The biggest challenge as an Aircraft Maintenance Trainer is the access to updated literature.
Sarsan Aviation Academy (SAA) is a recently launched venture of the Sarsan Group of Industries which has been in the UAE for over two decades. SAA was established in 2021 with the aim of providing quality accessible education in the field of aviation for everyone. It is based in the heart of Dubai, only a stone’s through away from the iconic Dubai International Airport (DXB). SAA strives toward helping students from all over the world envision their dream into a reality as well as contributing to fulfilling the shortage of qualified aircraft maintenance engineering personnel in the gulf region. In an attempt to get to the roots of AME training basics, their challenges, and the quality of training, we got to speak with Ayesh Shanah, the Managing Director of Sarsan Aviation Academy, Dubai. Below are some of the excerpts from the Exclusive Interview.
Q – What are the current challenges in the job as an Aircraft Maintenance Trainer?
Ans – The biggest challenge as an Aircraft Maintenance Trainer is the access to updated literature. Over time aircraft have evolved with the advancement of technology, unfortunately, the literature found nowadays does not reflect the continuous updates of the aircraft. Another challenge is meeting the requirements for on job training.
Q – What was your inspiration behind choosing this slightly off-track field of training/honing young minds and moulding them towards aircraft maintenance? Was this decision taken by choice or by chance?
Ans – I have always had an inclination to teach after I finished my Bachelor’s. Having worked in the field for over 10 years I learned a lot and was given the opportunity to work on various aircraft. During my time there I met many young minds and freshers like myself that lacked guidance and proper training. Therefore, I made the decision to go into training to try and help develop the new aircraft technicians and prepare them for real life.
Q – What are your views on the current global crisis of Shortage of skilled AMEs?
Ans – The shortage can be easily tackled by providing the right salary package and incentives to attract more workforce. There are many AME students out there who have some amount of experience but aren’t able to get a job through which they can sustain themselves. Aircraft Maintenance is a labour-intensive job, it can’t be performed by Robots nor they can assist the team in the actual removal/ installation of components. Yes, maybe AI can help them troubleshoot but we are far from that. Nowadays students choose a field of study knowing the working environment and salary. AME’s are to work in all kinds of environments be it heavy rain, cold, or the hot weather of the afternoon. The schools in South East Asia are churning out AME but as the student enters the field, they get discouraged from pursuing it further due to the salary package and little to no incentives. The schools too sometimes do not train their students well and the hand skill training would now become the job of the OJT provider which shouldn’t be the case. The company is then discouraged to take on any students due to these incidents which harm other students to come.
Q – Are the training schools today adequately equipped to provide on-job training to students?
Ans – Some schools are, some of course aren’t. Many airlines have opened their own AME school and hence the students can benefit by getting a chance to work in the Airline at the start of their career but at the same time, these schools charge a lot and would provide the same education as others albeit the difference being that the student gets to work in an airline. Schools nowadays only look at getting a student and not worrying about how to make the student employable. Schools need to pick such OJT partners which are in need of manpower to meet their growing business so that the students after having worked there for a year can be absorbed by the company. Sarsan Aviation currently has partnered up with multiple airlines in order to meet this requirement and we are constantly growing our network to give a proper chance to every learner that graduates from our organization.
Q – What is one unique or different facility that your training school provides apart from the competitor schools?
Ans – Our facility is fully equipped with state-of-the-art tools and equipment. We were also able to acquire a Soloviev D-30 turbine engine in its totality. The engine was serviceable and was to be transported to Russia, but due to the war at the moment they weren’t able to. The engine has its thrust reversers intact along with many other LRU’s which would enable our students to get a much better understanding of the various components of a Turbine engine. We have also acquired a Piper Archer II aircraft which had suffered a minor crash and was written off. The aircraft has a working original piston engine which would enable our students to explore and learn about the Piston engine. The cockpit of the aircraft is intact with all the various instruments used enabling our students to get a better understanding of it. We at Sarsan believe in providing the highest quality of teaching not only from a theoretical point but also from a practical point. We believe in guiding the student from the moment they enter to the day they are employed.
Q – How according to you can we mend the situation of an impending global crisis of skilled labor shortage in coming years?
Ans – The industry needs to reach out to more and more students at the school level and introduce them to the field of AME. Most of the students I have counseled didn’t know about AME 6 months before they joined the course. Engineering was and still is a prestigious job, but the harsh environment is what sets people off and by people, I mean parents. They then discourage their child from pursuing a career in AME for which I do not blame them but this is a cycle I have seen. Enlightening students from a young age and explaining to them the possibilities of having a career as an AME rather would be the most suitable approach. This would give them the opportunity to choose what suits them best.
Q – What advice would you give to the young students trying to pursue a career in AME.
Ans – Patience is key! I can’t emphasize enough. Aviation takes time and it should. A person needs to understand the aircraft in and out and then can be given the charge of it and to do so takes time. I would also advise the students to understand and acknowledge what they want from their life. Do they want to work with giant metal birds of the sky or behind a desk? A clear motive would then enable them to pursue what they have set out for and achieve their goals.
