As a student at Aviation High School in Queens, New York, Wayne Wright always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up—a line mechanic for an airline. And even after 17 years doing the job at Southwest Airlines, he still enjoys every minute he spends helping to keep our aircraft fit and ready to fly.
All around Southwest, Wayne is affectionately known as “Goat Head.” “In a roundabout way, I came up with my own nickname simply by using the two-way radios in Maintenance,” Wayne says. “When I said ‘Go ahead,’ my thick New York accent came out the other receiver and sounded like ‘goat head.’ My Lead Manager brought it to everyone’s attention, and it stuck. I’ve been ‘Goat Head’ ever since.”
And Wayne has stuck with Southwest Airlines all these years because he loves the Company and the Peoplewith whom he works. “One of my favorite things about Southwest is that all of the work groups in Oakland get along. We give each other the Freedom to be ourselves and to take care of our individual responsibilities, which makes for a stronger Team."
Everyone who works with Wayne knows that he’s a hard worker who loves the challenge of troubleshooting problems. In fact, Wayne loves that no two situations in Line Maintenance are ever the same. Wayne’s knack for problem solving even makes its way into his free time, as he works on old cars as a hobby.
When he’s not fixing things, Wayne loves to travel to the East Coast to visit family in his home state of New York. He and his wife, Tara, have three kids: Wayne III, 12; Joshua, 15; and Olivia, 18. Wayne loves Southwest Airlines because he has a flexible schedule, which allows him to spend time traveling with his family, all while providing for their needs.
The way Wayne sees it, Southwest gave him the job of his dreams, and it’s his mission every day to repay that gift. But really, Wayne is a gift to Southwest Airlines. The Company Culture thrives thanks to Employees like him.Keep up the good work, Goat Head!