The Lost Art Of the Skilled Trades · 2026-06-16 · 41 min
Aircraft maintenance technician Bret Oestreich on signing off 250 lives every night shift - and why aviation's most essential trade stays hidden. Every time you board a plane, someone signed their name to a document saying that aircraft is airworthy. That person is an Aircraft Maintenance Technician - and most passengers never see them, never think about them, and never know they exist. Bret Oestreich, National President of AMFA (Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association), has spent decades inside this world. He started on C-130s in the Air Force, earned his A&P license and pilot's license simultaneously, and worked his way from general aviation to American Airlines to Southwest Airlines before leading one of the most important independent unions in aviation. AMFA represents over 7,500 AMTs across the United States and Canada - and Bret is sounding the alarm: the pipeline of new technicians is not keeping up with retirements, only 8% of military veterans with relevant experience are transitioning into civilian aviation maintenance, and women represent just 2.8% of the AMT workforce.
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