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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK 52 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY in Aircraft Maintenance, presented by Snap-on. The team with the overall best score earns this prestigious award, which signi- fies the highest standard of excellence in aviation maintenance. The O'Brien Award is a traveling trophy that debuted at the 2013 competition. Alaska Airlines Team Seattle bested 50 other teams last year to capture the 5-foot-tall trophy, and has had the honor of displaying it in their facility in Seattle for the past year. Previous winners include FedEx Indianapolis in 2015, Boeing Seattle in 2014 and FedEx LAX in 2013. As the official tool sponsor for the AMC, Snap-on donates more than $75,000 in tools and equipment as prizes to the top finishers in the competition. Additionally, one professional and one student are recognized for their professionalism, enthusiasm, and camaraderie — elements that define the AMC, and are named recipients of the Charles E. Taylor Professional AMT Award. Dallas McLeod of the U.S. Army's Team Apache and Gina Gottfredson-Kelly from Salt Lake Community College were recipients of the Taylor AMT Award last year. HONORING THE PAST — AND THE FUTURE The awards are named in honor of two pioneers of modern aircraft maintenance: William F. "Bill" O'Brien and Charles E. Taylor. Bill O'Brien was a pilot, flight instructor, and certified aircraft mechanic who worked for the FAA for more than two decades, making significant contributions to aviation education throughout his career. Taylor earned his place in aviation as the mechanic and engineer for the Wright Brothers, designing and building the 12-horsepower aluminum engine that powered the first manned flight. But it's not all about history. The future of the aerospace maintenance industry is in the spotlight at the AMC, and it looks good. In 2009, the first year of the competition, just nine teams competed; in 2016, 51 teams competed, almost half of which were student teams. "It just shows that in the pipeline we have a new generation of skilled technicians ready to make their mark," MacTiernan says. "And as those who are already estab- lished get ready to retire, knowing we have a trained, motivated force coming up is a comforting thought." COMPETITION IN NAME ONLY MacTiernan likes to stress that the AMC is a chance for all AMTs, not just students, to keep learning and improving. "We don't just learn and stop. What I don't know, someone else will know. And they teach me, and I pass it along. It's how we become stronger," he says. The importance of teamwork, for both the professionals and students, is a major theme annually for those attending. "The AMC is a way to learn how to work better as a team … to really grow in the industry," says Maida Ortiz, a team member from Redstone College in Colorado. She says what she took away from last year's AMC is a sense of camaraderie among the aerospace maintenance "family." Gary Driscoll, one of Salt Lake Community College's team leaders at the 2015 competition, agrees. "In this industry, you can't do things on your own, you have to function as a team," he says. "We learned how to work under pressure, with distractions, and we got to compete with some of the best in the industry, amazing teams that we got to go head-to-head with." The Aerospace Maintenance Competition presented by Snap-on is held during the MRO Americas conference, April 25-27, in Orlando, FL. For more information on the event, to enter a team, or become a sponsor, contact AMC Chairman Ken MacTiernan at jetdoctor69@gmail.com or visit aerospacemaintenancecompetition.com .