I was four years old, in 1953, when I saw the first airplane I remember.
It was a Piedmont Airlines DC-3. They flew low enough
then that you could read the name and numbers painted on them.
From that day on I've loved and believed in airplanes, the aviation
industry, and the good aviation does for the world. Because
I believe in it, it's natural to support it. More importantly,
I want to support the people who, like me, work in the industry
and make aviation happen.
The special thing that makes us most proud to be part of aviation
is the industry's high level of integrity. Airplanes are brutally
honest. They'll do what they'll do if you follow the rules,
and they'll kill you if you don't . Aircraft maintenance people,
probably more than anyone else, know this and believe it. The concept
is their mantra. As consequence, almost everybody who
remains in maintenance long becomes as honest as the airplanes they
work on. The industry doesn't tolerate anything else.
Good maintenance people are part of the solution to the problem
of keeping our industry alive. Their efforts are tireless
and dedicated. Their willingness to share information when
a question of safety is at hand often regulates monetary interests
to the background. Above all, they are a pleasure to work
with, and for. Each of us who works at Aero owes their living
and success to the aircraft maintenance technicians around the world
who use and support our products.
We never forget that.
The FAA also owes their existance
to the industry. Unfortunately they are currently
in an attack dog mode. They are indiscriminately destroying,
or trying to destroy, mechanics' and pilots' livelihoods and reputations
(a la BOB HOOVER) and, likewise, the reputations and businesses
of repair stations and manufacturers, often for the most frivilous
of reasons. Every time this happens, everyone in the industry
suffers. Every time it happens, it is the ultimate insult
to the most professional of hard-working and honest people;
people with the highest ethics of any group around.
I urge every mechanic, repair station, and pilot or operator to
join the Aeronautical
Repair Station Association today. The Aeronautical Repair
Station Association is not affiliated with Aero Acccessories, Inc.,
however, we recognize its great value and strongly support it.
This organization fights to protect mechanics' rights. It
educates us so we can better protect ourselves. While pilots
might not think joining germane, they need to re-think the proposition.
Maintenance people, not airplanes, make flying possible.
Without the pilot's support for maintenance, and without maintenance's
support for pilots, pilots become motorists...
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association can be reached at (703)
739-9543. Fax: (703) 739-9488. Or, visit their website
at http://www.arsa.org.
Thank you on behalf of all of us at Aero Accessories, Inc., for
your support.
About
Aero | History | Mission
| President's Message
|
"The special thing that makes us most
proud to be part of aviation is the industry's high level of integrity."
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