Working on airplanes is a profession that runs in the Rowe family. Craig Rowe, his twin brother, and his older brother are all aircraft mechanics. His father was an aircraft technician installing systems on military aircraft during the Vietnam War, after serving with the U.S. Navy in the Korean conflict. "We are mechanically inclined," says Rowe, who since 2015 has been the lead crew chief of the Gulfstream IV, part of the aircraft fleet at MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Flight Test Facility (FTF) on Hanscom Air Force Base. As lead crew chief, he manages the inspection, maintenance, and servicing of the aircraft to ensure it is fully operational and safe for flight. "Since I was a kid, I've had an interest in building and getting things running. I've also always been interested in airplanes, but this job involves more than just working on airplanes. These aircraft are test beds for the U.S. Department of War," Rowe says. Rowe began his career in 1985 as an automotive mechanic. From 1986...
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