Solving One Aeronautics Puzzle at a Time

Kate Metzger’s interest in aviation stems from an unusual childhood hobby: helping her dad build his very own airplane. “For some parts of the wings where he couldn’t reach both sides at once, my dad had me hold the bucking bar for him while he riveted,” says Metzger.

Such experiences fostered Kate’s own love of airplanes, which eventually led her to attend Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) meetings with her dad and volunteer at the annual airshow. But it was a chance comment from a high school friend that set her on her current career path. “I was at a rifle match in high school and I mentioned that I wasn’t sure where I planned to go after graduation, and my friend suggested PIA. So I did some research and figured that PIA would pretty much be perfect for me — but I wanted a break from the northern winters, so I went to the Myrtle Beach campus.”

After graduating from PIA in 2021, Metzger moved to the even warmer region of Brunswick, GA, to work at the Stambaugh Aviation MRO.
“MRO work provides me with a good base of knowledge in heavier maintenance, and I’ve learned a lot because we do something new just about every day,” says Metzger. That includes the day a 737 came in for a pitot-static mod, only to also develop a separate problem with the wiring for its seatbelt and no smoking signs. This led Metzger’s team to go out to the flightline and try to solve the issue before the plane needed to leave, delaying it for several hours.

“Unfortunately, when the plane eventually did leave, they came right back with a completely unrelated landing gear issue,” says Metzger. “We worked almost five extra hours just to solve that issue, including swinging the landing gear. But sometimes when things go wrong, they just keep going wrong, and you have to roll with it.”