When Mike Scimio saw an opportunity to give back to his Alma Mater, he took it. Now, the aircraft maintenance students at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) have the opportunity to study a Rolls Royce engine donated by Mike and Envoy.

“It is the type of engine (from an Embraer 145) that you will find out in the industry today, it’s on a lot of the regional aircraft they will encounter,” said Mike, Envoy Managing Director of Line Maintenance – Central Region.  “It’s a plus for students to be able to learn on this type of equipment, especially if they want to be at a regional airline.”

For Mike (pictured above), aviation piqued his interest when he was a young kid growing up in rural western Pennsylvania. He remembers watching parachuters jumping from planes flying out of a dirt runway near his home.

“I’d go over on weekends and watch them work on the planes,” said Mike. “It always fascinated me how an aircraft can fly.”

It starts with a dream…

That’s when Mike began to dream of becoming an aircraft mechanic. After 18 months of training for his Aircraft & Powerplant (A&P) license at PIA, he took up a job at a regional carrier based out of Cape Cod, Mass.

Now, Mike has been with Envoy for 20 years in various positions including base manager, line maintenance manager, and, today, as a managing director of the Central region. That’s one reason why Mike thinks Envoy is a great choice for young mechanics to advance their careers – growth.

“Envoy continues to grow and modernize while obtaining state-of-the-art aircraft,” Mike said. “New mechanics at Envoy will quickly get plenty of hands-on experience in every area of the aircraft from installing a seat to replacing an engine.”

As a brand-new Envoy Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT), there are several pathways and positions to advance your career. From technical publications to maintenance operations control to front line management, there’s many ways to use your maintenance expertise.

A little advice

Mike said that while all of this is achievable, it begins with focusing on an A&P license and joining Envoy.

“Then work on having good attendance; it’s important to be reliable and available when you’re needed,” Mike said. “As you work, get experience in every maintenance job possible and work on different areas of the aircraft. Most importantly, stay positive and show interest always!”

Even though Mike said that his dream is fulfilled, he wants to hand down his experience in any way he can so that future aircraft mechanics can achieve their dreams too.

Interested in learning more or want to apply? Click here to view our Aircraft Maintenance page.

(Images courtesy of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics Campus Buzz newsletter.)