aircraft mechanic

program leader

avionics technician

quality control inspector

program technician

Ascent Aviation Services

Oh, man, where do I start with this place?

ORIENTATION/TRAINING
Orientation was good; very thorough, and it lasted all week. I was initially hired on as a lead, so I had to do extra training before I hit the floor; basically additional leadership-focused CBTs like conflict management, etc., and I was told to report Monday morning at six. I had a full weekend to relax, familiarize myself with the Marana/Tucson area (which I absolutely LOVED), and reflect on what I would later discover to be probably the biggest career mistake of my life.

WORK
Monday morning, I get there a little early, around 5:30-ish. Nobody shows until SEVEN. This isn't surprising, it's typical for office types to start the day at seven. However, I'm told my boss is out of town, and won't be back until the following Monday. Another two hours roll around before I'm finally shuffled to one of the storage crews, and sent out to go change a nose wheel with a couple of guys out in the desert. The rest of the week was spent in the desert watching people work for eight hours.

Seriously.

Every day there is a donkey show. You show up, and nobody has any idea what you're supposed to be doing. If you're the praying type, you had better pray that the JLG and scissor lifts, the grease guns, and other much-needed equipment/supplies are still there where you left them the day before, and you had better throw in a couple of hail Marys that you can find a JLG or scissor lift that actually works if the one you had yesterday is gone.

And it WILL be gone.

No lie, there was a broken scissor lift that simply sat out in the desert for about two weeks before the GSE mechanics actually got out there to look at it, and another DAY before it was actually fixed.

SAFETY
Safety is practically non-existent out there. We were in the desert by 5:30 AM AT THE LATEST, and it didn't matter if it was pitch black out there, and you couldn't see where you were driving that lift. On uneven terrain. In the dark. Because "that's what headlamps are for".

True story: my crew and I had just helped tow a plane which was going for a high power run as we went to lunch. I'm halfway through the parking lot, when they shut the plane down. Not good. I just turn around, and start walking back to the plane.
As usual (which is a good thing), the whole crew gets a message via text.

Boss: "Come on back, we gotta open up the fan cowls."

Me: "I'm on my way."

I get to the plane, and we start opening up the cowls, and the TRs. What do we find? Parts bags still attached to various lines and fittings, and parts tags still attached. We spent the rest of the day fixing a problem caused by the engine crew. You read that right: the crew who's sole purpose is to perform maintenance on jet engines managed to epically fail at their ONLY JOB.

PARTS AVAILABILITY
Good luck with that. You're removing/reinstalling a few wing-to-body fairings, but mostly panels from wings, elevators, and vertical stabilizers from airplanes that were not only built in the mid-late 1980s at the oldest, and early-mid 2000s at the youngest, but have been sitting in the desert for about a year or more. You're gonna have to drill a few screws out. Especially if they've been removed/reinstalled in the past eighty-four days (they have), in which case, they were likely over-torqued in the best case scenario, and stripped out in the worst case scenario.

And nobody that can order new hardware acts like they want to. Dude, I'LL order them. We're told things like "just use what you got." Sorry, no. You want it done? Get us what we need, and it WILL get done. 

CULTURE
Toxic. Rampant drug use went on for who knows how long before it was thankfully, and quickly, nipped in the bud. A lot of easily preventable, wholly unnecessary high school drama from grown men and women going on behind the scenes, as well. When I realized an attempt was being made to rope me in on said drama in a sort of roundabout way, I explained in my own fashion that I didn't want to be involved, and that I would be absolutely no help in any way, shape or form to anyone, regardless of where they stood in this entire debacle which had devolved into a "friend or foe" sort of thing.

I loved the people I worked with. I still do. But we're supposed to be professionals, and this is NOT how professionals act in the workplace. At all. Ever.

