Roy Resto

Addressing the Aviation Maintenance Technician Shortage: A Crucial Step for the Industry’s Future The aviation sector is on the road to recovery post-pandemic, but a significant challenge persists: a shortage of aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs). Current estimates suggest a shortfall of 12,000 to 18,000 AMTs, which could persist or even worsen over the next decade. Factors like an aging workforce, low career uptake, and rising passenger demand (IATA predicts 8.2 billion passengers by 2037) are contributing to this gap. Boeing’s 2021 Commercial Market Outlook indicates that 610,000 new AMTs will be needed globally through 2041, with the trade association ADS saying that there are currently 10,000 vacancies in the UK alone. To meet this demand, the industry must increase the number of trained AMTs by at least 20% above those already being trained. Strategies to address this could include: ✈️ Increasing financial compensation: Making the role more attractive by acknowledging the high skill and training required. ✈️ Diversifying recruitment efforts: Expanding marketing to underrepresented groups (currently, <10% of aviation and aerospace engineers are female, for example). ✈️ Mentorship programs: Leveraging the experience of current professionals to guide and inspire the next generation. At Aviation in Reach, our team of experienced mentors are dedicated to supporting aspiring aviation professionals and levelling the playing field for those traditionally underrepresented in the industry. If you know someone looking to start a career in aviation engineering, please share this post with them. We’ll be reopening applications this summer. This Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, let’s work together to secure the future of aviation by investing in the next generation. #MentorshipMatters #AviationIndustry #Aerospace

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Freeing Your Talent: The FTC's Game-Changing Move on Noncompetes If you've been following the business buzz, you've heard about the FTC's big move on noncompete agreements. Yep, those contracts that can feel like invisible shackles for your top talent. States like California and Washington, D.C., have been booting noncompetes, and others, like Colorado and Virginia, are scaling back. But the FTC's decision ramps things up, potentially making it easier for your employees to break free. Sounds like a win for workers, right? But hold on—there's a legal showdown brewing. Some big names aren't thrilled and are gearing up for court. Before you panic about your trade secrets, know this: while the FTC's ruling might complicate things, there are exceptions, especially for top dogs in the C-suite. If your employee makes over $152k and has policy-making authority, there's an exception on existing agreements (but not for new agreement). But for the rest of your crew, those noncompetes might not pack the same punch. And here's the twist: not every industry plays by the same rules. Banks and certain nonprofits get a pass, while others have to toe the line. Lawsuits are already flying, with bigwigs squaring off against the FTC. Buckle up—it's gonna be a bumpy ride. So, what's the bottom line? It's time to reassess those noncompetes. Are they still worth it in this new world? Only time will tell, but change is coming fast, and you don't want to be left behind. 🛎 Like to stay up-to-date on recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter on elraysearch.com

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Pro-tip: Gage Pins just for production (separate from QC lab) ensure quality at the source. Use ones with Black Oxide coating which provide visual wear recognition for replacement during 5S audits. I recommend Vermont Gage's Black Guard™ which is a black oxide treatment that penetrates .000040" - .000060" deep. Besides visual wear indicator, it provides rust and corrosion protection too. We have 2 sets of gage pins for both Go (Plus) or NoGo (Minus) from .005" to 1.00" and the same for Metric too, which comes in really handy! The pin sets on the floor are Class ZZ which means they are .0002" or 0.005mm tolerance and are round within .0001" or 0.0025mm. The gage pins in our QC lab are Class X, meaning they an inch tolerance of .00004" and a metric of . 001mm. Our Lab class X pins are also used as masters to validate measuring equipment every morning too before use and often several more times during the day as well, such as checking linearity of comparators, micrometers, and calipers in QC lab. These round masters simulate a cylindrical part which, unlike flat blocks, can detect uneven wear on the tips of micrometers and calipers. The result is the thin “line” of contact detects uneven face wear better than flat gage blocks with large contact area. Although its origin is lost in the mists of time, best measurement practices call for you to use what industry insiders call the 10 to 1 rule. Gages need to be ten times more sensitive than the tolerance of the characteristic you are measuring. So to properly measure 1.000” ± .005”, which has an overall tolerance of .010”, you need a gage with the ability to measure .001” or one-tenth of the tolerance. Anything less (than 10x) is just a guess! Gaging is an integral part of quality planning simply because you can't make what you can't measure. The types of gages, the frequency with which you use them, and the methods used to assure their suitability should be baked into your control plan, PFEMA, FAIR, and ideally validated with the customer (what's their receiving inspection method?) that brought you the order in the first place. #aerospace #swissmachining #cnc #cncmachining #machineshop #quality

