|
Meet: Mario Garcia
Crew Chief
NASA Ames Research Center, Mt.View, CA
It's more than a job!
Mario Garcia is a crew chief for NASA. His job is to prepare airplanes for flight
and make sure that they are flight worthy. Mario has worked in the hanger as a
crew chief for the past 21 years and has enjoyed every minute of it.
One of the parts of a crew chief's job is to travel as
a part of the flight crew with the plane and to be able to give mechanical support
for the plane no matter where it flies to. Due to this, Mario has had the chance
to travel all over the world. He loves to experience new places that his job leads
him to.
Before becoming a crew chief, Mario worked in one of NASA's
wind tunnels for six months testing different planes and their designs to achieve
the best aerodynamic design possible.
He realized that the Marine Corps was really where he wanted
to be. During his four years with the Marines, Mario did most of his mechanical
work on helicopters. This is where he received all of the training that he utilizes
in his job today.
Personal
A daughter, Melinda, is Mario's only family. She is 19 and attending college in
Lancaster, CA. Melinda is studying to become a college psychiatrist.
Simple advice
To anyone interested in his field, Mario simply gives the advice of sticking with
it. "If you like it, keep working hard until you get it," he said.
This was written by Jeff Walling, currently a senior at
Bear Creek High School in Stockton, CA. |
