The first time ever laying hands on a warbird, a flying airplane at that, was fall of 2017. Andres was asked to tour with Collings Foundation on the Wings of Freedom tour. After replacing several parts due to an engine fire, the mechanics were told to load up their things and get ready to depart for the next city. Once Witchcraft, the B-24 took flight and landed safely in Atlantic City Andres knew he was hooked.
Born June 14th 1996 in Santa Rosa De Cabal Colombia, Andres came to the United States at a very young age. Growing up near LaGuardia airport, he would wake up and go to sleep to the sound of airplanes flying overhead his apartment building. At the age of seven, he turned to his mother and told her he wanted to be an airplane mechanic. As any mother would do to her child, she looked at him and said “Ok, whatever you say Junior”. Fast forward six years, Andres was now enrolled in Aviation High School in New York City. After five years of hard work and dedication he graduated and earned his Airframe and Powerplant license. Having no real world experience, and in a very competitive field, Andres was turned down for every airline job he applied for. Losing hope of ever achieving his dream to be an airplane mechanic he worked for Magellan Aerospace in Corona, Queens NY. Andres began his jounrey in the Assembly department eventually working his way up into the machine shop where he learned how to operate a conventional Lathe and then a 5-axis CNC. Although he was making airplane parts, this wasn’t the kind of involvement in airplanes he sought out years ago.
One day a friend told him about an opportunity to go out on the road and travel with warbirds. Without a doubt in his mind he knew this was the moment he had been waiting for. Andres quit his job, packed his bags, and hopped on a train to Cape May, New Jersey. At this moment in his life, he had no idea what a warbird was or the history behind all of them. After about a month of being on the road, he was asked to come back the following year to tour the country for 10 months. Needless to say, Andres knew what his answer was before the question was finished being asked.
Eight years later, Mr. Morales is now the Supervisor at the Warbird Factory in Albany, New York. He holds an Inspection Authorization along with his Airframe and Powerplant license. With this position comes the opportunity to pay it forward and teach both younger and older generations the ins and outs of warbird maintenance while still learning, growing, and perfecting his craft. As years go by, fewer and fewer people are either interested in or knowledgeable about navigating warbird maintenance. Andres, a dedicated aviation enthusiast, aims to share his passion and expertise with like minded individuals contributing to the preservation of the aviation community and the legacy of warbirds. Through his dedication and enthusiasm, Andres embodies the spirit of perseverance and dedication that defines the aviation community, ensuring that the legacy of warbirds continues for generations to come.
