A Toolbox of Knowledge

Growing up in Pulaski, Lilly Dorn’s fascination with aviation was ignited by her uncle Mike.

Flying with him in his Cessna 177B Cardinal introduced Lilly to a world of possibilities and sparked her passion for aviation mechanics.

Kaiza Shepard of Appleton credits a family of pilots with stirring her interest in airplanes. Her grandfather and great-grandfather were both pilots in the U.S. Air Force, and as a young girl, Kaiza watched her grandfather build a Piper Cub two-seater airplane in his basement.

Bringing their deeply rooted fascination for aviation and mechanics to FVTC, Lilly and Kaiza are both second-year students in the Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanics program. The technical diploma prepares students for a Federal Aviation Administration certification so they can work as mechanics, inspecting and maintaining U.S.-registered civil aircraft.

“Tools are a huge part of being successful in this program,” explains instructor Josh Saylor. And he should know; Josh worked as an aircraft mechanic for many years before joining FVTC as an instructor. “Our primary focus is teaching students how to work on aircraft, but equally important is teaching them how to use the tools and have a clear understanding of how the industry expects mechanics to manage their tool inventory.”

Students are introduced to 100+ different tools as part of the program. They range from something as common as an adjustable wrench to something as precise as a micrometer. It is not unusual for a student’s toolbox to cost between $2,500-$5,000.

“It did surprise me how precise some of the tools that we work with have to be,” Kaiza offers. “We have tools that must be calibrated at least once a year; micrometers are so specific that if you drop one on the floor, you have to send it in for service to get it recalibrated. That can cost a lot of money.”   

Every tool has a specific application, so the mechanic needs a variety of tools to maintain aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration requires A&P mechanics to log all repair and aircraft maintenance, which can include the tools they use.

Learning proper tooling can be daunting, but Lilly credits the hands-on training in the maintenance hangar for making the learning curve easier.

“Coming into the program, I did not have a lot of knowledge of tools but in class, everything is hands-on, so the instructor tells you the name of the tool and repeats it as he’s teaching,” Lilly explains. “By working with the tools every day, you learn by doing it. When you work with the tools constantly, you start to understand their purpose; you get the feel for them and what they can do.”