Ambulances to Airplanes

By Damien Ramirez

My name is Damien Ramirez. I am 25 years old and attending California Aeronautical University (CAU) to obtain my aviation maintenance technician certifications. I was first exposed to aircraft at a young age. My father, Chris, was in the Marine Corps for many years working in aviation ordnance. Living on Camp Pendleton, I often had the opportunity to view the aircraft my father was working on, as well as having the best front row seats for the aircraft flying overhead. As I grew older, I discovered my love for maintaining cars and motorcycles, and I briefly considered becoming an auto mechanic. However, the average pay and working conditions were enough to prevent me from entering the field. For a few years, I spent my time working in healthcare and emergency medicine, obtaining my emergency medical technician certification in the process. In 2020, my home in Santa Cruz, CA burned down, requiring me to move to Bakersfield, CA.

Living in Bakersfield, I put my certification to use and began working as an EMT for the local ambulance service. However, I came to realize very quickly that I wasn’t happy. All of the negative aspects of the position began to overtake all the positives. The low pay, 48 hour shifts, traumatic work, and lack of real career opportunities began to take their toll. One day, while transporting a patient, I saw a billboard for CAU which highlighted the AMT program. It seems obvious now, but prior to that I had never even thought about who maintains the aircraft. I did some research and it all clicked. I discovered a career which seemed to perfectly fit my strengths and passions. Some of the best things I found were the fantastic pay, abundance of advancement opportunities, hands-on work, and, of course, getting to work with some of the coolest machinery around. I spoke with my father and several of his friends from the Marine Corps about their experience in the field. Between their experiences and my own personal research I could tell that the people working in this field seemed to really enjoy their jobs. They were passionate, challenged, and happy; a far cry from EMS work culture. I was in need of a drastic change, and this seemed the perfect direction.

One day, I made the leap and changed career paths, starting school in May 2022. I am very thankful to my family for their support in helping me pursue my education. To date, I have completed the general course, written exam, and I am close to completing my Airframe course. I am truly loving every second of it.

CAU’s mechanic program is still in its infancy, as I am a member of the fourth class to go through the program. While there are still some growing pains associated with such a young program, the staff and instructors are highly knowledgeable and receptive to feedback. As a result, the course is growing and improving every day, and it is exciting to be witnessing it on the ground floor.

Looking beyond my education at CAU, there are endless opportunities for mechanics. Due to the current shortage of AMT’s, the demand for these positions is ever increasing. We have had presenters come from all over to share their opportunities and I have spoken to recruiters on all aspects of aviation, including major airlines, regional airlines, general shops, specialty shops, corporate aviation, and defense contractors. There are also many non-aviation careers for AMTs.

I cannot stress enough how much I have been enjoying my time in this program. I’m even more excited to graduate and go out into the world with all this knowledge. This is the first time I’ve been so passionate about a career. Everything has clicked; and when I walk into class every day, I’m always eager to learn and grow. When people think of careers in aviation, the first that usually comes to mind are the pilots. But pilots are grounded without the strong support of a good mechanic team. They are always in demand. If you’re interested in a mentally stimulating career that allows you the opportunity to work with your hands, I highly recommend looking into this program.