Changing Careers to Chase the Stars

Ronald Worthy worked in construction and carpentry before obtaining his A&P license from PIA at age 30. “One of the most valuable things I learned at PIA was perseverance, always keep pushing forward,” says Worthy.

After graduating, Worthy was hired at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Certified 14 CFR Part 145 repair station in Tucson, AZ, where he inspects and repairs aircraft in a massive 20-plane hangar. To help manage complex projects, Worthy offers a tip: “Take lots of reference photos when you’re taking something apart. If it’s a job or machine you’ve never worked on before — or if you’re working on more than one plane at a time — you’ll be glad you have pictures to reference later when you’re putting everything back together.”

Worthy is proud that his versatility as a mechanic enables him to work on any crew in his hangar, creating plenty of opportunities to earn overtime — as long as his schedule can keep up. “I’m also a father of two,” Worthy says, “so the most adverse challenge I face on a daily basis is time management.”