Midcoast Aviation Wins PAMA's 2004 Maintenance Olympics

A team of three maintenance technicians, the "Arch Rivals," representing Midcoast Aviation won the PAMA Aviation Maintenance Olympics (PAMO) team competition at PAMA’s 33rd Annual Symposium, held during Aviation Industry Week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The high score of the "Arch Rivals" in the 7-event display of professional skills edged out the second-place finishers, Delta TechOps "Torque It." The team from General Dynamics Aviation Services placed third.

Midcoast Aviation "Arch Rivals" team members are: Barry Griffin, John Paterson, and Vinnie Venditto. The team captain is Bill Shelton.

In the third PAMO competition, 18 of the maintenance industry’s top technicians competed in two days of events. Events included Safety Wire, Hardware Identification, Hydraulic Line Fabrication, Electrical Connectors, Rigging, Aircraft Technical Publisher’s Data Research and FlightSafety International’s Troubleshooting.

Competing in PAMO 2004 were:

• Dassault Falcon Jet: "Dassault Aircraft Services"
• Association of Women in Aviation Maintenance: "The 'A' Team"
• Delta TechOps: "Torque It"
• Midcoast Aviation: " Arch Rivals"
• Bombardier Learjet: " Hot Wrenches"
• General Dynamics Aviation Services: "General Dynamics"

PAMA presents the Maintenance Olympics as a forum to demonstrate the high degree of technical skill and professionalism that maintenance technicians apply at work every day. In addition to the team competition, individual technician and student "TechnAthletes" compete for top honors and prizes in the Safety Wire, Data Research, and Troubleshooting events.

Vinnie Venditto, of Midcoast Aviation, received Troubleshooter of the Year honors. Thomas McGinnis, of Federal Mogul Corp., was named TechnAthlete of the Year.

Snap-on Tools is the primary sponsor of PAMO. Other sponsors include: Aircraft Technical Publishers, Big Planet, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon Jet, Delta TechOps, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, FlightSafety International, Bob Haines, Midcoast Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, and Standard Aero.

The next Maintenance Olympics will be held during PAMA’s 2005 Symposium, March 8-10 in Las Vegas.

FMI: www.pama.org