Airlines, Students Win Big at Maintenance Competition

Credit: Luke Wagler Services LLC

Excitement was high in Dallas last week as the Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) returned to MRO Americas after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

This year 74 teams competed in 27 maintenance skill events. Competitors included 29 teams from aviation maintenance schools, 21 military teams from the U.S. and Canada, and teams that traveled to Dallas from Brazil, Egypt and India.

Women’s representation at the AMC grew even further this year, with all-female teams in attendance from airlines, OEMs, schools and nonprofits. In addition to returning all-female teams from United Airlines, Pratt & Whitney and Canada’s Elevate Aviation nonprofit, there were first-time all-female teams from American Airlines, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and UPS.

Female students took home the lion’s share of professional awards and scholarships. Cassandra Hepp from Elevate Aviation won a Charles E. Taylor Professional AMT Award and Phoebe Omlie Scholarships went to Rebecca Waring from Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics-Hagerstown, Penelope Wood from George T. Baker Aviation Technical College, and Shelby Quilinan from Embry-Riddle.

All-female competitors at the AMC
Women competitors at the 2022 Aerospace Maintenance Competition
Credit: Luke Wagler Services LLC

United’s all-female Chix Fix team, which has risen in profile since it began competing in 2018, took home the AMC Peer Award and won the aircraft tire inspection event.

Taking home top honors among international teams was the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 12 Air Maintenance Squadron, which won the Paul Cousins Award for the top overall international team score.

The FedEx Express Indianapolis team won the Bill O’Brien Award for top overall score. The cargo airline was well represented in the rankings, with its teams from Indianapolis and Los Angeles taking more than a dozen top three placements in various categories and events.

Alaska Airlines’ Seattle team took top place in the Overall Commercial Category and its teams scored in the top three rankings in 11 categories

Tulsa Tech’s adult students team won the Overall School Category and placed in the top three in several categories. Other schools also performed well: Liberty University won the handheld bond meter test event and Tarrant County College won the process optimization event and the engine fan blade removal event.

United Airlines dominated many events, including the fuel tank entry precautions event, the cable rigging event and the flex fluid lines event. Its teams placed in the top three in more than a dozen events.

Click here for a full list of winners from this year’s AMC. The competition is held in conjunction with Aviation Week’s MRO Americas event.

Lindsay Bjerregaard

Lindsay Bjerregaard is managing editor for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio. Her coverage focuses on MRO technology, workforce, and product and service news for AviationWeek.com, Aviation Week Marketplace and Inside MRO.