July-August 2022 - 24

Gareth Lawson
Flight Mechanic, 10 Tanker Air Carrier
Age: 24
Hometown: Roswell,
New Mexico
Alma mater: Eastern
New Mexico University
Someone I look up to in the
industry: Isaiah Lawson, my
brother
Favorite hobby: I enjoy
doing things outdoor, mostly
hunting.
Favorite thing about
aviation: The pride that
comes behind the work.
Aviation is something Gareth Lawson has been
around most his life.
" My whole family is kind in aviation. I have two
cousins that are pilots and my uncles, and my
uncle is a pilot as well. My brother flies crop dusters
in in Rowell, New Mexico. Aviation's kind of just
always been something I've been around and I
really enjoy it a lot, " he said.
Lawson said he himself has been hooked on aviation
ever since taking his first flight in seventh
grade. Four years ago, he received his A&P license,
and he's moved around the country for work, from
Rosewell to San Antonio, Texas, and back again.
Today, he's a flight mechanic for 10 Tanker Air
Carrier.
" I like being a mechanic because there's always
going to be job opportunities out there, you'll never
be out of a job. It's always like constant job security.
You can work anywhere you want, anywhere in the
world. That's what's really exciting about aviation
maintenance, " he said.
Lawson said he also likes the important role he
plays in the aviation industry and the challenges
that come with that.
" Maintenance keeps everything safe. I'm biased
on this opinion, but it's one of the most important
things in aviation. But we all work together to keep
the industry safe. Other than that, maintenance is
really exciting, because you have all these problems
and sometimes you're very limited on time
to fix the problems. And it's like like a big brain
game, " he continued.
Lawson said that he would like to see more people
join the industry and help it to grow.
" I'd like to see more younger people interested in
the industry. There are so many jobs out there,
because not many people are going into the
industry. So, I think that if we can influence these
younger generations to actually take a role in the
aviation industry, that'd be a great thing, so we
can continue to grow it and expand far beyond
what our older generation can even think, " he said.
www.AviationPros.com/21274337
David G. Miller
Assistant Shop Lead, Aerostar
Age: 25
Hometown: Mobile,
Alabama
Someone I look up to in the
industry: Greg Guzman and
Gene Waters
Favorite hobby: I've
recently began playing
golf and fell in love with the
game.
Favorite thing about
aviation: The continuous
learning and development in
all aspects of aviation, from
the mechanical portion to
the business side.
David Miller said he's always been technical and
mechanically minded.
" My love for applied physics and my job allow me
to further my knowledge. My father introduced
me to aviation at a young age and exposed me to
the precision and detail that accompanies many
of the jobs I still perform today, " he said.
Miller is the assistant shop leader for Aerostar,
where he has worked for the past four years.
" I enjoy business in general, however aviation
is intriguing, and I enjoy learning and becoming
competent working in all aspects of aviation. The
aviation industry is a perfect fit for me because
it is always progressing and there will always be
more to learn, " he said.
Miller said that learning and taking new challenges
and passing the knowledge he's gained on to others
is one of his favorite aspects for the job.
" I also enjoy the training aspect of my job and
fine-tuning a technician to better suit them for
the industry, " he continued, adding that he would
like to see better training opportunities offered
in the future.
Frank Lapcheske, Aerostar's VP of Operations,
www.AviationPros.com/21274334
said: " This young man is the best technician I have
seen in my 28 years in aviation and has endless
potential. He is eager to learn, even things that
don't necessarily pertain to his job. He pays attention
to detail and understands technical issues better
than anyone in the shop and really far exceeds
anyone I have been around. David is one of those
rare individuals that have absolutely no weaknesses
and exceeds expectations on every level. "
" Simply put, the training that schools put into the
technician plays a vital role in the technician's
future and thereby paid forward to the aviation
industry, " he said.
Miller added that he wishes students were made
aware of the potentials of an aviation career earlier
on in their education.
" Why isn't aviation at all levels offered from the
cradle of public education? You have to live in
certain zip codes for it to even cross your radar.
Even if you are lucky enough to have that available,
you may or may not be the lucky one that
comprehends it, yet there aren't enough trained
technicians to support the industry's maintenance
requirements, " he said.
24 JULY/AUGUST 2022
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
http://www.AviationPros.com/21274337 http://www.AviationPros.com/21274334
July-August 2022

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