10 Reasons You Should Read More as an A&P

As an A&P Mechanic, you will read a lot.

If you aren’t reading maintenance manuals, you’ll be reading schematics, troubleshooting trees, blueprints, work orders, work order entries written by other mechanics that require the use of a jewelers' loupe, STC data, and the list goes on. Ultimately, there's a large amount of required reading built into our job.

Your reading comprehension skill may be lacking if you weren’t much of a reader before. How can you get up to speed? Talk to your doctor! Seriously though, you need to read more at home. You don't get stronger by sitting on the couch and wishing up muscles. The same goes for anything else you may need to strengthen.

So what can reading actually do for you?

1. Give your analytical thinking skills a boost

That tiny bit of daily mental exercise is what's going to help you solve problems later. You may not see the impact on the production floor at first, but when you are easily demolishing problems that arise, and more quickly, you'll start to notice the benefit.

2. Reduces stress

A study completed by the University of Sussex in 2009 found that reading can actually reduce stress by up to 68%. How much do you have to read in order to gain that benefit? About 30 minutes. For what it gives you, reading certainly has a great ROI.

3. A powerful relaxation tool

Coupled with reducing overall stress, reading actually relaxes you better than listening to music or even drinking that hot cup of tea. It can even lower your heart rate and reduce the tension in your muscles!

4. Strengthens relationships

This one may seem odd to you, but reading creates experiences that help us widen our world view. The exposure to different views builds a path to understanding by helping us see other existences. That understanding constructs a bridge to others and their perspectives, even if you may not agree with the picture, you can see it now.

5. They do what they see

If you have children you already know they learn from you. Kids watch their parents to learn how to become human and what that essentially means. It's fairly simple, if you want your kids to read more then, you need to be the example. Making it a family endeavor by reading out loud also enforces a positive influence around reading.

6. Pump that memory!

Reading requires that you take the time to process what is written. While this is going on, it boosts your brain activity, which leads to working your memory and keeping it sharp. More on this subject is being studied with ongoing research at the Haskins Laboratories for the Science of Spoken and Written Word.

7. Attention, Attention, Attention

Did you know the average attention span for adults is 20 minutes for something you're not interested in? This is relatively small compared to the fact we are faced with around 16 hours of being awake and productive each day. You can increase that attention span by reading! That increased attention span can be the difference in doing the job right the first time or missing a step while performing maintenance. It's safe to say, this a big one!

8. Vocab 2.0

You're probably wondering why you should care about vocabulary as an aircraft mechanic. One word, interviews. In order to put your best foot forward in the presence of a Director of Maintenance and/or Hiring Manager, you need to be well-spoken. Strong vocabulary, used naturally, best conveys strong intellect. Would you want to hire someone who doesn't seem to grasp words or language? Will they be able to read manuals accurately and interpret what they're supposed to do correctly and in a timely manner? What about their logbook entries, will they present a legal problem? You start to see where the benefits lay.

9. Communication Station

Communication includes writing as much as it does speaking. Conveying what maintenance you did in a logbook entry translates to communicating accurately in writing. Reading helps strengthen your vocabulary, which helps your writing skills.

10. FUN

Finally, reading is a form of entertainment. This one had more to do with being a human rather than our chosen career paths, but I decided to throw it in any way.

I hope this inspires you to read more

If it does, just remember that I am not responsible for your intense commitment to reading as you build the habit.

I'm not addicted to reading, I can stop as soon as I finish the next chapter.