Trevor Pischke’s Career as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
Babcock is proud to continue to celebrate National Engineering Month for the month of March and spotlight some of our highly skilled engineers.
We spoke to Trevor Pishcke, one of Babcock’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME), who provides maintenance repairs for the water bombers and bird-dog aircraft that we operate in the province of Manitoba, to discuss his career in engineering and what being an AME means to him.
Q: Can you please describe your role within Babcock?
TP: I am an Aircraft maintenance engineer working on the water bombers and bird-dogs. I am also a member of the joint health and safety committee, as well as a forklift and aerial lift trainer.
Q: What is your academic and professional background?
TP: I finished my education to become an AME in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and began my first aviation job working at Bristol Aerospace on their Canadair CF-5 aircraft. I have moved throughout a couple different aviation companies in Manitoba and Ontario in the early years of my career, which brought me to working with the Manitoba Government Air Services Branch. I stayed there for 21 years working on the Cessna 310 bird-dog aircraft, the CL-215 and CL-415 water bombers, as well as the citation 650 air ambulance jet.
Q: What drew you towards Aircraft Maintenance Engineering?
TP: Growing up, I always really enjoyed airplanes and becoming an AME, seemed like a perfect fit.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
TP: Feeling proud and accomplished when an aircraft has had maintenance completed and watching it take off again after.
Q: What is something you think people don’t know about being in the AME field?
TP: I don’t think people realize the amount of time it takes from your home life. The potential to work on the road and be away from home for weeks at a time, working nights or over-nights, and even being on-call for emergencies. This trade is a very dedicated lifestyle and you have to have the passion for it.
Q: What is your biggest piece of advice for someone interested in pursuing a career as an AME?
TP: I’d like to let people know that it is quite physically demanding, working in small and awkward places while inspecting aircraft, to having to lift and move heavy equipment, and working in the different weather conditions from -40oC to +32oC, always be prepared!
To learn more about how Babcock is providing aerial wildfire suppression services to the Province of Manitoba, please visit: Providing aerial wildfire suppression services to the Province of Manitoba Case Study
