Aviation maintenance student completes second co-op tour with NASA

Community & Technical College student Jeff Requist has returned to UAA after completing his second co-op education tour with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Requist, who is pursuing a degree in aviation maintenance technology, has spent a semester and two summers working at the center as part of the Pathways Programs, formerly known as the Student Career Experience Program.

The program is competitively recruited and successful student applicants work directly with engineers and scientist to support flight research aircraft and missions. During his latest tour, Requist was assigned to the experimental fabrication branch where he learned and used various fabrication techniques in support of the center's research aircraft.

His experience includes sheet metal working, welding, laser marking, computer numerical control and manual machine tooling, precision measuring, and using advanced professional engineering software. Applying these techniques, Requist produced components such as camera mounts, gauge brackets, carbon fiber assemblies, and test and instrumentation support elements.

His work contributed to a number of high-profile research projects. These include NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory, Dream Chaser spacecraft, Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, and F-18 mission support aircraft.

To learn more about exciting projects and educational programs at Dryden, visit their website.

More Links

• SOFIA: NASA's Stellar Flying Observatory
• Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser Undergoes Captive-Carry Test (Video)

This story by Paul Herrick originally appeared in the Community & Technical College's Insider Blog on Nov. 8, 2013.