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28 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY T ravis Petet's motivation behind entering the aviation industry can be traced back to his childhood and spending summers with his uncle who passed that love of aviation to Petet as well as taking him to airshows throughout his childhood. "Honestly, after the first airshow I think I was hooked." Petet obtained his A&P; through Idaho State University of Applied Technology and also his AAS in aircraft maintenance. He obtained his IA in 2013. He has received advanced training from FlightSafety International and Global Jet Services. He worked at Mesa Airlines and Air Midwest in various levels of management. Currently his responsibilities include the management of four large cabin business jets (three GIV's and one Challenger 601) for two separate companies. He has had multiple mentors over the years. Two of the most influential were Bob Percy and Joe Resnik. Percy was a manu- facturer representative assigned to the Mesa Airlines. "I spent countless hours with Bob learning both the technical aspects of the aircraft as well as the technical aspects of management. He was gracious enough to take the time to help guide me through the trials and tribulations of being both a young and first time manager trying to run a maintenance operation where almost all the staff was older and more experienced than I. Joe held the positions of director of maintenance and director of engineering at Mesa Airlines and was my direct supervi- sor. He had the faith and confidence in my abilities to allow me to exercise and develop both my technical and management skills." Petet views his primary purpose is to train the next generation, and passes on his knowledge to his staff as well as to the future generation. He is involved in Cub Scouts where he can pass on the aviation bug. He tries to be as active in the industry through technical advisory groups as his schedule permits. He is also attending Embry-Riddle to obtain his BAS in aircraft maintenance management with a specialization in safety. Becoming a director of maintenance for a corporate flight department is his career goal. "Ultimately I would like the oppor- tunity to manage a flight department in its entirety instead of just limiting myself to the maintenance side of the house. At the same time I have toyed with the idea of jumping into the MRO world as a director of maintenance or general manager. My focus is on finishing my degree and continuous improvement of myself and our department. My personality is one of those that is always searching for the next challenge, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone." TRAVIS PETET Director of Maintenance, 39, Leonard Green & Partners, Van Nuys, CA S eth Weide has always been fascinated by airplanes, so what started out as a hobby ended up turning into a lifelong learning experience. Weide started working on a variety of small airplanes in a small FBO in Chandler, AZ, after he graduated with an associ- ate's degree in applied science in aviation maintenance technol- ogy and an A&P; license from Cochise College in Southeastern Arizona. From there he worked for Aircraft Technical Services in Everett, WA, working heavy structural modifications on 737- 300's. He recently started his own business working on Rotax engines and light sport aircraft out of Bulverde, TX. And he also freelances as an IA A&P; on general aviation aircraft, all of this, while instructing aviation maintenance technology classes full time and leading a team of very talented instructors for Hallmark University's evening aviation maintenance technology program. Advanced training includes composite repair phases I, II, and III from Abaris; advanced structural mechanic certification train- ing from ATS; and heavy maintenance rating for Rotex 900 series aircraft engines through Leading Edge Airfoils. He was nominated by Cecilio Rodriguez, director, Hallmark University College of Aeronautics: "Seth's dedication to serving this campus of over 75 evening students, has been expertly man- aged verified by a 67 percent graduation rate for his program compared to less than 13 percent for local community colleges. He lead a team of six instructors during the re-write of 102 new more complex practical projects for the students, increasing their hands-on skills. Seth's effort has developed professional aircraft maintenance technicians ready to meet the increasing skills gap needs. Mr. Weide has helped make an impact on the overall aviation field having been responsible for placing highly qualified A&P; certified technicians at companies such as Lockheed Martin, Textron, Endeavour Air, Sky West, PSA Airlines, and Space-X." "I give back to the industry by preparing young men and women to enter the workforce as A&P; mechanics," Weide says. "As many of us know, having an A&P; mechanics license is simply having a license to learn. I try to emphasize that having integrity is critical in every task that we perform in the field of aviation maintenance, being a good leader is important, but also being able to be lead is important. Being able to adapt and overcome challenges and communicate effectively are key to success. It is important to be dependable, showing up on time and giving it your best effort every day will take you far. I attempt to exemplify these traits and hope that the students take it to heart." SETH WEIDE Lead Aviation Maintenance Instructor, 37, Hallmark University, San Antonio, TX