Roxanne's Rules

Have you heard of Roxanne Rosado? Until earlier today, I hadn’t. 

That’s until I got an email promo for the Smart Aviator’s podcast “Roxanne’s Rules for Better Plane Maintenance.” I clicked on the link and listened to the 18 minute YouTube interview by Larry Anglisano of Roxanne Rosado. Rodado is an A&P/IA, FAA FSDO liaison, and the head of Airworthiness for TBX.

During the interview, Roblado talked about a few of her 25 career principles every aviation mechanic should live by.

Curious to learn more, I went to the TBX website (airworthy.com) to see if I could find her complete list. Sure enough, I found that list. Her 25 career principles  every aviation mechanic should live by are:

#1: Being a good mechanic starts by being a good person

#2: Show up ready to work

#3: This is a mentorship trade - act like it

#4: No job is too small

#5: Culture matters more than you think

#6: Find the best mechanic in the shop and pay attention

#7: Read the manual ("RTFM")

#8: Learn to find information - nobody has time to babysit

#9: Learn parts traceability

#10: Know your tech data and ATA codes

#11: Know your hardware

#12: Make great log entries

#13: Be your own inspector first

#14: Slow is smooth and smooth is fast

#15: Protect your certificate like your life depends on it

#16: Trust your gut on safety

#17: Communicate clearly, and early

#18: Don't use AI (ChatGPT) for regulatory questions

#19: The learning doesn't stop at the end of your shift

#20: Perfect practice makes perfect

#21: Precision starts with calibrated tools

#22: Be a good student of the craft

#23: Keep a clean and organized workspace

#24: Be careful on racking up debt for tools

#25: Remember what's at stake

According to Roxanne’s rules, the best mechanic is never just a skilled technician — they are a trustworthy professional, a disciplined technician, and above all, a good person.

You can click HERE to read all of Roxanne’s rules, along with a brief explanation of each one.

Thanks for putting this list together Roxanne. We appreciate you sharing your professionalism with our craft!

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