing to employment with Horizon for a two-year, six-month period.

This past June the college received aviation maintenance program approval from its accrediting authority, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Students enrolled in the aviation maintenance program as well as other career-tech and general education programs at CGCC may also choose on-campus student housing. Because of the region’s shortage of affordable housing options, the college opened a student residence hall with on-campus meals plan in September 2021, at the same time it opened its Columbia Gorge Regional Skills Center.

Rotorcorp Names Bill Sengstacken as Vice President of Marketing

Rotorcorp, an Authorized Robinson Helicopter Company service center recently announced that they have named B2B marketing veteran, Bill Sengstacken, as vice president of Marketing. Serving more than 1500 customers in 45 countries worldwide, Rotorcorp is the largest seller of parts, overhaul kits, engines and major components for Robinson helicopters. In his new leadership role, Sengstacken will develop and execute Rotorcorp’s overall marketing strategy with the aim to build Rotorcorp’s brand recognition and increase online revenues. 

“No matter if the person looking to buy Robinson Helicopter parts is shopping for themselves or for a fleet of helicopters, it is clear that our customers want a better online shopping experience,” said Sean Casey, president of Rotorcorp. “We’ve all shopped online and know when a shopping experience is good or bad. While Rotorcorp maintains the only e-commerce website focused on Robinson Helicopter parts, we’re looking to Bill to both provide a more intuitive way to buy Robinson helicopter parts and overhaul kits. We also want to give people a reason to keep Rotorcorp.com bookmarked in their browser and to come back for parts as well as insights and expertise we intend to share.”

Sengstacken brings more than 20 years of branding and B2B marketing expertise to Rotorcorp with branding and marketing leadership roles at JBoss, Red Hat, Lancope, and Terracotta. He plans to build recognition of the Rotorcorp and to position the company to be seen as more than just a tools and parts supplier for Robinson Helicopters and Fleets. He says that the key to this will be by building better connections that resonate with the customer.

“Having parts for the R22, R44, and R66 in stock to buy and ship today is the easy part,” Sengstacken explains. “Rotorcorp needs to give a reason for our customers to stick around and come back for a consistent repeatable experience. We need to make smart investments if we want potential buyers of Robinson parts and tools to visit our Robinson Helicopter parts store.”

“Rotorcorp’s current customers are loyal because they know they can trust us to deliver both the parts and the know-how they need to keep flying. A big reason why I took on this role was because of Rotorcorp’s expertise and knowledge of Robinson Helicopters. By sharing that knowledge on Rotorcorp.com and beyond, we can help the people who work to keep Robinson Helicopters flying, and give them a reason to come back for more.”

While Rotorcorp’s track record supplying Robinson helicopter parts to customers is well established, the company sees eCommerce and online sales of parts, tools, overhaul kits and components to be critical to its growth. 

“It’s not unusual for a customer to be on our website looking to buy an overhaul kit for an R44 that’s about to hit the 2200 hour mark to give me a call,” Rotorcorp VP of Operations Tracy Jensen commented. “In my nearly 10 years at Rotorcorp, customers tell me that they keep coming back because they know Robinson Helicopters and compatible engines are our focus. I can’t wait to see Bill take our ‘insider knowledge’ and share it with those searching for help with an engine overhaul or to be sure that they are getting everything they need to service their helicopters.”