Today, Banyan honored its maintenance team in recognition of AMT day with a catered lunch and speakers. Dave Valenta, Banyan’s director of maintenance, organized the event to thank the technicians for the work they perform every day.

Don Campion, president of Banyan, spoke about the team’s commitment and said, “Banyan has continued to grow even during the difficult times because our technicians exceed expectations and go above and beyond.”  He mentioned the importance of following systems and procedures which results in saving lives.

A representative from the FAA FASTeam presented the history of AMT day and the significance of Congress recognizing May 24^th as AMT Day.

Lou Homsher, Banyan’s maintenance chief inspector read the poem “The Mechanics Creed” written Jerome Lederer and all the technicians enjoyed a great lunch.

Mechanic’s Creed

UPON MY HONOR I swear that I shall hold in sacred
trust the rights and privileges conferred upon me as a
certified mechanic. Knowing full well that the safety and lives
of others are dependent upon my skill and judgment, I shall
never knowingly subject others to risks which I would not be
willing to assume for myself, or for those dear to me.

IN DISCHARGING this trust, I pledge myself never to
undertake work or approve work which I feel to be beyond
the limits of my knowledge; nor shall I allow any non certificate
superior to persuade me to approve aircraft or equipment
as airworthy against my better judgment; nor shall

I permit my judgment to be influenced by money or other
personal gain; nor shall I pass as airworthy aircraft or equipment
about which I am in doubt, either as a result of direct
inspection or uncertainty regarding the ability of others who
have worked on it to accomplish their work satisfactorily.
I REALIZE the grave responsibility which is mine as a
certified airman, to exercise my judgment on the airworthiness
of aircraft and equipment. I, therefore, pledge unyielding adherence
to these precepts for the advancement of aviation and for
the dignity of my vocation.

Mike O’Keeffe, Brian Wilson, and Paul Rose represented Banyan Air Service at the 10th annual EBACE convention (European Business Aviation Association) held in Geneva, Switzerland.  This is the third year that Banyan has exhibited at this event.

EBACE is the primary business aviation show for all of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and all places in between.  It is a joint event sponsored by the NBAA and the EBAA.  EBACE is a good indicator for business aviation trends in the European marketplace, and it was nice to see that both attendees and exhibitors exceeded last year’s convention on the first day.  The aircraft static area was full with around 65 business aircraft on display, and the over-all feeling of the show was upbeat and positive.

This year, like last year, Banyan teamed up with Duncan Aviation and Fargo Jet Center, all under the umbrella of Avfuel.  We were pleased that Banyan’s recognition as a world class FBO and international gateway has continued to grow. We were pleased to be among the exhibitors and look forward to attending next year with even more to offer!

The perfect way to spend a chilly afternoon in Florida is with the 2010 1^st Annual Maintenance Team Chili-Soup Cook-off competition that was coordinated by Dave Valenta and his team of committee members. Dave and his dedicated team spent a lot of time developing a very organized and regulated competition. They provided each of the 22 contestants with a list of official rules to be followed and information on how their chili was going to be judged. The competitors had to purchase all their ingredients from a store (i.e. No Roadkill), prepare enough to be judged (min of 2 quarts), bring the chili pre-cooked, and provide their own serving utensils. The judging started promptly at 11 am and it took the 5 judges (Mike O’Keeffe, Jim Barcel, Priscilla Strickland, Kathy Knowles and Lynn Juengel) over an hour to pick a winner. The chili was provided to the judges anonymously, and identified only by a number. Not only did the competitors have to follow rules and regulations, Dave and his team even developed official guidelines for the judges, such as, once the judges had finished tasting a chili they were not allowed to re-taste it. Judges were required to use new spoons on each chili and were forbidden to talk to each other until the judging was complete. Each judge was provided a rating form on which they rated all 22 chili’s on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best) in 4 main categories; color, consistency, aroma, and spice and flavor.

After the judging was completed (but, wisely before the winner was announced), the rest of the team members were invited in for a chili lunch on a chilly day. The team went all out and a number of people volunteered to bring in chips, pasta, cornbread, hot dogs and a variety of desserts, making it more like a full-blown buffet. Everyone was given a half hour to eat and try all the different chili’s before the winner was announced, and each contestant was quick to point out their chili, and to recommend theirs.

Although the competition was close, three contestants rose above the rest. 3^rd place went to Dan Day, 2^nd place went to Russell Otowchits, and the 1^st place winner was Paul Baran. Each winner received a framed chili-winner award and a chili-winner ribbon. First place winner Paul got the inspiration for creating his winning chili from his son, who cooks his chili by adding things bit by bit and letting each item cook for a while instead of throwing everything into the pot at once and walking away. Paul used his son’s method and took away the blue. Dave and his team put a great deal of time into providing a wonderful cook-off experience, and hope to continue this competition and turn it into a tradition.