Aircraft Maintenance Technology - 66

EDITOR'S SIGN-OFF

By Jennifer Wilberschied, Editor

I AM A

ELLO THERE. LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF.
My name is Jennifer Wilberschied - I am
the new editor of Aircraft Maintenance
Technology - and I am part of the next generation
of aviation professionals. You may have already
met me in Fort Worth, Texas at NBAA - MC as I
jaunted down the aisles of the trade show floor
or at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh as I took in what
was the most exciting show I have ever attended
by far.
Hopefully you have already taken a gander over
at our list of Next Gen 40 Under 40 Award winners.
If not, be sure to flip the pages back a tad and
check out the young talent in the industry, starting on page 28. This year, our pool of winners are
a group of young, motivated, and talented bunch
of aircraft maintenance professionals ranging from
mechanics, technicians, managers, engineers, and
directors of maintenance. I may not be out in the
field per say, but I am, too, part of the next generation. I am younger than 40 by a handful of years
- don't dare ask a lady her age - and while in this
business more than 50 percent is over the age of
60, being part of the "younger" aviation generation is important.
During my first week as editor of AMT, someone asked me "so how long have you been in
aviation?" My answer: "two days". Their eyes all
bugged out, they seemed surprised. Maybe it was
that they don't often run into someone new to
the industry. But being "green" doesn't have to
be a negative. In fact, being newer to the field or
a young person in this industry is a great thing.
Us newbies bring a fresh perspective to the table
with new ideas and loads of energy. And don't be
afraid of us. Just because something has been
done one way for decades doesn't mean there
isn't another way that may be even more productive. The next generation will challenge the ways
things are done. And, the ones who came before
have to allow the new talent to thrive and take
ownership of their skills so that they can grow to
be great leaders in the industry.

66 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

While the next generation is newer, it doesn't
mean we are inexperienced individuals. While I
may be new to the aircraft maintenance industry,
I am no stranger to the rapid world of transportation. I worked as an assistant editor for Railway
Track & Structures for six-plus years. I am also
not new to publishing as a whole. I was editor
of three other industry publications for three
more years and have been writing and editing
professionally since 2007. I am eager and willing
to learn, just like the rest of the next generation.
And while we have some exciting qualities
to share, don't misunderstand, we still have a
wealth of knowledge to learn from the generations that came before us. There is wisdom they
possess that you will never find in a textbook
or manual. One big theme throughout all of our
interviews with the Next Gen Award winners was
mentors and what a huge influence they have
had and learning all you can from them. The
next generation are like sponges, just waiting
to be filled up. So, pour it on.
Congratulations to all of our 2019 Next Gen
40 Under 40 Award winners and to all those who
were nominated. We look forward to watching
you grow with your careers and advancing the
techniques and technologies that this industry
has. You are the future of aviation. Take it seriously, take it as a challenge, and take us to the
next level.
I look forward to meeting more of the next
generation and all of the amazing individuals
that make up this wonderful industry as more
shows and events come along. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to me at Jennifer@
AviationPros.com and introduce yourself and
let me know what is important to you as our
devoted reader. We strive to be a well-rounded
resource for aircraft maintenance folks from
those of you turning the wrenches, to directors
of maintenance and everyone between.
Jennifer

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aircraft Maintenance Technology