How to become a Technical Representative. An alternative occupation in these times of aviation turmoil

So, you are thinking about becoming a Technical Representative?

You have at least 5 to 10 years as a Licenced Engineer/Mechanic or Technical Services Engineer or better still, experience of both. You’ve recently been made redundant or are just wanting to take your career in another direction and fancy the idea of going down this path but don’t know where to begin? I can help you begin your journey.

I’m going to tell you how to start out on this very rewarding and fascinating aspect of our industry. However, the advantages always come with pitfalls, so I will be highlighting the disadvantages too. Things to do – and things not to do and waste your time and money on.

Firstly – if you’ve any qualms about being self-employed and standing on your own then this is not for you. The security of a pay cheque every month, working in a Team, getting benefits such as pensions, sick pay, holiday pay and medical are just not there – so if these matter – then this might not be for you. However, given the state of Aviation at the moment – you may not have any choice!

What does a Technical Representative do? First and foremost – the whole reason you exist is to provide independent technical counsel and support. The people that own Aircraft – and I mean really own them as opposed to just those that operate them (i.e. Airlines) – are Leasing companies (and sometimes banks). Leasing Companies vary in size from owning a handful of Aircraft to many hundreds. Often, these Leasing Companies (Lessors) have no in-house technical expertise – although some do – and therefore often need to periodically call upon someone to technically represent them. This representation can extend to a number of functions. Typically these are;

·     Aircraft Physical Inspections (pre-purchase, mid lease and end of lease - as examples)

·     Aircraft Records reviews, analysis and inspection

·     On-site technical representation during maintenance inputs (C-Check, Engine Shop Visits, etc.)

·     Technical support for aircraft sales and purchase

·     Aircraft storage and part out support

·     Advising on the technical aspects of Leases.

This list is not exhaustive and I’m sure you can imagine other times that 'technical representation' will be required. You are effectively the technical eyes and ears of the Lessor. Your job is to act as an objective commentator so your ability to analyse, evaluate and report technical details accurately is vital. It is a responsible job and what you report can influence decision making that may involve many millions of Dollars in deals, new leases, renewed leases and even – repossessions! Your job is vital and those who you represent are relying on you to report accurately and honestly with integrity.

It is also vital of course that you know what is expected of you whilst you are there on the project. What are the limits of your responsibilities? Are you able to sign off any expenditure – for example; MRO’s will look to you to agree to the purchase of spares, if for example they have to replace a non-scheduled item found during a check? What is the cost of this and the labour involved to change it out? Some Representatives are often given a limit of say - $10,000 - before they have to go back and seek their Customers approval.

So far, so good - these are the easy bits. Still interested? Read on.

The hardest bit of all this is getting your first ‘gig’. Setting yourself up and knowing what to do is one thing. Getting access to Lessors and hence jobs is entirely different and unless you already know someone at a Leasing Company, it can be daunting. The first thing is getting your name and capability out there. My advice is to register with all of the specific technical representative agencies currently available. These organisations have a pool of likeminded, qualified people such as you and they do have the contacts, marketing budgets and reputation to get you into work – things that you either don’t have or will need to build. These guys are you first point of call in helping you get that first job. They don’t take any money from you to put you on their books. If they can put you into a job then any arrangement they have to get paid will come from the Customer – not you.

Lets look at some of the basic things you’ll need – and some of the things you don’t need. Also, I’m going to list some considerations that you should think about.

·     Do you have the kind of family life that will not suffer unduly if you are 000’s of miles away, in a different time zone and could involve being away for weeks and weeks at a time (if for example you are supporting a C-Check)? What does your partner think about this? Do you have small children who will be upset if Mum/Dad isn't there? Does your partner have a good support network should an emergency crop up that will allow them to deal with it without your reassuring presence? (bereavement, illness or even a burst water pipe!)

·     What is your attitude to working in isolation? You could be at the hotel in the evenings and it can get lonely. Language and cultural differences can seem exciting at first but they can heighten your sense of being on your own after time

·     Whilst many of your jobs are in relaxed and amicable surroundings sometimes the opposite can be true. I’ve had some jobs where the people in the Hangar I was working in simply didn’t want me there. There are occasions – such as a repossession – where the attitude is at best non-helpful and at worse – openly hostile. You might have to prepare for this and display all the traits of a diplomat; courtesy, empathy, patience and tact.

·     Conversely, you cannot allow yourself to be walked over. You must be prepared to question a great deal and not necessarily just take anyone’s word for it - unless evidence is provided. It is important to be able to stand your ground confidently. You have a duty to the aircraft Owner and there is a very real expectation that you will uphold their interests – always.

