DTW AMTs Compete in Aerospace Maintenance Competition at MRO Americas

The following article was originally published by Delta Airlines, and reprinted with permission from Delta Corporate Communications.

AMTs Steve Wahlers and Matt Stotz conduct checks for the Aircraft Tire Inspection Event

Five Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) from Team DTW placed 36th out of 74 teams in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) on the heels of the 2022 MRO Americas conference in Dallas. After AMT Pete Adzema discovered the competition in the Aviation Weekly magazine, fellow AMTs John Fauth, Steve Wahlers, Matt Stotz and Wade Rogers had just 47 days to research the 27 different event categories, put together a competition strategy and practice their maintenance skills best suited to each AMT to compete.

“It was such a great time spending the week at the AMC competition and it was a really eye-opening experience for our DTW team,” said John Fauth, AMT 2, Line Maintenance, DTW. “Going toe to toe with all the teams from across the industry who put months and months of training in challenged us to be better than our best. Typically, this type of work is done mostly behind the scenes in our day-to-days, so it was unique to see all the people competing to put our craft onto the center stage and in the spotlight.”

Teams competed in event categories varying from Aircraft Damage Inspection to Engine Fan Blade Removal to Electrical Troubleshooting and Cable Rigging, along with much more, that each had 15-minute time limits to complete. Our team competed against teams made up of everyone from college students to Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) specialists to military members and general and commercial aviation professionals from across the globe.

“I was excited to see the initiative this group took to enter the competition,” said Mike McBride – VP, Operations, Delta TechOps Services Group (DTSG). “Historically TechOps hasn’t entered, but after seeing the energy this team brought, the leadership team and I are fully behind them and encourage others to get involved next year. It’s a fun time and a great opportunity to learn.”

AMTs Pete Adzema, Wade Rogers and John Fauth prepare for the Engine Fan Blade Removal and Installation Event

John, Steve, Matt, Pete and Wade look forward to sticking together to compete at next year’s conference at MRO Americas 2023 in mid-April in Atlanta.

Dave Thompson – VP, Engineering, Quality and Safety, AMTs John Fauth, Steve Wahlers, Matt Stotz, Wade Rogers, Pete Adzema and Don Mitacek – SVP, TechOps

“The competitive spirit displayed from our DTW AMTs during this competition was electric, and we will absolutely encourage more participation next year at the conference in Atlanta,” said Don Mitacek – SVP, Delta TechOps, and President, DTSG. “Each day, our team members play critical roles to maintain our status as the best operator in the aviation industry. So, watching our folks showcase that at a large platform like MRO Americas makes me super proud to be part of this award-winning team!”