by Joy Finnegan, Editor in Chief
Since 2004 I have been working at Aviation Maintenance – first as managing editor and then, starting in 2006, as editor-in-chief. I met a former editor-in-chief of this publication, Matt Thurber at the 100th Anniversary of Flight celebrating the monumental accomplishments of the Wright Brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. He was without a managing editor at the time and learned I was looking for work. He offered to have me out for an interview and said he’d rather teach someone who knew aviation to run a magazine than to try to teach a journalist the intricacies of our unique and complex industry.
When he left for greener pastures, I became editor-in-chief and have been ever since. I did take a brief hiatus to work as editor-in-chief of another aviation publication, Rotor & Wing. I had left that magazine due to a family relocation and when the interim editor of this magazine also found another position and left, I quickly returned to Aviation Maintenance – that was five years ago.
For a total of ten years I have followed, written about, rooted for and been amazed by the dedication and hard work put in by each and every person in this industry. It has been my honor and pleasure to head up this magazine and cover the amazing things you do.
I have never been at a loss to find things to write about – quite the contrary. I am constantly challenged to find room to include all the news, features and information I would like to. From continuous improvement to Lean to software to borescopes to refurbs to high-velocity maintenance to innovation, there never seems to be a lack of things to write about.
During the last ten years I have seen good times and bad times in the aviation industry. The magazine itself has had its ups and downs as well. I have also seen the publication change ownership from a large media company owner to its current owner, Adrian Broadbent, an entrepreneur with a keen eye toward new opportunities.