PlaneSense, Inc. and Atlas Aircraft Center (AAC) are proud to be Military-friendly companies. Veterans from all branches of the Military work on our teams including maintenance technicians, pilots, leadership, and many other valued roles. Their experience and training are valuable assets to the work we do every day. Vincent Jobson, a Veteran on our Maintenance team, shares his experience and advice after working in aviation and AAC following his Military service…
Life in the military is almost always a matter of choice. We accept the disciplined rules and regulations in exchange for the privilege, prestige, and honor that come with wearing the uniform. We enter military life with hope and excitement, usually feeling like we are setting off on some grand exciting adventure that we know will test what we are made of. Our indoctrination strips away the last vestiges of our pre-service veneer and replaces it with a clean cut and discipled soldier capable of virtually anything.
As with all things, what has a beginning must also have an end. Whether by choice or by force, the sun inevitably sets on our days of glory, and the first day of our new life begins. For most, the clean-shaven face and high & tight hair are quickly replaced by a scraggly long mop and unkempt beard or permanent 5 o’clock shadow. Our appearance morphs from meticulous to relaxed, and our minds shift from mission readiness to the overdue self-indulgence of those pursuits which matter the most.
For the majority, this transition from military to civilian life is either quick, or it takes months and even years to adapt to. Despite our desires to embrace the free willing lifestyle that we have earned, an unmistakable and undeniable truth emerges. We never really leave the service. Try though we may, most veterans will admit to a sense of mission readiness that seems to nag at them, like a splinter they can neither see nor reach, a latent effect of our conditioning. It is often not long before we are staring at the souvenir uniform hanging in the closet, asking ourselves the same question. Now what?
Most service separations are not a shock. We are given time and often help in preparing for the transition. Unlike our service days, many will incur new expenses. Our pensions or separation money don’t cover everything and there is usually a large financial gap as a result. We know we must find a job, but most of us wonder what we should, or even can do. The military has been our lives up to this point, and typically there is little thought while we wear the uniform of what comes after.
Civil aviation offers a familiar working environment. One that is as disciplined and exacting as it is fun. Whether you are working the flight line marshaling in aircraft, part of a maintenance team ensuring the safety and reliability of the aircraft, or one of the hundreds of office staff or flight crew that manage and provide service to customers, life in aviation is seldom boring. The environment is dynamic, the opportunities vast, and the compensation and benefits typically associated with a career in aviation won’t make you a millionaire, but it will keep you comfortable.
Unlike most civilian jobs, life in aviation carries a feeling of teamwork, collaboration, and appreciation; provided that is you find the right company. The field is vast, with companies and locations in virtually every major and minor city within the United States. After twenty-five years in the industry, I have seen my share of large and small operations. I have visited, lived, and worked, and seen much of our country. During my time as a professional aviation maintenance technician, I have worked on virtually everything that flies, save for gliders. To say that I have been around the block a time or two would be an understatement. I have worked with the best and have seen the worst of what the industry has to offer. And while all experiences are different, mine have yielded a perspective I find valuable.
In my time I have worked for four airlines, three overhaul centers, two engine manufacturers, and a host of other providers. I have done everything from maintenance, to operations, to management and training. And in all that time, I rate just three operations as among the best in the industry. Two of the three have succumb to the ravages of corporate America and no longer exist. The last of the three is my current employer; PlaneSense.
Whether you are preparing for your separation or are staring at the uniform in the closet amid an existential conundrum, I offer a modicum of hope. Experience matters, as such, your military service has imbued you with several key traits that aviation employers find very valuable. With so many options in the industry to choose from, where do you even begin? It all comes down to choice. During the Covid pandemic, as airlines and other operators were scaling back, laying off or furloughing, or just cutting their losses by offering cushy early retirement packages, PlaneSense was growing.
Through the worst parts of the last five years, this company has not only continued to hire, but we have also grown and expanded. PlaneSense has evolved over the last 20 years from a general aviation flying club, to a powerhouse operation of over 75 Pilatus aircraft with an average age of just six or seven years, and now includes operations in the western states. That equates to a reasonable expectation of longevity. In the five years that I have been here, I have not seen a single layoff due to economic forces which in other operations typically would have cost me my livelihood. When other companies were handing out pink slips, PlaneSense was handing out paychecks.
Our two primary maintenance and operations facilities are in Portsmouth, NH, on the retired Pease AFB, and in Boulder City, NV, just outside of Las Vegas. The company has recently released improved medical and dental options and boasts one of the best salary ladders in corporate aviation, now starting at $32hr for new mechanics with their A&P licenses. Veterans make up a large percentage of our work force with every major branch represented in our ranks, and our working hours ensure that the possibility of a mid-shift is so remote, you’d have better odd of hitting the lottery than working overnight. As with all things, exceptions do exist, but they are rare. Out of the gate, the company offers two weeks of vacation per year, with one additional week awarded after every fifth year. Eight fixed and two optional holidays that can be floated in 60 days preceding or following the holiday and a guaranteed 40 hours of sick time per year.
After a quarter century in aviation, I can tell you that I have seen few companies that possess the personal and professional growth opportunities as what can be found here at PlaneSense. I have personally grown from mechanic to department Manager in the last five years. From high school graduate to college graduate, having worked for and received my BA degree, with honors no less, while still meeting the duties of my job, and being promoted while pursuing that degree. At every step, my endeavors were nurtured and supported by our leadership team and support staff. This is a family environment in which talent is recognized and rewarded. A place where the individual, as much as professional acumen, is sought and cultivated.
If I were the only example of this type of support, I might omit my collegiate accomplishments, but I know of at least four other associates that are either in the throes of their degree or have completed it while working here. And this doesn’t even begin to account for the number of new mechanics that have obtained their A&P while working here. Mechanics, veterans like you that have their paperwork signed off on by the FAA and have found gainful employment at PlaneSense as mechanics in training, while they prepare for their exams.
When considering your options, you always have a choice. Do you take the quick gamble; or do you plant roots that grow and flourish over a long and satisfying career? Do you take up employment as a cog in the gears of another giant corporation; or do you find a place among a team of like-minded professionals as a valued individual? Do you risk your future by keeping your nose to the grindstone; or do you take charge of your own destiny in a place where the person is as valuable as the contributions that they bring to the table? As you stare at the uniform in the closet, remember that this decision isn’t common sense. It’s just PlaneSense.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career path in aviation, then check out the careers section of our website to learn more about what PlaneSense has to offer.
