The 2023 Aerospace Maintenance Competition in Atlanta gives past Air Wisconsin competitor the chance to come back and recruit talented mechanics for the Midwest.
What is the Aerospace Maintenance Competition? Their goal is to celebrate the past, present & future Maintenance Professionals.
The competition is held annually in conjunction with Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas. Teams representing educational institutions, commercial airlines, repair and manufacturing companies, general aviation and space compete to find out who’s the best of the best. Each team collects sponsors who support their path to the competition and while they are there. Air Wisconsin had the honor of sponsoring two different teams this year at the competition:
Chris Hollon, Director of Maintenance Performance, has a special connection to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition as he not only got a chance to recruit there this spring, but he is a previous competitor! The idea to support this type of competition started when Air Wisconsin’s recruiting manager pulled together hiring managers to combine efforts with her recruiting teams. Yvette Woerishofer, manager of recruiting, said, “Air Wisconsin is proud to support the competitors and schools at AMC and be a part of the growth of the competition and the students.”
Chris Hollon stated, “Shortly after Yvette started here…Her meeting with me just happened to be two weeks after the 2022 AMC Skills competition. During our meeting I handed her a copy of AMT magazine and explained how Aviation Maintenance Schools and Airlines from around the world all send their top students/technicians to one location for this competition, and that by not having a recruiting presence at this competition we were missing out on a big opportunity.” Chris also let her team know that this competition was special too him, “I also let on that I had previously competed in the competition on Team Redstone 2013, winners of that years Schools Category. In addition to winning the Schools Category for a 3rd year in a row, our team placed 4th overall finishing ahead of 19 other teams from MROs, Commercial Aviation, Military and General Aviation. “
Read about Chris Hollon’s team below:
The competition was not always branded the same way and 2013 was the last year that the contest was presented as the AMT Society Maintenance Skills Competition. The event was rebranded the following year as the AMC Skills Competition and is presented under that banner to this day.
Chris Hollon continued on “In the 10 years that have passed since being a participant in the competition, the skills competition has grown exponentially. For perspective on that growth, in 2013 23 total teams navigated 14 events. This year 84 teams (32 schools) competed in 26 different events which all simulate real world maintenance tasks from throughout the industry. These events are designed to test and evaluate the technicians skills of inspection, troubleshooting and repair of various aircraft systems like hydraulics, electronics and wiring, safe tying practices, painting, powerplant maintenance, tire/wheels and brakes.”
Chris was both excited and honored to return to this event from the other side of the table. “Returning to the event this year as part of the Air Wisconsin recruiting team was a great experience. Not only was I able to see how the competition and competitors have evolved, but I was able to share many hours of great conversation with students and industry professionals alike. Being part of the team that put Air Wisconsin on that stage was hopefully just the beginning. In the coming years it would be great for the company to sponsor our own team, or a partner with a local collegiate team and bring the Bill O’Brien trophy home to Air Wisconsin.”
We are so grateful here at Air Wisconsin that competitions like the AMC exist for students to show their unique talents. It also gives them a chance to see the different options for their careers and how appreciated they are in the aerospace industry. We love our mechanics and couldn’t have a successful operation without them. Be sure to thank the mechanics in your life for the many hours of work that they do behind the scenes to keep the things that we love, such as traveling, available and efficient.
Are you looking to become a mechanic at Air Wisconsin? We have exciting benefits to share such as:
- Up to $46,000 in Bonuses!
- $10,000 Sign-on Bonus
- $20,000 Tuition Reimbursement
- Up to $16,000 Longevity Bonus & Relocation Assistance!
Additional Benefits of working for our airline include:
- New mechanics are eligible for a full relocation package to any of our three maintenance bases in Appleton and Milwaukee, WI and Dayton, OH.
- Best vacation time in the industry and generous work rules
- Paid uniforms and annual tool allowance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Industry-leading health benefits
- Worldwide travel privileges for you and your family
Wheels Up 