Aircraft Maintenance Technology - 50

EDITOR'S TAKEOFF

Don't Fly Off the Handle
My father isn't a big stock market mogul, but during his five-day visit at the end
of February, he spent much of his time actively not panicking about the stock
market, which was dropping at an accelerated rate due to the global worry of
the novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19. Fox News was
blaring from my television day and night with updates on the spread of the illness to the United States, how the government was handling the situation and
how the stock market was tumbling down - fast.
By Jennifer Wilberschied,
Editor

My dad watched intently with an agitated look upon
his face between calling family and friends to gain
insight on their take on the situation and scouring
the internet, researching how stock markets faired
after similar infectious diseases spread around the

Like the
stock market
in the past
when a deadly
outbreak
has hit, the
industry
will not only
survive, but
continue
to grow.
world like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)
and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the
past. And I am happy to share that the stock market did recover perfectly fine after those were eradicated. I say actively not panicking because he was
concerned and worried of course - who wants to
lose thousands and thousands of dollars - but he
didn't become so unhinged that he flew off the handle
and took all his funds out of the market due to wide
spread pandemonium.
At the time of print, there have been four cases of
coronavirus in Illinois, which is where I live, with a
possible fifth, if confirmed. With Illinois being one of

MARCH 2020

the 10 states with cases, I can't say I am not concerned. I
have avoided going anywhere with large crowds like the
mall. However, I have not flown off the handle and taken
my son out of daycare, locked my family in the house,
resorted to ordering groceries for delivery and avoided
living life. I have not let
panic take over.
Coronavirus has
no doubt affected
the travel industry.
Borders have been
closed, people have
cancelled vacations
and businesses have
postponed meetings
all in hopes to stop the
spread of the virus and
to protect themselves
from contracting it. It
would be silly to think
that the repercussions
of this disease will not
have a tole on airlines
and air travel. It is
completely natural for
aircraft maintenance
professionals to be concerned about their jobs. But don't
be. The industry is taking a hit, but we are not down
for the count.
Like the stock market in the past when a deadly outbreak has hit, the industry will not only survive, but
continue to grow. This is just a hiccup while the world
works to fix the situation at hand. So, while the medical
professionals and governments are doing their absolute
best to eradicate this outbreak across the globe, take
your mind off of the world's problems and turn to page
10 and read Ron Donner's Mapping Out Maintenance
story and read about what MROs around the world are
doing and how the industry is thriving.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

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