Meet the team! Sven Schmitz is a ground engineer in Düsseldorf – and he has been part of our global team since summer 2019. During this year working at Direct Maintenance, he already had the experience to fulfil his childhood dream and work on A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft.
Read the interview with Sven and get to know him better!
How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your job? What is now different than before the pandemic?
Our job changed fast and I never expected such a change. At the beginning of the outbreak, I was in Dubai for an A380 level 3 type course. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it and have missed the practical part. In the last week, my colleagues and I sat on packed suitcases in order to be able to react to any changes: we rebooked our flights at short notice and I came to Düsseldorf on one of the last flights from Dubai.
During the peak of the lockdowns, there was also little work as customers at Düsseldorf no longer were flying, with the exception of a few cases (freighters). And then since mid-July, I’ve been back half a day for two to three days. The work has changed since then: masking is mandatory at the airport and on the planes. We also pay more attention to hygiene and cleanliness in our office and on the planes more than normal. I also haven’t seen many of my colleagues yet, but I also stay optimistic and believe we’ll all come out of it stronger than ever!
For you personally, which recent work experience has been the most exciting or the most challenging and why?
There have already been some exciting and challenging work experience. We had an A380 AOG with an engine problem, a B787 with a lightning strike… All of this work is extremely interesting and challenging as these are planes that you don’t see every day and, above all, don’t work on them.
However, the bird strike on a B787 has been the most exciting for me lately. We only had a turnaround time of about 1:30 hour. Thanks to excellent teamwork, we even managed to push the plane safely out 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
What are the main qualifications needed in your line of work? What are the main tasks and responsibilities in your position?
In general, I think that a quick mind, manual skills, and of course a good understanding of the maths! In addition, teamwork, flexibility and the ability to make decisions are much needed in our line of work!
As I am currently working as a ground engineer in Düsseldorf, my main job is the maintenance and repair of aircraft. As B1.1, aviation security is in my hands as I am the person authorized to release the aircraft. It is a very interesting job and I am lucky to be doing it!
What do you like most about working in aviation / for Direct Maintenance?
Working in aviation is no ordinary job, it’s something special for me. Every day is different and it never gets boring. The challenge is to make the best every day by always continuing education and not standing on the spot – and I am up for this challenge!
The special thing about Direct Maintenance for me is the team and solidarity. You are not a number, you know each other; you have insights into departments and jobs that you don’t have in every company.
How do you evaluate your experience working at Direct Maintenance? What are your best memories from your time working here?
I felt very comfortable from the start. I was accepted directly into the team and was able to get involved. I learned a lot and also got the opportunity to continue my education. The best memory was when we took over a customer with an A380. For me, it was a childhood dream to work on the world’s largest passenger aircraft and this dream has now come true!