Rapid Response Airframe Tech Wyatt Owen is one of two technicians located at our Rapid Response dispatch location in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at the Kenosha Regional Airport. Wyatt was born and raised in the Kenosha area, and attended college at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Oak Creek because it was one of the few colleges in Wisconsin that offers an A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) program. He started working at Duncan Aviation in June 2021 on the Rapid Response Team (RRT).
Wyatt was first exposed to aviation at a young age.
“My neighbor was building a homebuilt aircraft in his garage and I can remember always being interested in the idea of airplanes,” says Wyatt. “As I got older and into elementary school, I got away from it. In my junior year, my neighbor offered me an internship at a warbird museum where I caught the aviation bug and worked there for three summers.”
After he graduated, Wyatt chose Duncan Aviation because he had always heard good things about the company from working at different service centers.
“I met my current team leader and trainer, Tim Baril, and he gave me a brief description of the job I would be getting into,” says Wyatt. “I loved the idea of learning from some of the industry’s best mechanics and traveling the country while doing it.”
Wyatt said that Duncan Aviation did a great job of getting him in the door and helping him feel welcomed right away.
“Obviously a new job and new place will always bring a sense of anxiety at first,” says Wyatt. “It quickly became apparent to me that the team I was a part of valued my success. Being a newer mechanic on a highly experienced team was intimidating at first, but they have made it their priority to share their wealth of knowledge and help me in any way they can.”
Duncan Aviation has put Wyatt in the best possible position to succeed.
“They are helping me along the way, and ensuring that I learn as much as possible,” says Wyatt. “It is really awesome to be able to learn from many different people throughout the Duncan Aviation network. I really appreciate the family aspect of this company. At any time, I can call a team member who has more experience and ask a question. Every time, they will get me an answer any way they possibly can.”
Wyatt said that for others who haven’t yet worked a full-time aviation job, Duncan Aviation is the best company to jump in with because they promote a work/life balance for each team member.
Our RRT offices work a busy and fast-paced schedule, with each day of the week bringing a new and different task. Having extensive knowledge of each aircraft and how to navigate the manuals is imperative to the job.
“Rapid Response Technicians are unique in the fact that we have regions where we have a customer base more local, but we can also end up across the country working on and taking care of emergency situations nationwide” says Wyatt. “I personally love the idea of being able to build relationships with a local customer base, but also being able to travel and meet people from many different places.”
A typical day on the RRT starts by arriving at the office and meeting with a Team Leader to discuss the schedule. If a road trip of any kind is needed, they generally get going right away and to ensure the fastest possible customer service.
“In any given week, we travel anywhere from a half-hour to 2 hours to a local job,” says Wyatt. “There are always needs elsewhere, though, and we address those as much as possible.”
At the Kenosha Regional Airport, Duncan Aviation rents an office from a company that operates many different kinds of aircraft, so a lot of the time, Wyatt and his team are able to work in the hangar just outside of their offices.
Wyatt said that the best part about being on the RRT is that most days are never typical. There are always new tasks, jobs, and troubleshooting to be done.
“There is almost always a need for assistance helping other RRT locations throughout the country,” says Wyatt. “So at any given point, we can be sent around the country. This is an awesome and unique job, and I love the idea of learning new things every day.”