Meet the father and son building a legacy at American

Malachi Drenthe, Overhaul Support Mechanic at American’s Tulsa, Okla., maintenance base, knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps when he was a teenager. Like many other children of Tech Ops – Tulsa team members, he saw his father, Brian, an Aircraft Base Maintenance Manager at American, working on aircraft. He regularly attended Family Days at the maintenance base in Tulsa and knew things with wings were in his future.

Malachi explored different careers in aviation, but working with his hands and staying close to home was his calling. Reflecting on his father’s hard work and dedication to pursue his FAA Airframe and Powerplant licenses inspired him to follow a similar career path.

“More than anything else, my dad reminded me that when he was a young guy in Chicago, he had upwards of three different jobs just to put himself through school,” said Malachi. “I saw that drive, that work ethic, and I wanted to emulate that in my life.”