Jennifer Lesher's Blog, page 11

A Catalog of Minor Annoyances

If you’re scheduled to go on a flight, we have to assume that you knew this was going to happen quite a few days before the moment when you arrived at the security line. Since this is the case, please don’t wait until just that moment to realize you’ll need to produce your ID and […]

Chapter 38 – Or Airplane Toilet Tech Talk for the Non-Technical

I knew this night was coming, but I didn’t know when. Sooner or later, every mechanic working on transport aircraft will need to deal with Chapter 38. What is Chapter 38, you ask? Are you sure you want to know? Aircraft manuals are organized by a standardized numbering system, so that on any plane, Chapter […]

What Mechanics Need

Helping take my school’s teams to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition got me to thinking about what you look for in a good airplane mechanic. I think it boils down to three things: the ability to listen and respond to feedback, the willingness to work hard, and a rock-solid sense of integrity. Take away one of […]

Licensed to Learn (and Fix Airplanes)

Short post today because I spent the day testing. And now … drum roll … 2 years, 3 weeks and two days after I took my seat on the first day of airplane mechanic school, I am a certificated Airframe and Powerplant mechanic. Yes, the word is ‘certificated.” No, I don’t know why “certified” wouldn’t have […]

Aerospace Maintenance Competition 2015

Last year I participated in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition, as part of an all-female team from my vocational college. It was fun, but we had a hard time with preparation and only one of us won anything. But, even though I didn’t win an event, I thought it was a great experience. I got to meet […]

Mechanic’s Shirts Should Also Come in Pink

My consistent readers will recognize most of this blog from last year. I’m reposting because I have been thinking about this more since I have started my internship in the line maintenance department of a major airline. I’m one of a very few women in the department, and sometimes I wonder if I should play […]

What a Difference Two Years Make

Exactly two years ago today I took my seat in the first quarter of airplane mechanic school. At that time all I knew what that it was time to make the leap from my corporate desk job to an aviation career. I knew a few things about airplanes, like what makes them stay in the […]

You Always Have a Choice

Back when I was in college (the first time) I worked at the Chicago UPS on the night shift. I started working there about 9 months after I departed the cornfields of my small Indiana town, so to say I experience culture shock was like saying that the space shuttle experiences a light massage when […]

Airplanes – They Sure are Big

The same day I finished airplane mechanic school, I started an airline internship (a week ago Monday). Every weeknight I go to their maintenance facility at the south end of Sea-Tac Airport. Here’s a typical day-in-the-life of a fledgling airline mechanic. I arrive a little before 9:00 PM and head to the (very empty) women’s […]

Retrospective – Where I Was Two Years Ago

I’m repeating the post that started off this whole airplane mechanic career change – I have been head down getting my school’s teams ready for the Aerospace Maintenance Competition and starting my internship at Delta and decided a long, repeat post was better than a short new one. This was my blog post on March […]