Uncertainty regarding workload is a major issue here, exacerbated by poor management, particularly the haphazard project management. Some weeks may see only four days of work due to low demand, while others may require grueling 12-hour shifts, six days a week. Theft is rampant, so it's crucial to keep your tools securely locked up. Equipment shortages are chronic, as is the lack of specialized tools. Broken equipment often outnumbers functional ones, and communication is sorely lacking. They may attempt to isolate you from the team, and raises are typically reserved for those in the inner circle or high-ranking office positions. However, one silver lining is the camaraderie among coworkers; they can offer valuable assistance with challenging tasks if you have a supportive lead.

Pay is mediocre but it doesn't take much effort to stand out. Most people who stand out are promoted or compensated fairly for their efforts. To succeed, you need to be thick-skinned, flexible, a self-starter, and be able to work without a lot of managerial support. If you don't ask, they'll just assume you know. 
This place is not for the lazy or faint of heart. You will work long hard hours. You will not be coddled. You will not be spoon-fed.
Also, if you are a hard worker, they will use and abuse you. They'll pay you accordingly...but you will get used up. You will be tired and you will be stressed. I enjoyed my time there. I met some great people and I learned a lot. If I find my way back, I will not be disappointed. 

The people doing the hiring are not informed on what to look for or are not looking for it.

98 % of my experience is Military Aircraft. That does not translate into literacy of Commercial Manuels. It only gives you insight into what you need to look for.

My mechanical skills could be perfect, if you don't know the manuels, you are fired.

Even as you are fired, they don't advise the person doing the firing what the reason is.

The work is challenging, but if you are dedicated and a team player you can be very successful here. My coworkers are some of the most devoted people I've ever worked with. Management is working to make improvements where needed and listens when staff speaks up. The culture is a "get it done" attitude. It doesn't matter if it's my within my job description, if someone requires support I am there to assist however I can. The benefits are good. PTO is graduated with 1 week the first year, 2 weeks the second year and it increases from there. There are seven paid holidays a year. The wait for Health insurance benefits is only 30 days. 

I always enjoyed my day to day work environment and my fellow co-workers. I enjoyed my team of technicians I was in charge of, my immediate supervisors, and costumer representatives. Upper management made things very difficult for us running a project at times. Over all, I loved my job and looked forward to going to work everyday. Sometimes we were held to unreasonable expectations.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Senior Upper Management allows individuals that have experience & proven abilities to handle situations on their own.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Making sure that emergency response to critical events are achieved.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Flexible and cohesive.  Diverse individuals from all over the world to interact with.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Challenging, demanding and rewarding.

This Company is very toxic to work for. there is too much back stabbing and finger pointing. If feels like a jail to come to work knowing if the man is going to complain about you or your work. No room for advancement. Management is oblivious to their jobs and insensitive to employees needs. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place at all costs. there are better places   to work in aviation other than this place. Dont subject yourself to this place. 

This company violates so many FAA/ OSHA and labor rules and regulations it isnt funny. Stay clear as far as you can if you value your own safety. 

Not a place you want to stay. if you're fine with not moving up and never getting a raise this is the place for you. My supervisor could not be bothered by questions, nor would she follow up those questions face to face. They would email me what had to get done with my real direction and most of the time the emails never made sense or they lacked instruction. Always changed my schedule never asked me if it was something I could work. Place has decent benefits and the pay is good but it's not worth slaving away for. Would rather be paid less and be happy than more and not be happy. 

If you worked at this places and hated it its probably because you worked at the hanger. The hanger where all the A checks and heavy checks are accomplished and its just another run of the mill toxic, rushed, underbided  now all the cards are out of time and management is angry with everyone aviation job. I've had some of my best work memories at the other departments though. Not saying it was all fun and easy going by any means, its an aviation job after all. But what I am saying is that there is an incredible difference on how workers are treated and the overall happiness.   

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Aircraft mechanic 1 salary reported	$30.50 per hour
Program leader 4 salaries reported	$33.00 per hour
Avionics technician 2 salaries reported	$30.50 per hour
Quality control inspector 1 salary reported	$31.00 per hour
Program technician 1 salary reported	$30.50 per hour

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