College of Aviation Technical Operations student Maria Sackrider
For those mechanical illiterates who don't know the difference between a spark plug and a timing chain, Maria Sackrider would be their best perpetual passenger.
While the WMU College of Aviation (COA) senior majoring in aviation technical operations probably knows her way under the hood of a land-bound car, the electronic and technical marvels that allow a plane to take off -- and more important to land -- are well-explored territories for her.
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Sackrider didn't soar off into the wild blue yonder for parts unknown in search of her career training. She's a 2019 graduate of Harper Creek High School in Battle Creek, Mich., where the College of Aviation is based. She first prepped for her entrance into higher education by taking the aviation-exploration class at the Calhoun Area Career Center while in high school.
Sackrider, sister Ellie, and friend Morgan during their high school marching band trip to Disney World
"I did that because the course's simulators looked cool," she says, "but I ended up really liking the class and working on the engine that was there." That experience prompted Sackrider to take four aviation courses offered by Kellogg Community College during her high-school years.
While rocket science is kind of what she has been studying for the last four academic years, it didn't take too much of that to convince her that the WMU College of Aviation should be the next chapter in her life. "It is nearby and is one of the best in the nation," she says. The University of North Dakota's program was in the running for a while, but "staying local," overall cost, and being able to work on a Boeing 727 were deciding factors.
In addition to getting up close and personal with the 727's engines, Sackrider has enhanced her resume by serving as vice president and secretary -- respectively -- of the COA's chapters of the Aerospace Maintenance Competition and Skills USA. Those choices were easy, she says. "I wanted to get more hands-on experiences and reinforce some of the skills I had already learned."
Sackrider on a tour during the construction of the new Aviation Education Center
Next in the resume-building ladder is her current internship with Duncan Aviation, the largest privately owned business-jet service in the world. Of its 39 locations, one is located at the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport and a second is near the COA's campus.
Once that experience is in her rear-view mirror, there is an advanced-composite course offered by Abaris Training Resources Inc. in Reno, Nev., and a course to get Sackrider familiar with the workings of Dassault Falcon business aircraft and jets. The latter will take her to the Flight Safety International operation in Dallas. Abaris provides advanced training in engineering and design, manufacturing and composite repairs.
Helping prepare Sackrider for all of this was her "favorite class" -- the lab for overhauling reciprocal engines led by Jeremy Hierholtzer. "It was very hands-on and comprehensive, taking into account much of what I had learned so far. We tore down an engine, cleaned and inspected it. We took measurements and re-assembled it. By the end of the semester, it was up and running.
"All of the Western instructors have been great," she says. "I knew I would like the classes, but the instructors really improved the experience for me." Another positive factor has been the interactions with her fellow students. One of many highlights, she says, was "getting to taxi a newly painted King Air back to campus from the Duncan Aviation facility. It was really exciting to see how nice it looked compared to what it had been."
Sackrider receiving an NBAA training scholarship from WMU Alumni Greg Hamelink
Complementing her career-oriented training for Sackrider was a WMU course in "circuit fitness," she says. "It really challenged me physically and kept me active. I enjoyed playing indoor soccer in the course." Movies, video games and once in a while pounding on drums fills out her daily regimen.
Once done with her Western courses and the additional professional development coming Sackrider's way, she intends to qualify for her Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification, the certification issued by the Federal Aviation Administration that allows technicians to keep all facets of aircraft in tip-top shape.
Then what's next? Most likely, she believes, will be working for Sky West, the regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah, that flies to more than 250 destinations in North America, including Detroit. Eventually, she'd like to spend her time in corporate aviation.
But no matter what, the sky is the limit for Maria Sackrider because she knows how to get there.