This is me in 2007. An excited young engineering student that couldn’t believe his luck at landing a job as an Intern with Pratt & Whitney, a company I’d admired for many years. 10 years later and I still can’t believe my luck. This has been one incredible ride.
When I look back on that time, I recall how this entire world was so new to me. I’d long dreamt of being the first in my family to have a job like this, with a company like this. One hot summer day in Georgia, that dream became a reality.
The IAE V2500 Turbofan – My main responsibility as an Engineer.
Building jet engines is tricky business, to say the least. That challenge made being an Engineer at the Columbus Engine Center the perfect opportunity for me, and I was eager to jump in.
After learning and growing in that role for a few years, I was given the opportunity to transition into a Supervisory role on the manufacturing floor at Columbus Forge, the blade forging unit. Though I knew it would be difficult, the opportunity seduced me and I dove in head first.
I can say without hesitation that being a Supervisor was the most challenging and rewarding job of my career: I worked more days and longer hours than I ever thought I would, and found myself more fulfilled than ever while doing it. The credit belongs to our incredible employees, who were patient enough to teach me and dependable enough to give me their best, that we were ultimately successful.
Incredible work is done at the Pratt & Whitney Georgia Site:
We manufactured blades for the engines that power the F-22 Raptor.
In the Engine Center, it’s easy to forget how amazing it is that we receive a tired, worn out jet engine from the customer, only to ship it out singing like new just a few short weeks later. At Columbus Forge, it’s a miracle of engineering and teamwork every time we ship a finished product. The symphony of workers and machines is a sight to behold as raw material moves through the closed-die forging process, is machined, and ultimately finished into a jet engine blade.
I will never forget what I’ve learned here. I’ve forged wonderful relationships over this past decade. I am so fortunate to count all of you as my colleagues, and have learned many invaluable lessons from you all.
As I begin a new exciting chapter in my career, I want you all to know that it has been a privilege to know each of you and an honor to join the ranks of the dependable people who make the most dependable jet engines in the world.
I hope to keep in touch. God bless you all.
