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Speech

Machinists Union/Aviation HS Seminar

Carla [Winkler], thanks very much, and a good afternoon to you all.

Yes, it’s true. I used to fly fighter jets for the Navy when I was younger, back in the day when the only suit I wore was olive green. No coat. No tie. What I’d give for those days again.

The Hornet is 40 feet from wingtip to wingtip. Better than Mach one with the blue side up and point eight Mach inverted. When you throw in a carrier with 15-foot seas, sometimes, it’s like finding a pencil in the ocean. And I haven’t even talked about calling the ball at night — I can tell you that bringing in a 737 was a whole lot smoother.

Those are the kind of memories aviation has given me. These are opportunities I could’ve never imagined. Flying gave me direction. So did education. And it all got started right here in Maryland. This is where I grew up, this is where I still live, and I want to welcome you to where my journey got started.

This morning, you woke up many miles away from the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 36^th Street.

I bet when you were boarding the plane at LaGuardia yesterday, you must’ve wondered what you were in for. You didn’t know what to expect. Or maybe, you were just worried about your upcoming finals!

Either way, I can predict with 100 percent certainty that the journey of your lifetime starts today.

That’s because over the next two days, you’re going to be tested and challenged in ways that only aviation can. For one thing, you’re going to learn the ins and outs of accident investigations by our very own Jay Hiles.

He’s one of the FAA’s top safety inspectors, and you’ll get to meet others like him when you visit FAA headquarters tomorrow.

These are people who live for safety, just like the folks you’ve already met here at IAM. I don’t think aviation has a more powerful ally than them.

The union is great for the same reason that aviation is great — because you have so many different people working together, pulling toward a common goal — safety.

As you work your way toward your A&P, I want you to keep in mind what I’m about to say. There’s never been a safer time to fly. Last year was a record-setter. The major airlines carried over 800 million people without a single on-board fatality.

On the general aviation side, we had the fewest fatal accidents and fewest fatalities since the 1940s. A good story all around. We didn’t get to this point by “accident,” pardon the expression. We got here because our workforce refuses to lift its sights from its mission.

We’re always looking for more people like that. We’re always looking to hire men and women to carry on that mission. Who’s going to step up? Who’s going to keep our incredible safety record intact? You, I hope.

If you follow through with your education and study hard, you will become the future face of safety. There’s a real demand out there for people with your skills.

Monster.com alone had 19 pages of job listings for A&P Technicians. You can put those skills to the test at airports, corporate flight departments, the airlines. The choice is yours.

Now remember what I said a minute ago about being tested and challenged while you’re here? It begins now. Since you’re the best of the best seniors, you’ll have no trouble with this pop quiz. Raise your hand if you know the answer.

OK, ready? First question. What’s the maintenance recording responsibility of the person who complies with an Airworthiness Directive? Is it …

• (A) Advise the aircraft owner/operator of the work performed.
• (B) Make an entry in the maintenance record. [Correct answer]
• (C) Advise the FAA district office of the work performed by submitting Form 337.

Next question. The issuance of an Airworthiness Certificate is governed by:

• (A) 14 CFR Part 23.
• (B) Part 21. [Correct answer]
• (C) Part 39.

All right. Last question. FAA certificated mechanics may:

• (A) Approve for return to service a major repair for which they are rated.
• (B) Approve for return to service a minor alteration they have performed appropriate to the rating(s).
• (C) Supervise and approve a 100-hour inspection. [Correct answer]

OK, very good. You’re making a name for yourselves already. Carla, give everybody an “A.”

I’m going to open it up for questions in just a minute. But before I do, I just want to hammer home how important education is. When you leave here on Wednesday and head back to school, remember about that journey I talked about a minute ago. Hitting the books is the surest way — the only way — to start on the road to aviation’s future.

Thanks very much for having me.