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Speed isn’t always the answer In fact, sometimes, the only answer is to pull the throttle back As a fighter pilot, there was a condition called Pilot Induced Oscillations or PIOs It happens when the pilot is making inadvertent corrections, increasing in error Every attempt to correct only makes the problem worse If you add speed to the mix, the problem can get so bad the nose hunts around violently in a back-and-forth, up-and-down movement It’s sloppy, and it is pilot induced- as in, there is nothing actually wrong with the airplane You see, an airplane is inherently stable. It’s usually the pilot that makes the errors _____________________________________ I see this happen ALL THE TIME in life as well We get so focused on where we are going and people telling us to take "massive action" that we end up in this sloppy pattern where we are constantly correcting our own mistakes One of the quickest ways out of a PIO is to just do nothing, stand the throttles up (slow down), and let the airplane return to normal The same holds true in life 
When it gets chaotic, the answer often lies in simply slowing down Take an inventory of what’s going on, ask better questions to gain a better understanding, and find a better solution When everything is stable, then you can push the throttles back up This is your Championship Life, there are no practice days! 🏆

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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 As a professional involved in processing reports of battery-related fires on aircraft, and as a contributor to the voluntary data collection efforts discussed in the Washington Post article, I cannot stress enough the importance of handling these devices with care. Experiencing a fire onboard is always a scary and potentially dangerous situation. However, I am reassured knowing such incidents are managed by skilled and trained flight attendants rather than risking an undetected fire in the cargo hold. It’s crucial to remember: vape pens, which should never be checked in, must always travel in carry-on luggage, ideally kept on your person. 💡 Fun Fact: Approximately 90% of vape pen batteries are recycled from used batteries and are repurposed without stringent quality standards or safety regulations. Let’s prioritize safety by staying informed and prepared. Knowledge and awareness are keys to prevention!

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Joby Aviation has received Federal Aviation Administration authorization for its in-house developed software suite, ElevateOS, designed to enable high-tempo, on-demand air taxi operations. ElevateOS includes an intelligent matching engine, pilot tools, operations and schedule management software, and a mobile-first rider app. The matching engine, similar to those used by ride-hailing apps, pairs passengers with available aircraft and landing infrastructure to ensure efficient journeys. Joby plans to use ElevateOS to support its air taxi operations and make it available to selected partners who purchase their aircraft. In a virtual presentation on June 20th, Joby highlighted its preparations for launching commercial air taxi operations next year. These preparations include pilot training, using conventional aircraft for service simulation, and utilizing their Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate to test ElevateOS's core aspects. Key features of ElevateOS include: - Offering on-demand passenger services to Joby team members, enabling flexible flight bookings. - Matching passengers with similar routes through automation tools. - Handling payments for chartered flights. - Integrating pilot and rider apps with back-end operational software. Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby, emphasized, “ElevateOS is the result of many years of iteration and real-life experience. We’re confident it is the most sophisticated, efficient, and flexible suite of air operations tools available today.” Joby’s comprehensive presentation also covered: Training Electric Air Taxi Pilots: Joby has developed a six-week aircraft-specific training course for commercial pilots, including immersive simulation training with CAE. They have started private pilot training and ground school as part of their future pilot academy. Building the Maintenance Workforce of the Future: With a Part 145 Maintenance Certificate, Joby is developing a full MRO strategy, supported by a USD 1 million FAA grant. Implementing Rigorous Safety Systems: Joby was the first eVTOL company with a Safety Management System accepted by the FAA’s Voluntary Program for Air Operations. They also received the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations Stage 1 Certification. Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby, remarked, “We are leading the industry in certification, manufacturing, and preparation for commercial service.” Joby plans to operate in U.S. markets such as New York City and Los Angeles, in partnership with Delta Air Lines, and in the UAE with an exclusive agreement in Dubai. They will also partner with local operators overseas and support direct sales to businesses and government partners like Mukamalah and the United States Department of Defense. #AvfoilNewss #JobyAviation #ElevateOS #AirTaxi #eVTOL #FAA #Innovation #AviationTechnology #SustainableAviation #PilotTraining #AirMobility #UrbanAirMobility #Aerospace #TransportationRevolution #TechInnovation #AviationNews

