Keeping Life-Saving Helicopters in Flight

served in the U. S. Marine Corps, he enjoyed working with the versatile V-22 Osprey helicopters. Civilian mechanics assigned to his squadron introduced him to PIA, which Colella determined was his best path to a rewarding post-military career.

After graduating from PIA, Colella began working for Republic Airlines at Pittsburgh International Airport, where he made new friends and learned a different set of aviation maintenance skills while working on regional jets. But his love of helicopters led him to keep seeking opportunities to work on his aircraft of choice.

Today, Colella is a quality assurance inspector at Air Methods, a privately–owned company that provides emergency medical services in 48 U.S. states. Colella is responsible for ensuring the safe and proper completion of all maintenance. “The most gratifying part of this job, for me, comes at the end of a major maintenance evolution,” says Colella. “When those checks are complete and the aircraft is returned to service, I know all the hard work our team accomplished is the reason this aircraft can now safely transport medical patients.”