BPT’s Own Dave Monti, A&P, IA
Wins 2019 National Aviation
Technician of the Year
The General Aviation Awards Program is a cooperative effort between more than a dozen sponsoring organizations from the aviation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
For nearly 50 years, the General Aviation Awards Program has recognized aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and flight safety for their important contributions to the general aviation community. In 2019, the National Winner of the Aviation Technician of the Year is BPT’s Director
of Maintenance and long-time instructor, Jon David “Dave” Monti, A&P, IA..
Dave was selected to represent his local Reno, NV FSDO last Fall and along with nominees from some 70+ FSDO’s around the US, Dave was selected as one of the four Regional Winners. And, from the “Final Four” Dave has recently been selected to represent all of his aviation maintenance colleagues as the National Aviation Technician for 2019.
These National Awards will be conferred at EAA AIrVenture in Oshkosh this summer and highlight the important leadership roles Dave and the other National Awardees play in promoting aviation safety, education, and professionalism.
Having earned his Aviation Mechanic Certificate in 1975, Dave has evolved into an exceptional aviation maintenance technician; he has been practicing his trade and honing his skills for more than 40 years while operating his business, Rebuilt Aircraft, first in South Lake Tahoe, CA and subsequently in Minden, NV. Dave operates his shop on the “lean side of peak”, usually employing only one other technician while applying his personal skills as well to maintain and rebuild customers’ aircraft. While he could easily expand his business, take on many more eager customers, and maintain & repair a much larger fleet of aircraft, Dave’s philosophy has been to do much of the work himself while managing a small staff and concentrating on the quality of work, rather than the magnitude of aircraft maintained. This credo has worked well as Dave has built a large and loyal customer base that trust him and return for him to perform work on their airplanes. Most of Dave’s clients have used him for their maintenance work for many consecutive years, and there is a large number of clients who recognize his superior reputation and patiently wait for Dave to accept them into his limited customer base.
Like a few other mechanics, Dave is also a pilot and has owned his Beechcraft Bonanza for many years. He understands the value of reliable maintenance and having a trusted mechanic work on one’s airplane. Dave treats each aircraft in his care as if it were his own airplane carrying his family members. These fundamental principles appeal to Dave’s customers who desire his services.
Dave submits to routine training for sharpening his piloting skills, and he also receives routine training for his mechanic skills. Further, Dave is committed to providing training for pilots and mechanics, other than himself, and has been doing so in his leadership roles with the Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP) and the Beechcraft Pilot Training (BPT) endeavors. He began teaching with BPPP more than 30 years ago and continues to engage with more than 250 pilots each year at BPT clinics throughout the United States and in at least one foreign country. His presentations share his expertise in maintenance and operation of Beechcraft Bonanza, Baron, and Travel Air aircraft. His leadership in these organizations assures quality of the training and financial viability of the business.
Among a group of exceptional aviation maintenance technicians, Dave stands out from his peers as he makes it his mission in life to improve every aspect of aviation safety through better maintenance and education of pilots & mechanics.
Throughout his exemplary career as a mechanic, pilot, instructor, and aviation enthusiast, he has always focused his work on learning and then applying his skills to the world of aircraft maintenance. Although GAMA is manufacturing a few new aircraft each year, our nation’s pilots largely fly a fleet of aging aircraft; Dave’s personal mission is to help pilots and maintenance personnel keep all aircraft flying safely, while improving their operation and extending lifespans.
Please join in a hearty congratulations to Dave Monti for receipt of this most prestigious National General Aviation Award.