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Regular maintenance at an airport is an integral part of daily operations as it ensures safety and provides pilots with the proper resources. At YMM, the Fort McMurray Airport Authority’s maintenance team has various roles and responsibilities. The one responsible for managing the crew is aviation enthusiast Jeff Vader.
Born and raised in Alberta, Vader moved from Airdrie to Fort McMurray for the FMAA’s Airport Maintenance Assistant Manager position in March 2020. His first day on the job was three days before the global pandemic hit.
Despite the challenges of being in a new place, away from his wife and firstborn, Vader said he and the team showed up each day and adapted to the continuous changes in workplace procedures and policies. Six months following, Vader became the FMAA Airport Maintenance Manager.
His passion for aviation started at a young age, as his father held a private pilot license (PPL) and further fueled his interest when they built a plane together. He followed in his father's footsteps and obtained his own PPL in 2008.
He explains how the most rewarding part of his career, aside from viewing aircraft daily, is the wide scope of work involved.
“We work everywhere the light touches at YMM. From maintaining the landscape to the runway, every day is different. There’s always something going on, and you never know what your day is going to be like,” he said. “Some days, you’re operating a ten-dollar broom and the next a one-million-dollar broom.”
The million-dollar broom mentioned is YMM’s new snow sweeper, the Øveraasen RS-400. This is just one of the various pieces of equipment operated by the airport’s maintenance crew.
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