KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The hangar at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) is filled with engines and planes, some of which are dissembled, waiting for students to rebuild them.
But students will have to wait before they can finish putting the planes back together. The school has moved instruction online following the coronavirus stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines.
“This industry needs so many mechanics that all of the aviation schools combined are not graduating enough graduates for this industry,” said Patrick Nelson, the community outreach representative for AIM.
It’s one reason why the school is not slowing down, even with the pandemic causing chaos among the airline industry.
“Even in this trying time, qualified folks and good quality folks that have experience are hard to come by,” said Trey Bryson.
Bryson is the senior vice president of operations for Aviation Technical Services (ATS). The company has had to lay off hundreds of employees because its maintenance business is down but expects to hire more qualified technicians once business picks back up.
“When airplanes don’t fly that requires less maintenance, and that’s the crux of our business,” Bryson said.
Luckily, ATS is in charge of dozens of planes parked at the Kansas City International Airport that have been grounded by the airlines. Even though those planes are not currently flying, they require weekly maintenance by certified aircraft technicians. So do cargo planes and planes carrying medical equipment.
“We need to ensure everything is in working order so when we go to wake that airplane up, it’s ready to fly,” Bryson said.
ATS offers an apprenticeship program, which is fully accredited. Individuals receive hands-on job training while earning pay. According to Bryson, if an individual has the aptitude, in 18 months he or she is qualified to test for the airframe license.
AIM takes a little longer. Most students graduate in 21 months but they, according to Nelson, have their pick of careers. Some students work for airlines and ATS, while others have worked for NASCAR and amusement parks.
“Right now we went through one of the worst things most of us have ever experienced in our lifetime and aviation maintenance mechanics are still working, so I encourage anyone who wants to get into a solid career that’s going to be in demand for a very long time, this is it,” Nelson said.
To apply for a job or the apprenticeship program at ATS, visit atsmro.com.
To apply or learn about AIM, visit its website.