22 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE MARCH 2016
MAINTENANCE
MATTERS
A
bout 1 percent of American workers are
automotive, auto body, diesel or heavy
machine mechanics as classifed by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov).
Ground support equipment (GSE) mechanic is a
specialized skill not specifcally classifed by the
BLS. Most GSE mechanics could check the box
for all four of those classifcations.
The Conundrum: Part 1
Americans born between 1949 and 1964 are con-
sidered Baby Boomers. There are 79 million of us
and we've begun to enter retirement age. Google
"baby boomer retirement rate" and the generally
accepted number is 8000-10,000 per day. In other
words, 80-100 mechanics per day will retire. The
pipeline for replacing retiring mechanics today
does not have thousands of students in it. GSE
mechanics, with a unique skill set specifcally
oriented to the aviation ground support industry,
will retire at a rate much higher than they will be
replaced. Those who remain will be asked to be
much more productive to keep up with the demand.
The Conundrum: Part 2
On the tarmac at Miami International Airport
(MIA), the captain has announced a ground stop
for Minneapolis (MSP). Air traffc control at MSP
is managing 70 landings an hour and needs to get
a little more space between arrivals. I'm on an
A-320 with 149 other passengers. A bit of quick
napkin math, assuming the average number of
Will the GSE industry be
able to keep up with the
demand for mechanics as
the Baby Boomers phase
out?
By Rob Root
The Capacity
Conundrum