MEET PHIL RUSSO
What is your role at AIRBORNE TAMPA?
“Quality Inspector. I am part of a team that provides Inspection support and quality oversight for all production maintenance performed on customers' aircraft.”
How long have you worked at AIRBORNE TAMPA?
“I have worked at Airborne Tampa for 5 years this July. I started here as an Avionics Technician, then became an Avionics Lead and briefly a supervisor. Moved to Inspection in August 2022.”
What interested you / how did you get started in aviation?
“I got into Aviation by complete accident. I had just finished school, and I was walking past a Royal Navy and Royal Marines recruiting office. There was a large poster in the window of a sailor in a tropical uniform with a lady in a grass skirt next to him, cocktails in hand, and the sun setting behind palm trees on a lovely sandy beach, and I thought, “That looks pretty good”, so I went inside and told the man I wanted to be a map maker! He told me the Navy wasn’t recruiting for that, but to take a test and see where I could fit in; in the military. I sat the exam, and they told me I could work on Airplanes. That was in 1979, and I’m still doing it today, nearly 44 years later.”
Do you remember your first flight? Tell us about it.
“It was on a De Havilland “Heron” in the Royal Navy. A familiarization flight. We took off from a Navy base in the south of England, flew around an Island in the English channel called the Isle of Wight, and landed back at base. About a 30-minute flight. The hook was set!”
What’s your favorite vacation or travel spot?
“Europe. So many different cultures, beautiful cities and history all within a couple of hours flight of each other.”
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
“Precognition. I’d love to be able to see the future.”
What did you want to be when you grew up?
“A Cartographer, or map maker.”
What do you like to do outside of work (hobbies, etc.)?
“Relaxing, eating out, and exploring Florida with my wife.”
What would you tell others interested in working at AIRBORNE TAMPA; interested in aviation?
“An MRO is a great place to learn the aircraft. New technicians in the industry need to listen and learn from the more experienced techs that they work with. A solid foundation to a future in the industry.”
What’s your favorite quote?
“Do the right thing even when no one is looking, it’s called integrity.”