Meet the team! Iwan IJsbrandij, Quality Assurance Engineer at Direct Maintenance, has been passionate about aviation since his childhood – and he’s more than happy now to be working in the industry and taking on the role which allows him to contribute to aviation safety.
Get to know him better as he shares a few insights about his experience with us – and his other passions besides aviation!
Why did you choose aviation as your career path? And how did you start working at Direct Maintenance?
Since my father also has a passion for aviation, I’ve been fascinated by aviation for as long as I can remember. I chose to go for a bachelor’s degree in aviation to turn my passion into a career, and thereafter I was soon invited to join Direct Maintenance in its Quality Assurance (QA) department.
What are your main responsibilities in your role? What do you like the most in your work?
As a Quality Assurance Engineer, my main responsibility is to enable the organisation to ensure that we can deliver a safe product and to remain in compliance with the requirements of continuing airworthiness regulations. Some tasks include being involved in audits, verifying procedures and staff records, and translating legislation into practical guidelines for all staff. Additionally, I’m always on standby to investigate occurrences and incidents. The QA team currently consists of my manager Robert whom I really enjoy working with and me. What I like the most in my work is the fact that it’s both aviation and law-related, conducting investigations, and being able to contribute to aviation safety.
What would you say are the biggest challenges in your work?
In general, the nature of quality management systems are highly structured, and due to constant changes to the organisation, regulations, and policies, it tends to result in bureaucracy sometimes. Dealing with bureaucracy can be challenging, especially when you need to justify it to others. However, it’s part of the job, and it also directly contributes to the excellent aviation safety results of the last 15 years.
Can you share your best memory from working in aviation / in Direct Maintenance?
During one of my station visits, ground engineers took me with him to attend an engine ground run. That was indeed a nice experience for me, which stayed in my memory!
Besides aviation, what are your other passions? What are your hobbies, special interests?
Besides aviation, another huge passion of mine is playing guitar and music. I’ve been playing the guitar since my early teens, and it sort of became my second nature. I also play in a rock band and compose my own music. Some of my other interests are reading, history, and spending time in nature.
What is your favourite destination to travel to?
My favourite destination is, without any doubt, Norway. I’m a big fan of Norway’s beautiful, impressive nature and its Viking history.
Do you have a favourite motto or quote that you apply in your life?
Quality Assurance involves many stakeholders, and they often seem to have competing interests. I learned you can’t always make decisions in everyone’s favour, so I like this quote from Aristotle: “A friend to all is a friend to none”.