Muirhead Avionics enhances skills base with ex-military employees
Image courtesy Muirhead Avionics / AMETEK MRO
The company is one of the largest specialist avionics repair facilities in Europe and it specialises in the repair, overhaul and maintenance of complex OEM equipment for the global Airbus and Boeing fleets.
A robust and focused policy to employ ex-military personnel is proving to be a successful strategy in the pursuit of qualified and skilled avionics technicians to deliver the organisation’s services that are founded upon quality and precision.
Matthew Brookes, Operations Manager at Muirhead Avionics, explains that military training is the perfect foundation for a career in civil aviation avionics MRO: “Aircraft today use a combination of old and new technologies that are continuously evolving.
“Even military aircraft with upgraded weapons systems and radar may well use legacy primary flight instruments. So, one way to head off the impending labour shortage of aerospace skills in the UK is to bring in people who have been previously trained in the armed services in similar technical and responsible roles and have an ingrained attitude to learning.”
Muirhead Avionics currently employs seven ex-military team members from the air force, army and navy of different nations. Brookes goes on to say that their attention to detail, discipline and ability to work under pressure are ideal requirements for the business as it strives the meet urgent turnaround times and sustain the highest quality standards: “We encourage veterans about to leave the service to trust in their abilities – their skills can make a big impact. Be open to learning and adapting to a new environment – the commercial world offers great opportunities for growth and development.”
Three ex-military technicians who have successfully made the transition to Muirhead Avionics are Lee Robinson, Askin Ekinci and Ethan Weaving (above).
Lee has been an integral part of the team for almost three years. Following 22 years in the RAF, he spent some time in the medical sector then at Heathrow Airport in communications. He said: “I used to work at airfields on radar and communications. Now my role is reversed, and I work on the aircraft in-flight components that talk to those ground systems.
"The world of avionics is fast-moving in terms of what is being developed but it takes time for these systems to filter down into commercial use. At Muirhead we are constantly looking to future-proof our skills and at the same time maintain the lengthy warranties that our customers, like Honeywell for example, have on their equipment currently in use.”
Askin’s background is with the Turkish Maritime Airforce and at the NATO headquarters in Northwood, UK. He has been with Muirhead Avionics since 2019 and is now Team Leader for the navigation and communications repair section. He still repairs navigation and radio units but spends two thirds of his time supporting his staff of seven technicians. He explained: “Avionics is a universal language. Anyone with an avionics background and trained by the military can find success here. It is a very attractive career for young people – they only need to be willing to learn.”
Ethan Weaving is one of those young people who have joined Muirhead Avionics in the past year. He said: “I joined straight after leaving the Royal Navy where I worked on the new Wildcat Helicopter programme. The team recruited me because of my transferable avionics skills and I am currently a trainee technician. I’m ambitious and want to see a clear career progression.
"The Navy taught me to be disciplined and follow orders, these are beneficial life-skills when you enter the commercial world. Working here is quite a lot like the military, you join a team but everyone is from different walks of life and different parts of the world – you just fit in.”
Brookes summarised the Company policy: “A combination of leadership and discipline enables these ex-military avionics technicians to be versatile and adaptable. This helps them to advance swiftly through the organisation with a thorough understanding of why there are such important protocols and instructions to follow. Our customers demand exceptionally high skills competence levels when we work on their equipment and we’re proud to say, with confidence, that the Muirhead Avionics repair team delivers at every level.”
