Engine sound; good music to my ears

GEOFFREY RONO, 24, is an aircraft technician at Phoenix Aviation Limited. SHIRLEY GENGA caught up with him for an inside scoop on his profession.

Q: What does your job entail?

G: I repair and service aircrafts, both company owned and for clients in need.  I also carry out checks called “upon the aircraft work order”, which is the inspection of aircraft after clocking the amount of hours allowed by the manufacturers and the Civil Aviation Authority. Some of the aircraft we service are Cessna Citations, Beechcraft King Airs and Cessna Caravans. 

Q: What is your work history?

G: After completing college in 2010, I joined Phoenix Aviation for my industrial attachment. I was employed after ten months.

Q:  What do you love about what you do?

G: I love everything about engineering and the flight cycle from take off to landing.  I enjoy being able to keep planes flying and being part of the aviation industry.  The sound of an aircraft engine running smoothly is good music to my ears. Working as an aircraft technician for Phoenix Aviation, as well, has exposed me to the latest aircraft technology.

Q: What are the challenges of what you do?

G: I work from Wilson Airport and there are many aircrafts taking off and landing.  As a result, the noise pollution can be unbearable. Fortunately, however, we are provided with ear protection pads. The working hours of aircraft technicians can be disconcerting. If an aircraft, for instance, becomes unusable in the evening, or on rest days like Sunday, technicians and engineers have to give up their comfort to sort out the problem.  

Q: Tell us a little about you?

G: I grew up at Bomet County in a family of nine.  I have five sisters and three brothers. My father worked for the military in Nairobi, while my mother took care of our farm business. As the last born, I spent most of my school holidays with my dad and my elder siblings who were working in Nairobi.

Q: What was your childhood dream?

G: I always wanted to be an engineer from the time I was a young boy.  Whenever I visited my dad at the Embakasi barracks in Nairobi, I would spend a lot of time watching the planes take off and land at the old Jomo Kenyatta International Airport terminal. I also remember dismantling and putting back together my bike, my grandmother’s TV aerial and my dad’s old medium and short wave radio, all in the name of engineering.

Q: What did you study in college?

G: I studied Aeronautical Engineering at Trans-Eastern Airlines Aviation College from September 2008 to 2010, and attained my Kenya National Examination Council diploma in 2011.

Q: How important was going to college in regard to what you do today?

G: College gave me theoretical skills, while industrial attachment provided me with invaluable work experience. The two have ensured that I remain successful in my career.

Q: Any advice for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

G: It is important to pursue a career you like, rather than what other people imagine suits you.  When you take on what you love, you enjoy your daily work.

Q: What is your future plans?

G: I intend to work in different sections in the aviation industry. My dream is to one day own a company, and create more room for the upcoming engineers like me.

Q: What do you do for fun?

G: I love watching discovery and investigation programmes, and movies. I also enjoy making new friends and adventure.