June 10, 1999
Sentinel student lands job at airport
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
Flying high in the sky are some products of a Sentinel Career Center student's skill, an expertise which originated in the auto body department.
Ben Walton, a recent Mohawk graduate and a two-year veteran of Sentinel's auto collision course, has been using his talents to work on airplane parts in the shops at Tiffin Aire Inc. He was placed there March 31 through the Early Job Placement Program.
His teacher, Carl Rusch, went to Tiffin Aire to seek an employment opportunity for his students.
"He came back and told me about it,'' Walton said of the job. "Then I got an interview and they hired me. I wasn't sure what I would do, but I thought it sounded interesting.''
While in school, he worked in the mornings four days a week, for three and a half hours, before returning to his home school. Gary Bibler, governor center manager at Tiffin Aire, was responsible for hiring Walton.
"I am hoping to have Ben follow a career path from governors to propellers,'' he said.
Bibler explained that at the shop, like most airplane machine repair shops, train employees as either governor or propeller technicians.
"We don't have anybody who is trained on both,'' Bibler said. "The governor is the oil pump attached to the engine and is controlled by the pilot in the cockpit, allowing him to change the pitch of the propeller.''
Tiffin Aire has three employees in the governor shop and five propeller technicians.
"When you are troubleshooting, it is beneficial to have someone who knows both,'' he added.
For now, Walton is learning the ropes of the shop.
"Gary and the other guys tell me what to do on a certain governor,'' Walton said. "And I do it. The only thing that I have painted is a governor; I have learned that there is a great deal more to know.''
Bibler is hoping that Walton continues his employment at Tiffin Aire, and Walton himself is hoping to continue his career in aviation.
"I have always thought the whole flying thing was interesting,'' Walton said. He has become so involved that he has discussed earning a pilot's license. And the more training he receives, either on the job or at a specialized school, Walton hopes to understand aviation "that much better.''
"Ben was our first Sentinel student,'' Bibler said. "He has worked here so well that we will certainly consider Sentinel students in the future.''