Airfield Worker Sees Job Through Different Lens

Mike Benway is a Field Maintenance Supervisor at Pittsburgh International Airport. He oversees efforts to keep the airfield safe and operational, a gritty job that keeps him outdoors on the hottest and coldest days of the year, in rain and snow.

It also keeps him in extremely close proximity to all the aircraft on PIT’s runways and ramp, a unique advantage he uses to get photos most aviation enthusiasts can only dream of.

We spoke with Mike to learn more about his job as well as his hobby, and you can click on a photo gallery of his best shots below.

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Q: How did you get into aviation?

A: I’ve always been passionate about aviation and decided in 2006 that I wanted to join the Navy and become an avionics technician. After my training, I ended up in a squadron of F-18E Super Hornets and spent many long days and nights on the flight decks of two different aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and USS Carl Vinson. To be several feet away from a fighter jet at full afterburner just before being catapulted off the front of the boat is breathtaking every time. It was hard work, but I knew then that after I moved on from the Navy that I wanted to be in aviation.

After I got out of the Navy, I attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. I wanted to be a pilot, but after a semester of flying, I ended up switching my majors. I took an elective course on Airport Management and immediately knew that I wanted to do that as a career. After I graduated, I worked at Daytona Beach International Airport monitoring security cameras. After Daytona, I moved into an airport operations position at Roanoke Regional Airport. Working at a small airport afforded me the luxury of learning how to do many different tasks that I might not have done at a larger airport.

My wife and