MABE student Christopher Schenck’s co-op work assignment has sent him to Louisville, Kentucky to work with the largest logistics company in the world, the United Parcel Service, more commonly referred to as UPS.
Christopher Schenck stands in front of a turbine engine at the UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky.
My name is Christopher Schenck, and I am a rising junior studying aerospace engineering. Right now, I am taking a break from classes to work a yearlong aircraft engineering co-op with UPS in Louisville, KY. UPS is the largest logistics company in the world, and specializes in commercial package delivery. It is very well-known and is widely considered as one of the best companies to work for.
Within aircraft engineering, my co-op is focused on power plant engineering, working with the engines of the planes. UPS’ aircraft fleet is composed of Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas planes mounted with engines from Pratt & Whitney, GE, and Rolls-Royce. As power plant engineers, it is our job to work with these OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to fix any engine problems that our aircraft may encounter, and to comply with FAA and OEM regulations. Right now, my role is to support and learn from our full-time engineers. I spend most of my time analyzing aviation documents given to us by the FAA/OEMs, filling out paperwork such as job cards and engineering orders, and then going over and revising my work with my engineering mentors. When I am not doing this, I am socializing with other engineers and co-ops, or reading engine manuals to understand how they work. I also have access to the UPS Worldport and the ability to go inside planes like the Boeing 747-8 and 757 while they undergo maintenance. The key things that UPS emphasizes to their engineers are communication and attention to detail, since the work we do may not be able to be explained in person. Since I am just starting, I haven’t had the opportunity to work on any big projects, but UPS offers a lot of opportunity for growth. A few of the engineers I work with started out as co-ops and were hired full-time and many of the engineers that work here have been here for 20+ years. Our group also has lots of events, like building wide cookouts and the UPS Plane Pull to socialize and get to know our co-workers.
I would definitely recommend working for UPS to other students at the University of Tennessee. Not only is the work engaging, but UPS is a great company to work for in terms of who you are working with and the benefits it provides. I will continue to use the skills and work ethic I am developing while working here throughout the rest of my studies and into my career. If you would like to learn more or have any questions about engineering, resumes or the internship/co-op process, feel free to reach out to me or stop by the Engineering Professional Practice Office.