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Having been a long time aviation nerd, it's not my intent or desire to jump on the Boeing bashing bandwagon, but recent events have provided a critical opportunity for the industry to reflect and redirect. To all my colleagues at Boeing- please use this as an opportunity to lead the way out! Take away the names of the companies involved and these three key points stand out to me: 1) There is no substitute for floor walks. Leadership (especially Quality Leaders) should be a reassuring presence on the shop floor, not an alarming one. There is no power point, email or meeting you can have in your office that will inform you as much as walking you shop floors on a regular basis. 2) "Off-loading" is a self-deceiving approach to risk management. Regardless of who you sub parts production out to, if your logo is going on the final product, you still own all the risks associated with that part. If your brand is important, why would you ever put it in the hands of the lowest bidder? 3) The Share Holder Supremacy model (and the executive incentives that drive it) needs to change. Focus on delivering quality to your customer and the customer will take care of the share holders. I don't blame the executives here- they did what they were incentivized to do. Companies need to decide if they want to play by finite game theory or infinite game theory. There are great examples of both and how they work out in the long run. Quarter to quarter is no way to run a railroad...

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A Call to Action for Unwavering Ethical Conduct: Drawing inspiration from Viper's resolute stance in 'Top Gun', it's evident that the rules of engagement—be it in aviation or the arena of professional responsibility—are designed for our protection and the safety of those around us. They are established as non-negotiable benchmarks that safeguard the integrity of our actions and the impact they have on our team and society at large. The message is clear: adherence to these ethical guidelines is imperative. Disregard them at your own peril, for deviation not only undermines individual character but also erodes the foundational trust upon which professional relationships are built.

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Sign up for our SMS Overview virtual course! SMS has, or will, become mandatory for virtually all aviation operators over the next few years. Our SMS Overview course is the perfect starting point to separate fact from fiction as you begin thinking about SMS implementation at your own organization. This course is jam-packed with information that you can use immediately to help you make informed decisions as you begin the SMS implementation process. Even if you currently have an SMS, this course can serve as validation that you're doing it right!

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What is “The Quality Policy” at your company and why should anyone care? A classic QMS compliance mistake is to have your leaders “wordsmith twenty words,” then make posters to plaster everywhere. After all, the AS9100 standard mandates the policy as a certification requisite. If you don’t make that policy meaningful and relevant to EVERY EMPLOYEE in your company, you’re already way behind the Quality curve. Want to know more about how to stand up and maintain a no-kidding, truly effective quality management system at your company? At a loss as to how to pass your audit and certify to AS9100? Reach out to learn more! QMSAloft@gmail.com

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This infographic compares 5Whys vs. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) vs. FMEA vs Poka Yoke as follows:

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MTI by Vitrek helps aviation MROs do more with fewer technicians. That's important since airframe and powerplant schools aren't growing quickly enough to meet the demand for mechanics. This article describes three innovative technologies. https://bit.ly/3R5afne #aviation #aircraft #AvMRO #MRO #workforce #mechanics #whitepaper

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