pilot

aircraft maintenance technician

Western Aircraft

After being in aviation for over 25 years and as a DOM for a few shops with 40 or more people, This place has to be the most Top Heavy Management place I've ever seen. I would say the ratio of Production Employees (mechanics that turn wrenches) to Management is 1 to 1.25 mechanics. Yea that's a Wacked Ratio, this place is Top Heavy with mangers indeed, but not only that they also have more non-productive staff there that is i guess required to run the place. Their main concern is the Share Holders. Every month they would emphasize this with Company Wide meetings for a few hours in the middle of the week once a month. Got to Make Those Numbers...... Well if they paid their mechanics more, and got rid of the Fat, that place would make more profit than it does now, hand over fist and the Mechanics would be much Happier.... Too bad the Managers stay in their offices and come out only when they feel like micro-managing. Also seems like all the mechanics are scared while they work there, scared like they will lose their jobs or something. All i know is one of the guys there damaged a flight control which required complete Replacement, and they kept the guy on, but some guy fell off a ladder and got hurt, so they canned him for getting hurt.The Mechanics there are great people, they are just surrounded by very poor management, and poor decision making by the management from my experience there. And i would say that all of their Mechanics are Way Under Paid, even this being Idaho and all. 
The work I did there was very easy, In a way i was way Under utilized with the amount of skills that i have obtained over the years.
Could the place be a fun place to work, Sure, if you take the Suck and Drab out of there and let the Mechanics have fun plus increase their pay. Most time the shop is way too Quite, and lots of guys have ear buds in while they work and everyone tends to their little clicks during breaks.Since i was a Contract Mechanic, i was making more than the typical hourly mechanic. But i wouldn't hold my breath for much pay here, even with tons of experience.

This might be an ok place for someone just starting out ie. an intern. There is some training for interns. If you have an A&P, the expectation is that you should know everything or “just figure it out” in the allotted time on the task. 
There is so much work and even fewer technicians, that OVERTIME is mandatory more often than not. This fantasy of a M-F, 8-hour shift is a rarity and that was one of their biggest selling points. Work-life balance, good luck with that! The pressure to “get tasks done” and lack of training makes for a poor stressful working environment. If pay is your driving factor, you’re used to working in a hostile environment, lack of decent Management then this is the place for you. 
Last, but not least, there is a known level (HR knows) of harassment here, it by far is one of the worst working environments, ever. Take heed and work elsewhere. 

Western Aircraft is a company that I would not recommend working for. The management does not care about its employees, and the pay is terrible. The work schedule is constantly changing due to a lack of people and customers wanting their aircraft back. There is no chance of upward movement unless you are a US Marine, as it seems to be the good old buddy system here.
The company culture is toxic, and the work environment is hostile. The management does not listen to its employees, and there is no room for growth or advancement. The benefits package is also subpar, with high deductibles that make having a family nearly impossible.
Overall, I would not recommend working at Western Aircraft. There are better companies out there that value their employees and provide opportunities for growth and advancement.

I worked here for about a uear and a half and was excited to continue my career of fueling aircraft, but the good ol boys club atmosphere and making everybody get in trouble for one persins mistake was irritating. The health benefits are as they said in our meeting, "not the best, but not the worst, we are in the middle". This company doesnt csre about anyone but their mechanics and this drives the manager to do outrageous things to make corporate happy, from fitting planes into hangars they just wont fit into to making a huge issue out of minor things. Some of the employees are great, but there are others i wouldnt trust to wipe a spilled coffee off thr table.

Awful management that promises things but never delivers. They are the iconic “here’s a pizza party instead of taking care of what needs to be taken care of ” type of company. In my experience they were more interested in keeping you in a stagnant role and ensuring you don’t progress. Acts like a corporations with no corporate benefits. It was cool being around airplanes but that’s about it. The work wasn’t hard, dealing with the people and playing their political games was. Very much a shut and work type of company. There’s been a mass exodus of all the talent leaving because management is making poor play calls and ruling with an iron fist.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Hearing all the gossip the executive staff likes to talk about the employees.   

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Knowing that you are heading back to prison when you wake up in the morning.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
If you are in the "in crowd" you are safe.  Otherwise, watch your back.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Working through the day, but always know someone is talking smack about you.  Management only cares about themselves.  Brown nosers for profit off the backs of their labor.

This company will mass punish its entire workforce with no regards for your input. Western doesn't care about your family or your time off and will force you to work on days off if another department, not connected to yours, messes up. The Healthcare is expensive and useless, you will spend a ton out of pocket. The schedule changes based on how customers feel, not the quality or quantity of work being done. The management will lie to your face and say you are doing a good job then turn around and claim a plane is not being completed fast enough. Then proceed to set an unreal expectation of completion which is unfair to the employee and the customer alike.

Western aircraft is a great place to work. You are a person here not a number the VP Austin walks around the hangar asking everyone how are you and he takes the time to hear you out. I enjoy coming to work, the techs are great we help each other out and lift each other when needed it’s a very supportive environment. Managers are engaged with their techs needs both professionally and personally. Western is a place you can set roots and grow the only restriction is you. 

I was  brought on as a contact mechanic and initially things seemed ok but I quickly learned this is not a nice place to work. They expect you to know everything about whichever aircraft you're assigned to and provide absolutely zero meaningful training. Management is very top heavy and exhibits extreme favoritism, keeping individuals who cause excessive damage in addition to keeping leads who fail drug tests after accidents, meanwhile firing new mechanics who are doing a fine job.

Where else could you see so many interesting aircraft, technically skilled people, and a dynamic work scope! The people are fun, the jobs are interesting, and the environment is good. Doing everything from gas and go, to full refurbishment and major inspections, this environment teaches many lessons in managing time and the project while taking into consideration job scope changes and circumstances not under our control. Effective problem solving and thinking outside the box are what I learned.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Pilot 4 salaries reported	$128,000 per year
Aircraft maintenance technician 1 salary reported	$28.00 per hour

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