BY JOY FINNEGAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFE D I T O R ’ S N O T E B O O K4 Aviation Maintenance^ |^ avm-mag.com^ |^ June / July 2016New Adventures
S
ince 2004 I have been working at Aviation
Maintenance – first as managing editor and then,
starting in 2006, as editor-in-chief. I met a former
editor-in-chief of this publication, Matt Thurber at the
100th Anniversary of Flight celebrating the monumental
accomplishments of the Wright Brothers in Kitty Hawk,
North Carolina. He was without a managing editor at the
time and learned I was looking for work. He offered to have
me out for an interview and said he’d rather teach someone
who knew aviation to run a magazine than to try to teach a
journalist the intricacies of our unique and complex industry.
When he left for greener pastures, I became editor-in-chief
and have been ever since. I did take a brief hiatus to work
as editor-in-chief of another aviation publication, Rotor &
Wing. I had left that magazine due to a family relocation and
when the interim editor of this magazine also found another
position and left, I quickly returned to Aviation Maintenance –
that was five years ago.
For a total of ten years I have followed, written about,
rooted for and been amazed by the dedication and hard
work put in by each and every person in this industry. It has
been my honor and pleasure to head up this magazine and
cover the amazing things you do.
I have never been at a loss to find things to write about - quite
the contrary. I am constantly challenged to find room to include
all the news, features and information I would like to. From
continuous improvement to Lean to software to borescopes to
refurbs to high-velocity maintenance to innovation, there never
seems to be a lack of things to write about.
During the last ten years I have seen good times and
bad times in the aviation industry. The magazine itself
has had its ups and downs as well. I have also seenthe publication change ownership from a large media
company owner to its current owner, Adrian Broadbent, an
entrepreneur with a keen eye toward new opportunities.
But one thing has remained constant. Airplanes fly and
airplanes break. Helicopters fly and helicopters break. Drones
fly and drones break. Maintenance is needed on a regular
and continual basis. Without the people who dedicate their
lives to making certain maintenance plans are developed
and adhered to, procedures are followed and every detail
is remembered, the aviation industry would be grounded.
Never forget what a crucial and integral part of our industry
you are or how the contributions you make to our industry
enable it to be as safe, reliable and efficient as it is.
It is a privilege for pilots and passengers around the world
to fly on aircraft that are as well maintained as they are today.
According to A4A, the association representing U. S. airlines,
commercial aviation represents 5.1 percent of the U. S.
gross domestic product (GDP) and creates more than 11,
jobs. United Airlines boast more than 80,000 employees of
which more than 10,000 work in technical operations. Other
mainline airlines report similar numbers. Tens of thousands
more work in independent MROs throughout the world.
Now I am off to start a new adventure of my own and I will
miss my many friends in the maintenance industry and all the
readers of Aviation Maintenance. I wish you all the best as
you continue to do what you do best – solve the challenges
of keeping the aviation industry safe and reliable. All of this is
to say that ten years later, I am still in awe of what everyone
in this industry does. You keep us flying. Thank you for your
dedication and hard work.
And now, please meet the new editor-in-chief of Aviation
Maintenance, Andrew Drwiega.OUR EXPERIENCE DRIVES YOUR EXCELLENCE.
When what matters is finely tuned, everything works.
Iberia’s merger with British Airways has made us stronger. Our technicians
have more than 85 years of experience and are experts in their field. With
our extended product range and joint resources we can offer you the highquality service that you demand.
StRONgER tOgEthER.
Aviation Electronics Europe 24-27 April 2017 Munich, Germany http://www.ae-expo.euDear Readers,I
am delighted to be taking over
the editorship of such a strong
and vibrant magazine as Aviation
Maintenance. Joy Finnegan leaves
having set the bar very high and I
will have to work hard to match her
achievements over the last five years.
I have been a journalist and communicator for over 30
years, the last 15 of which have been spent addressing
a wide variety of issues in aviation and defense. Having
reported on the international aviation market for many
years, I am very familiar with many of the industry leading
corporations but also appreciate the vital role that thesupply chain holds, which frequently come under pressure
as the world economy ebbs and flows according to the
political and financial pressures put upon it (I write this on
the morning of Brexit)!
My belief in print magazines is a traditional one. While
social media and online cannot be matched for delivering
breaking news quickly, it also contains much comment by the
uninformed and those without responsibility. I firmly believe
that in-depth commentary and analysis are key attributes of
the specialist press.
Finally I would like once again to congratulate Joy
Finnegan on a job well done and look forward to editing
the next issue of Aviation Maintenance.
— Andrew Drwiega03_AVM_JunJul16_EdNote_Signoff.indd 4 6/27/16 5:11 PM