Meet the team! For Rob Kempen, over two years he spent at Direct Maintenance has passed in the speed of light as every day is full of new challenges. And that’s just the start – in Rob’s opinion, there’s always a lot to learn in aviation.
Get to know Rob better and check out some of his insights about his experiences working here at Direct Maintenance.
Can you describe your work?
I would use the word “Dynamic” for sure! As an aircraft mechanic working at a Line Maintenance organisation you never know what to expect: first, the aircraft is coming in and looks perfectly fine and at the other moment there can appear a “status-message” and the pressure is on!
How has the COVID-19 pandamic changed your job?
The pandemic had a big influence on my daily activities as a lot of customers downgraded their flight schedule. In the first months, we had only a couple of cargo flights. However, this period gave me and my colleagues the opportunity to go on a course to improve our skills, so I and my colleague Eric finished our Part 66 B1.1 course and in the meantime, some other guys finished there A320 type training. I think it was the best approach at that time – and I appreciate that here we get a lot of opportunities for further professional development.
For you personally, which recent work experience has been the most exciting or the most challenging and why?
In these a little over 2 years that I’m working here, I already did some very nice jobs! As an example, we changed a radome on a B787 Dreamliner and had to use a massive crane and replaced the one that was damaged because of a hailstorm. When you are doing jobs like this you have to be focused and communicate very well with your colleagues to get the job done!
What are the main qualifications needed in your line of work? What are the main tasks / responsibilities in your position?
Communication is key in this kind of work! Working in and around an aircraft is something you do with a lot of people. On and offloading from cargo, catering and refuelling is happening all at the same time. You must realize that every decision you make can affect their safety or working process. Before you decide to put the flaps down you have to make sure there is no high-loader next to your wing.
What do you like most about working in aviation – and at the Direct Maintenance?
Working in aviation and especially in aircraft maintenance is something to be proud of. The feeling that you and your co-workers make sure that an aircraft can depart safely back home makes me happy, day in day out! And working here is something I enjoy every day. Our group of technicians is like a real brotherhood. Everybody is helping each other to improve – I’m still learning every day from our experienced engineers!