Students from Dallas UTI’s MIAT College of Technology Aviation Maintenance Program will compete in the upcoming Aerospace Maintenance Competition from April 25-28.
According to a press release from the Universal Technical Institute, the MIAT Mustangs team consists of six students and one alternate. Each team member is enrolled in the school’s Federal Aviation Administration certification programs.
Michael Riccardelli, the Houston campus aviation A&P instructor, said the competition is an exciting opportunity for the entire campus. Riccardelli will also lead the student team with team captain Aiden Shih-Garcia. The other members include Garrett Nasrallah, Erik Hersche, Diana Garcia, Brian Veiga, and Ryan Pernarelli.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for our students and the Houston MIAT campus. The team has been busy practicing and simulating the competition environment,” Riccardelli said. “The competition is an amazing opportunity for the students to showcase their abilities and see how they compare against their peers across the country.”
There are around twenty-five events scheduled for the competition, and teams will have 15 minutes to compete in each one. There will be a 5-minute break between each event.
“The [Aerospace Maintenance Competition], held in conjunction with Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas, offers an opportunity for professionals and students in the aerospace maintenance sector to compete in a series of timed events highlighting various tasks found in the field,” the press release states. “This competition allows students an opportunity to test their skills on the competition floor while also being exposed to the future of aviation with cutting edge equipment and technology.”
According to UTI, this is the first year the MIAT Mustangs will be competing in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition. They are one of three aviation maintenance programs sponsored by United, the Houston-based airline company. West LA College and Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) Youngstown Ohio Campus are the other two United-sponsored teams participating in this year’s Aerospace Maintenance Competition.
“Our commitment goes beyond flying our customers where they want and when they want, but mentoring the future generation of aviation professionals and ensuring we do our part to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, especially in the maintenance hangar,” Bonnie Turner, the Director of Airframe Repair & Overhaul at United said. “These competitions give our aircraft maintenance mechanics an opportunity to further promote the skills needed to succeed in the field, including problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.”
According to the UTI press release, the MIAT Mustangs competed in an Aero Skills Tournament in 2021 and won more than one first-place award.
“The MIAT Mustangs have already successfully completed their first competition event at the Aircraft Technologies Group, Inc. (ATG) Aero Skills Tournament in San Antonio, Texas in October of 2021 — a sheet metal/structural competition for aviation schools,” the release states. “The Mustangs took first place in the senior division; first, second and third place in the junior division; and first place exhibition overall.”
The MIAT College of Technology Aviation Maintenance Program is a brand of Universal Technical Institute, which serves thousands of students across fourteen campuses. The MIAT Mustangs will compete in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition and eighty-nine other aircraft technician teams from April 25 to April 28.