July-August 2022 - 14

Mitch Lutze-Morris
Chief Inspector and Quality Manager, Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies, Inc.
Age: 29
Hometown: Republic,
Missouri
Alma mater: State
Technical College of
Missouri
Favorite hobby: Watch
building
My favorite thing about
aviation: The people in the
industry
Mitch Lutze-Morris got into aviation on a whim, he
said, having never seen nor flown on an airplane,
outside of one time skydiving, before.
" I was working as a bank teller for a number of years
and was trying to find jobs that would have a high
rate of employment at the time, back in 2013. I saw
that employment rates were supposed to go up
for aviation mechanics, specifically, by about 10
to 15% within the next five years due to a retirements
and things of that nature. So that's kind of
what got me into it, " he said.
He then graduated from college and went to work
for Columbia Avionics and Aircraft Services, later
bought by Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies,
and hasn't left.
" I've got my A&P, IA, AET, the FCC GROL, repairman
certificate for radios & instruments. And I'm
currently the chief inspector of the repair station
as well as the quality manager of our PMA department, "
he said.
Lutze-Morris said he mostly works on the business
and corporate side of aircraft, working on many
King Airs and Citation jets.
" It's kind of nice talking to the owners and hearing
about them, learning what they do for a living
and what their background is and stuff like that.
Because you meet a lot of really interesting people
that way, and it's nice seeing the various aspects of
where people come from that own these planes, "
he said.
Having worked in numerous different industries
and held many different careers, Lutze-Morris
said working in aviation has a return on investment
greater than any other, and as such, he spends a
good deal of time learning about the industry and
trying to better himself professionally.
" The biggest thing that I tell a lot of the students
that come in from the college nearby is anything
and everything that you put into the industry, you
get back a hundred percent. I spend a lot of my free
time reading various advisory circulars, reading
various magazines and textbooks and stuff like
that. Just trying to learn as much as I can about
the industry. And, speaking for myself, I've seen a
lot of return on that time invested and it's definitely
paid off, " he said.
www.AviationPros.com/21274339
Marissa Estebanez
Aircraft Maintenance Technician, South Carolina Avionics Services
Age: 20
Hometown: Blythewood,
South Carolina
Alma mater: Pittsburgh
Institute of Aeronautics -
Myrtle Beach
Someone I look up to in the
industry: Mindy Pavilonis
Favorite hobby: I like to
paint extremely realistic
portraits of animals.
My favorite thing about
aviation: Every day I get to
work on something different.
Marissa Estebanez's interest in aviation was sparked when she
was 14. A member of her school's robotics program at the time,
a representative from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
came to the school to give a presentation.
" They said, 'We really need aircraft mechanics. There's a huge
shortage.' And I said, 'Well, I don't want to be stuck at a desk for
the rest of my life. So that sounds great,' " she recounts.
Estebanez would attend Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics'
Myrtle Beach Campus, completing a 16-month A&P program.
" Before I had even graduated, even with COVID and
everything, I had a job lined up at the avionics shop where
I'm currently doing maintenance at - South Carolina Avionics
Services, " she said.
One of the benefits of working in general aviation that
Estebanez said she adores is all the variety of aircraft that they
get to work on.
" I get to work on some new, weird airplane every day. A lot
of the time it is just 172s and 182s, but occasionally, I get
something just bizarre, like an OV-10 Bronco came in for a
avionics upgrade a little bit ago, and that was fun to work on.
And I just like having the diversity of all the different stuff. I
don't like to be stuck in one place, " she said.
And with the different aircraft, come the people, which when
looking at the aviation industry as a whole, Estebanez said is
the best part of it.
" There's a sense of, we are a team. We get the job done. We rely
on each other and you're able to find those people within an
industry that is so stressful. So, that's probably the best part of
aviation for me is the people, " she said.
And for the future of the industry, Estebanez said she would
like to see more people joining to keep it all going.
" Some of these old guys they need to retire. They're great, but
they can't work until they die. That sucks for everybody, " she
said with a laugh. " We've got our crew chief and he's passing
on all his knowledge to our younger technicians like me and
it's very much needed. So the more people can join aviation,
the more people can keep up these techniques and the artistry
going, " she said.
www.AviationPros.com/21274350
14 JULY/AUGUST 2022
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
http://www.AviationPros.com/21274339 http://www.AviationPros.com/21274350
July-August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July-August 2022