So let us look at the kinds of things you need to set up;

·     Assuming you don’t yet have your own Limited Company you will have to set one up. This is relatively easy and cheap to do and is pretty much a simple paperwork exercise. I used my Accountant to do this for me along with arranging my tax, NI and payroll affairs for my new Company. A lot of Accountants have specialist staff dealing with small companies and are a great source of guidance and support. They will provide a turnkey solution to getting you set up – this will ensure you don’t miss anything and fall foul of the Taxman!

·     Passport – if you haven’t got a second one and your Country allows it – then I recommend you get one. The reason being; if you have two and one needs to be sent away as part of a Visa application – having a ‘spare’ will allow you to continue to be able to travel. Visa’s sometimes can be done the same day – sometimes weeks - and there is always the chance it can get lost in the post. Think also about how you’d feel if you had to turn down a few weeks work because you didn’t have a passport available?

·     Medical Insurance – I cannot stress the importance of getting this. Find a reputable, ‘named’ Insurance provider who offers comprehensive cover. Don’t leave it to chance and don't think that it can’t happen to you.

·     Liability Insurance – this is something that often gets overlooked but some Leasing Companies are increasingly insisting on it and it does protect you. For example; Lets just say you move some steps towards an aircraft to get a look into the cargo hold and you inadvertently nudge the steps into the skin and damage the Aircraft? Whilst unlikely, Liability Insurance will cover this.

·     Personal Protection Equipment and other support equipment. As an employee you had a ready (and free!) supply but now you have to fend for yourself. You might need to consider the following;

• Safety shoes
• Ear defenders
• Hi-Visibility tabard
• A good set of waterproofs – jacket and trousers. A thermal hat and gloves
• A baseball cap to keep the sun off if you are out on the ramp for long periods
• A torch – Maglite or similar for Inspections. Mini Maglite for power cuts (it does happen!!)
• Magnifying glass
• Tape measure (good for measuring damage)
• A camera (phone cameras are very good but do have some limitations)
• Stationary, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, a clipboard etc
• A laptop with Microsoft Office Suite loaded
• Insurance for repairs and breakdowns on all your electronic devices – you simply cannot work without them!
• Back up external hard drive, USB’s
•  Mains Power travel adaptors – I also pack a multi plug extension lead (2-3m) so you can keep all your devices charged as you work – and you just know they are going to stick you in a room with one socket across the other side of the room from the desk!!!
• Make sure your HF, EWIS and FTS Qualifications are recent. Some Agencies like to see currency
• Although not vital, consider attending a refresher or initial CAMO course or equivalent or Technical Records course. Many of these can be done on-line
•  Credit cards – reputable agencies will normally cover flights and hotels up front with you needing to cover reimbursable and reasonable expenses. However, you may need to cover these somewhat large bills yourself and invoice them back. I personally have two – Amex and Mastercard. Amex is good because it can provide unlimited credit. The downsides are that it always needs you to settle your bill completely and within 30 days – and in spite of the way it markets itself – there are many, many places in the World where it is not accepted. Mastercard is generally accepted everywhere and I’ve never had that declined anywhere. On that subject – always let your card provider know you are using it aboard. On my first trip away, when I came to settle my hotel bill, my card was declined because my provider, having only ever seen it used in the UK, recorded it as suspicious activity and it took a while to sort it all out
• Make sure if you are taking any medication that you have enough to tie you over. Don’t forget that projects can overrun and you may be asked to stay out longer than planned. If you don’t have any regular prescription meds – make sure you take things like paracetamol, antihistamine, diarolyte, band-aids, antiseptic wipes and for tropical areas – consider mosquito repellant
• Sunglasses and if you require corrected vision – a spare pair of glasses or Contacts.

So, supporting your self is as important as supporting your Customer. If you can’t function efficiently then the whole operation suffers. I’m not going to lecture you about drinking and eating the wrong kind of foods but just be mindful. I’m the first one at the bar after a busy day – and that’s fine….just don’t be the last one to leave it! If you’ve a week or so on location, take your sports kit and avail yourself of the gym. Even the smallest hotels seem to have a fitness room of some sort and many have swimming pools - so take your trunks/costume too! A workout is always a great way of burning away the stress (because this job can be) and Netflix or good book is equally able to provide a mind dump and act as a way of winding down if the gym isn’t your thing.

