Mauricio Rivera - Skydiving Mechanic

If you had asked Mauricio Rivera where he saw himself in 10 years when he first began the A&P mechanic course at San Antonio’s Hallmark Institute of Technology in Texas, his answer would have included a wish to be working on airliners or as a commercial pilot. The idea that he would become a head A&P mechanic for the Parachute Center located in Lodi, California, would never have entered his mind.

For Rivera, becoming an aircraft mechanic went hand in hand with becoming a commercial pilot.

“I thought that getting my A&P would open the door and provide me with more flying opportunities. Besides, I like working on planes. I think it helps me become a better pilot by knowing more about how the different planes work.”

As soon as he received his A&P, Rivera was hired by a small skydiving school near San Antonio, Texas, where he maintained the school’s Cessna 182. From there, he moved around, working on a variety of single-engine airplanes at various drop zones in Texas and California. He even tried his hand at sharing ownership of a Cessna 182 and a small airport in Golden, Missouri.

“I enjoyed being able to take the time to work on my own airplane and learned that it pays in the long run to follow maintenance guidelines and to research ADs as closely as possible. Running a small rural airport on top of maintaining aircraft is tough, though, and was definitely a learning experience.”

Eventually, Rivera moved back to California, took a break from working at skydiving centers, and was hired as the chief mechanic for Memley Aviation, a flight school and Part 135 air taxi operation in Fresno, California.

“ Working for Memley was probably my favorite position as a mechanic. Not only did I get to talk with many students, instructors, and aircraft owners on a daily basis, but it was challenging to diagnose and fix the different problems on a large variety of aircraft that came through our hangar,” said Rivera. “It was during my time at Memley that I earned my Inspection Authorization, which further opened doors for me in this career.”

When family circumstances forced a change in his life, Rivera found himself moving to Lodi, California, where he began to work at the Parachute Center, one of the busiest skydiving schools on the West Coast. Not only does he fly the school’s airplanes or film skydivers when needed, he is one of the main mechanics, seeing to the daily maintenance of the center’s Twin Otter, Beech airliner, and Cessna 182 as well as any other aircraft that comes through.

When asked about the commonly accepted belief that skydiving airplanes are held together with baling twine and duct tape, Rivera answered with a quick shake of his head.

“It’s a misconception that the planes used for skydiving are lucky to even get off the ground. The owners of these aircraft have to follow the same FAA regulations to the letter just as anyone running a commercial operation,” he said. “The only difference in skydiving versus non-skydiving aircraft is found in the interiors of the planes. Most have seats without upholstery to prevent rips in the fabric, or benches for the skydivers. You don’t find the same attention to cosmetics that you will on personal or commercial airplanes,” he added.

Rivera said that he has had to deal with the occasional aircraft owner who wanted to take shortcuts in order to save time or money when it came to maintenance of their aircraft.

“I worked for one drop zone owner who constantly tried to get me to cut corners or put a bandage on problems I found with his airplanes, a Beech 18 and a Cessna 182,” said Rivera. “It was a daily struggle between what he wanted and my insistence on following regulations. After a while, it became a real test to work for him, so I moved on to another job. I think it’s owners like that who give the sport a bad name when it comes to the quality of skydiving aircraft.”

Rivera enjoys his current position, especially the opportunity to work on the bigger, multiengine aircraft. And, while he might eventually move on to bigger and better things, for now he continues to ensure that the Parachute Center’s airplanes are well-maintained and safe for the thousands of people who skydive there every year.