The Faces of PSA Featuring Amy Mitchell
"The Faces of PSA" latest featured team member is Amy Mitchell!
PSA's Internal Communications Specialist, Maggie Short, had a chance to interview Amy regarding her beginnings in aviation and where she envisions herself next.
Read more about Amy's story below:
Name: Amy Mitchell
Title: Aviation Parts Specialist
How long have you worked for PSA? 1 year and 5 months
How long have you been in the airline industry? Where did you work before PSA? This is my first job in the airline industry. In my previous jobs, I worked as a case manager and a court-appointed public fiduciary advocating for the care of individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s and developmental disabilities.
What brought you to PSA? I have been around general aviation for most of my adult life and have always had the goal of working in aviation professionally.
Give us a brief overview of what you do: I assist in maintaining the logistical backbone behind the PSA Maintenance operation in Pensacola, FL. The Stores Department ensures the availability and serviceability of parts that are placed on aircraft and maintains accountability on the tools that the mechanics need. Additionally, we take the old parts and send them to be overhauled or repaired.
What is one of the biggest challenges of your job? Sometimes the biggest challenge can be working with our new logistical system, MXI, and coordinating the delivery of parts to ensure that aircraft spend the minimum amount of time on the ground awaiting maintenance.
Where’s your favorite place you have traveled? My favorite travel memories are the ones where I take a small general aviation aircraft and a few friends and go exploring. We did a seven-hour roundtrip from Tucson, AZ to Lake Havasu, AZ to grab lunch and take in western Arizona from the air.
You are involved in your local National Flight Academy and helped an at-risk teen receive a scholarship to the academy last year. Tell us about that: I was offered the opportunity to speak at the PACE Center For Girls (a nonprofit organization that serves girls in grades 6 through 12 who have been involved with the juvenile justice system or who may be headed down that path) about my passion for flying and to advocate for women working in the aviation industry. Following my presentation, the National Flight Academy offered a scholarship opportunity to the group. After my speech, one girl elected to go to the National Flight Academy for a week at flight camp.
You have a goal to become a commercial pilot. How is your training coming along? My commercial rating is nearly complete. After that, I hope to continue with my instructor rating and work toward providing a positive instructional experience for young aviators.
What’s been the best part of flying? The people I’ve met, the unique connections and going on trips together. It’s something I can’t live without.
What do you love about working for PSA? This job with PSA has allowed me to fulfill my long-awaited goal of working in aviation.
Would you recommend PSA and why? Yes. PSA provides an opportunity for people to enter the aviation industry and start a career.
Tell us one thing about your role most people don’t know: Being an Aviation Parts Specialist requires an intricate knowledge of shipping codes and regulations, particularly when dealing with hazardous materials that are often found inside aircraft parts.
What has been the most rewarding part of your job? Being able to work with other aviators and maintenance professionals to get the job done and ensure planes fly.
Tell us something few people know about you: My grandfather was a pilot in World War II. He flew the B-25 Bomber. “Flying is in my blood.”