Aircraft Maintenance Technology - 60

Nicholas Filipone, 39, Product Manager, PROTO Industrial Tools, Southington, CT

s the product manager of PROTO Industrial Tools, Nicholas
Filipone provides the aviation community with what they
need to get their jobs done and done well.
"I have a great sense of pride seeing our products in the
hands of those that make the world move. Whether it's Aircraft
Maintenance Technicians, Roughnecks in the drilling industry,
or MRO technicians across America, end users fuel my passion
for developing high quality, safe to use products," said Filipone.
"The motivation for me comes with ensuring our Mechanics
Tools meet the most stringent industry specifications possible
giving those technicians peace of mind that their tools will get
the job done efficiently, effectively and, most importantly, safely."
Coming out of college in 2002 with a B.S. degree in business administration, Filipone first worked for Konica Minolta
Business Solutions and Gerber Technology before making his
way to Stanley Black & Decker in 2012 - a year before receiving a M.S. degree from Central Connecticut State University in
technology management.
"Even though I started my career at Stanley Black & Decker
as a supply chain analyst, it was my passion for creativity and
love of product development that brought me into my current
role as global product manager for PROTO Industrial Tools.
Since 2016, I've been managing our Mechanics tools business

for our industrial and commercial vertical
markets, specializing in aerospace compliance," Filipone describes.
Filipone says that all of his training has
been "trial by fire" on the job, but that hasn't
stopped him from seeing PROTO Industrial
Tools win two awards.
"In 2018 we won two Pro Tool Innovations
awards for products we launched in 2017.
The first was our Precision90 Ratchet which gives AMTs the ability to work in tight spaces and the second was from our Modular
Foam Tool set program which gives those same technicians critical
tool storage and control in an environment where foreign object
debris is a huge concern," Filipone said.
And outside of the tools he provides the industry, Filipone says
the biggest contribution he makes to the aviation field is by listening to what it is his buyers looking for out of their equipment.
"In my role as a product manager I find its best to give back to
the industry by listening, listening to what aircraft maintenance
technicians have to say about the tools they use. What is working?
What isn't working? What can we do better? And the answers to
those questions helps us continue providing world class products
that exceed end users' expectations," Filipone said.

Ryan Eberhart, 26, Maintenance Manager, Reading Air, Reading, PA

yan Eberhart's interest in aviation started when he was a
little kid and attended Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's annual
World War II Weekend at the Reading Regional Airport. "The
show features many World War II warbirds and seeing warbirds
like the B-25 Mitchell and P-51 Mustang pretty much sealed
the deal and sparked the passion," Eberhart reveals. "Later on,
my passion for aviation and mechanics led me to choose aviation maintenance as a career path." This path also led him to
become more motivated to branch out from maintenance and
pursue his private pilot's license. "Currently, the people that
I have met in the industry, endless opportunities that I have
had, and unique aircraft that I have worked on have been the
biggest motivator's to keep pursuing aviation maintenance and
stay in the industry," he notes.
After Eberhart received his A&P, he interned at Three In
The Green Aircraft Paint Shop installing modifications, windshields, windows and paint preparation. The following summer, he was hired as an intern at Reading Air, an FBO at the
Reading Regional Airport, where he started working part-time
as line service and an A&P. He was then hired full-time as an
A&P helping maintain the company's flight school aircraft,
the Part 135 B-200, and customer aircraft. Once he met the

60 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

criteria for obtaining his IA, he pursued
that. Currently, Eberhart is the maintenance
manager at Reading Air.
Eberhart did indeed receive the private
pilot license he sought after, with Complex,
High Performance, and Tail-Wheel endorsements and he's currently working on his
instrument rating. "Having a pilot's license
has been a bonus while working in general
aviation as it makes you a more well-rounded A&P and allows
you to relate more with owners when they bring their aircraft
into the shop with problems," he notes.
Along with participating in the Allentown FSDO's IA Seminar,
Eberhart also belongs to the American Bonanza Society, Piper
and Cessna Flyer Association, AOPA, EAA, and the Mid-Atlantic
Air Museum. Currently, the museum is restoring a P-61 Black
Widow which was a night fighter during World War II. The
museum's P-61 is one of four surviving examples and will be
the only flying example in the world. Eberhart is assisting in
the restoration by having completed numerous sheet-metal
tasks. He also have assisted the museum in helping maintain
their Aeronca L-3, SNJ, and B-25 Mitchell Bomber.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

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