Onsite with Diego CiFuentes

Introducing Diego CiFuentes 

Over the 22 years of activity in the aviation industry, his career as an electronics engineer has included work for airlines and original equipment manufacturers. He joined Honeywell Customer Support 12 years ago from Avianca Airlines, bringing an understanding of what it’s like to walk in the customer’s shoes since his previous role was head of avionics for the airline. Diego serves as an instructor in avionics fundamentals and Honeywell products and is licensed as a Colombian Aerocivil – Aeronautical Specialist Engineer.

Please Introduce yourself and your role at Honeywell Aerospace

I have been working for Honeywell Aerospace for the last 12 years. I currently serve as an electronic engineer and I am a specialist in providing avionics technical support. I am based in Bogota, Colombia and mainly assist large Central and South American commercial airlines.

Whether I am at my desk or in the field, I help customers with situations where the first line of tech support has been unsuccessful. Most frequently, I work with airline technicians and engineers to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair complex systems or software issues for their flight departments.  

What previous experiences led you to a support role at Honeywell?

I worked for a commercial airline for 11 years, so I understand the customer needs and expectations. I decided to move to the supplier side of the aviation industry and support customers the same way Honeywell used to support me in my previous role. I find it fascinating, and I really enjoy solving my customers’ technical problems. 

Why are you passionate about aviation?

My father worked in the aviation industry for 40 years. I was exposed to this world from a very young age and always wanted to live on airplanes. At 17, I was determined to start my pilot training but found out I had myopia and astigmatism. I needed surgery but had to wait until I was 23 years old to have it done. I decided to study electronic engineering and specialize in Avionics to stay close to planes.

What do you do day-to-day?

In my day-to-day work, I support the technical sales team after the acquisition of equipment, either in-house or in a customer’s hangar. I must respond to customers and tackle their issues where first-line product support has been unsuccessful in isolating or fixing malfunctioning equipment or software. I provide technical assistance to field engineers, technicians and product support people who are diagnosing, troubleshooting, repairing and debugging sophisticated electro-mechanical equipment and computer systems. I also report product architecture, reliability and maintenance problems to design engineering. Furthermore, I may be involved in customer installation and training. 

Can you share a unique aspect of your role as Field Support Engineer?

I have participated in various University seminars and forums introducing Honeywell's avionics systems to students and professors interested in the aerospace industry.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is keeping my clients' planes in the air and solving their technical problems in the shortest time possible.