The categories included better workspace, fewer overtime hours, and more personnel. One respondent wants a workstand so he can stop standing on the top of his van. Another respondent spoke of an ominous reason why he wants shelter from the elements. Right now, we have to change windshields in the rain, sometimes impairing the digital equipment in the cockpit. Wrapping up this year's salary survey, it's clear that aviation maintenance professionals face many challenges.
Some mechanics wish they had never chosen aviation as a career.
I'll work on aircraft until I retire. But wages in this job are terminal and I steer all kids away from the profession. And I love airplanes. On the other hand, our salary survey shows that 74 percent of our respondents rate their working environment at six or above on a scale of one to 10. Respondents in these categories rated their job environment the highest and believed they were being paid fairly for their work.