United Airlines Chix Fix is an all-female team of aviation technicians who are making leaps and bounds in aerospace. They are the first commercial all-female team to compete at the Aerospace Maintenance Competition.
“Chix Fix is a group of female technicians who have come together to compete in the Olympics of aviation maintenance,” Bonnie Turner, managing director of Airframe Repair and Overhaul at United Airlines, told ABC’s “Good Morning America”. “It’s just to demonstrate that female technicians are just as good as their male counterparts.”
In the competition they will have to complete various aviation mechanical tests, from inspecting aircraft control systems to checking fuel levels. The competition tests will come as no surprise to the team since they also had the opportunity to attend in 2018. During this time, they were the only commercial all-female team to compete, and ended up placing in many categories.
Chix Fix was founded in 2017 by senior United Airlines technicians to help increase female representation in the competition. Its members come from various backgrounds and have experience that varies from years to decades. This experience level allows the team to provide mentorship to younger members.
Turner is one of those team members who now helps mentor younger women in the industry. “It’s been an amazing career path. I couldn’t have done it without allies in the workforce and mentors which have been men for me,” Turner said.
Much like many others in the industry, she acknowledges that a work environment is more productive when both genders are represented. Having women in the workforce “helps bring a different perspective and helps round out, whether it’s an approach to people or the workforce,” Turner said.
As Chix Fix continues to grow and evolve, they hope they can inspire women to follow their dreams and passions in any industry.
“Don’t let anyone tell you [that] you can’t do something just because you’re a woman,” said Line Maintenance Technician Zoe Wainwright. “If you’re passionate about it and you make sure you know how to do it, you can do it, and no one can stop you.”