We’ve talked about the duties involved in being a Technical Representative including the types of jobs you’ll be expected to do but we also need to touch on the most vital aspect of what being a good Tech Rep is all about. You can be the smartest, technically adept, thorough, detailed and consistent Engineer in the world but you are for nothing if you cannot do the following;

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE.

Your technical appraisal and acumen is for nought if at the end of the day, you simply pack up your laptop, switch the light off and go back to the hotel. You need to manage your day and at the end of it either pick up the phone or email a summary of the day. You are the eyes and ears of several, sometimes anxious team members of your Customer and they don’t know what you know - so its vitally important that regular, concise, accurate and objective reports reach them. A summary should include the following as a minimum;

·     Project, date, time location (They may be running many projects and overwhelmed at times so bear with this point as its not always obvious to them)

·     Highlight achievements, milestones, or significant occurrences (e.g. Engines slung in, awaiting connection)

·     Highlight delays, spares, manpower, ground equipment or other resources holding up progress

·     When problems do exist – don’t just list them. Propose a resolution (e.g. “The MRO cannot source a RAT from their normal supplier. I’m going to give Rob a call at AJW first thing in the morning and see if he can source one”)

·     What were the results of your last planning meeting with the MRO Team? What was discussed? When is the next meeting? (Should be every day – if it isn’t……insist that it is!)

·     Is the project still on track to be completed on time when all of the above is considered?

·     Finally, if you need help or support with something……..let them know. They can’t help if you don’t ask and the first thing they will say if things go wrong is; “Why didn’t you ask?”

Being reliable and someone who says what they will do and does it, is an important component in building trust and enhancing your reputation. Communication is important but so are the basic, human qualities such as courtesy, being respectful, being truthful and being accessible – by accessible I mean remaining available to be contacted by phone or email. I knew a Rep who from 1700 onwards just went 'commando' until 0800 the next day. And at weekends he just disappeared. This simply isn’t acceptable or good enough for Customers who may be anxious and are also having pressure exerted on them to answer questions. I don’t think anyone expects you to be awake 24 hours a day but if someone reaches out to you, there is probably a good a reason. The least you can do is call back as soon as you read it. Ignore it only if you don’t mind not being used ever again! Customers hate being ignored.

The final aspect of COMMUNICATION is in providing a written report – if this is required. Which for Physical inspections and Records reviews, often is. More than likely you will be working to a checklist or report template provided to you by your Customer. Normally in Word.doc format it will often consist of;

·     A cover page with leading particulars about the Project; aircraft type, MSN, date and place of Inspection, Customer details

·     A preamble about the why’s and wherefores’ of the Inspection. There may be a statement about the relationship between the person commissioning the Inspection Report, the Reporter and the Subject

·     An Executive Summary

·     Physical Inspection, Records Inspection - either/or both. Often tabulated as a list with yes/no responses and a place for comments

·     Conclusions

·     Recommendations

·     Annex – a place for photos or other items such as a place to insert status lists, copies of certificates.

On the subject of written reports – this is a key skill and you must be able to do this with confidence. You must be able to convey yourself technically but must be mindful that the persons reading your report might not be technically experienced. They could be Lawyers, Accountants or other Leasing SME’s and have no knowledge of Aircraft or systems – although some do. Avoid jargon and colloquialisms and if you abbreviate or use acronyms – always make sure you confirm meaning the first time you use the term, i.e. RAT (Ram Air Turbine) – from then on you just write; RAT.

Similarly, what you write is just as important as how. You have to remain OBJECTIVE and deal just with facts. This is easier said than done, especially when writing conclusions and recommendations – but you simply have to report what you see and let the basis for decisions only fall to those reading your reports. Never denigrate a person or company in the report – no matter how hard a time a Chief Engineer gave you or no matter how sullen the Tech Records people were – your Customer doesn’t need a commentary. If you have problems such as this – better to get it highlighted and dealt with in your regular daily updates that you’ve already been providing!

So, I hope this has helped you understand a little about the role of a Technical Representative and what it means to be one. This advice is not exhaustive and I know there will be someone out there who can think of something else to consider. Still, this is my take and it has allowed me to build a credible business, which is rewarding both from an occupational point of view and a monetary one. Equally importantly, following my own advice and sticking to the rules has allowed me to build a good reputation and ensures repeat business from my Customers.

If I can be of any help then please do not hesitate to message me on LinkedIn. I am happy to help put you in touch with some of the Agencies and support services I have mentioned – along with contacts for Insurance and medical cover – and I’m always happy to discuss specific points that I’ve briefly raised here in more depth and share my experiences with you.

Good luck!

Adam