Most recent role: Lead MCC Engineer for IFE & Cabin Systems
VladislavMonakhov.
From aircraft faults
to fleet support.
8+ years in airline IFE/IFEC and cabin systems. Complex-fault investigation, fleet support, reliability analysis and technical training.
Phuket, Thailand / Open to work
01 THE WIDER PICTURE
One aircraft.One fault.A wider perspective.
I started at the aircraft. My work grew into fleet-wide IFE support, cabin-systems coordination and technical training — connecting fault evidence, maintenance teams and the next practical step.
Years in airline IFE/IFEC
and cabin systems
Mixed Airbus & Boeing
maintenance support
Specialists trained in IFE
systems and maintenance
02 THE WAY I WORK
Start withthe evidence.
Symptoms. Technical logs. BITE results. Defect history. The relevant manual. I test assumptions, communicate unresolved findings and leave a clear next step. I handed over work through emailed plans in MCC and direct on-aircraft briefings in technician roles.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
Inside
the system.
Understand the connections.
Make the next technical step clear.
03 EXPERTISE
Connected systems.
Practical understanding.
From the seat screen to the maintenance handover. Select an area to explore.
At the aircraft. Across the system.
Hands-on and remote fault isolation using technical logs, BITE, manuals, engineering drawings and electrical schematics. Experience spans IFE, local wireless streaming, seat electrical interfaces and fibre-optic networks.
Earlier connectivity work included SATCOM and onboard internet-server troubleshooting, access-point checks and equipment replacement in satellite and onboard GSM systems, including work with SITAONAIR systems.
Make the next action clear.
I coordinated IFE support across B737, A320-family, B777, A330 and A350 aircraft. I took primary responsibility for the B777 fleet, monitored IFE status on other types and supported complex cases. Cabin and seat support focused on B777, A330 and A350.
Turn defect history into useful evidence.
IFE reliability analysis using technical logs, BITE results and defect history. I prepared serviceability projections to support planning under limited spare-parts availability and repair capacity.
Make technical knowledge usable.
As Lead MCC Engineer, I trained more than 100 specialists and was the sole IFE instructor for technicians at the maintenance base. I taught base technicians and visiting outstation technicians using OEM documentation, simplified diagrams and maintenance cases.
Training covered system architecture, signal paths and systematic fault isolation. I also prepared practical troubleshooting instructions and short reference notes for use after training.
04 SELECTED WORK
The work
behind the title.
Engineering projects and maintenance investigations. Open each to follow the evidence and my contribution.
Go to fault investigations01 / RELIABILITYPlanning with
limited spares.IFE serviceability under constrained replenishmentPERSONALLY PREPARED ANALYSIS
Projecting serviceability.
I investigated rising IFE defect counts, equipment replacements and rectification times, reviewing equipment operating hours, failure records and repair histories. I prepared serviceability projections using established reliability methods to support maintenance planning.
- My contribution
- Analysis of equipment operating hours, failure records and repair histories.
- Concrete output
- A technical report with calculations, tables and charts.
- Decision support
- Management used the report to assess future IFE serviceability and maintenance-support needs.
02 / ACCEPTANCEBefore the
first departure.Cabin checks and findings before deliveryDELIVERY ACCEPTANCE PARTICIPATION
Technical observation. Clear documentation.
I participated in aircraft delivery acceptance, checking IFE monitors, touchscreens, handsets and headphones, alongside the condition of premium-cabin seats and finishes. I documented observations with photographs and submitted a consolidated report to the acceptance lead.
- My contribution
- Functional checks, cabin observations and documentation.
- Recorded output
- A photographic report of cabin findings.
03 / ENGINEERING INITIATIVEBringing remote
support closer.Portable remote-support gatewayDESIGN & DOCUMENTATION
A documented remote-support design.
I developed the technical design and installation documentation for a portable gateway intended to provide temporary MCC remote access to aircraft IFE systems, using a Raspberry Pi 4, 4G/LTE and WireGuard VPN. At handover, the project had reached the documented-design stage, with prototype assembly and testing as the next steps.
- My contribution
- Technical design and installation documentation.
- Stage at handover
- Design documented; prototype assembly and testing pending.
FIELD NOTES / FAULT ISOLATION
Faults I
worked through.
Recurring symptoms, electrical patterns and equipment histories. Three investigations from my maintenance work, with aircraft and operators anonymized.
01 / WAP#3Two faults.
One recurring symptom.Connector contacts and a server with a revealing historyDEFECT HISTORY / SERIAL-NUMBER TRACEABILITY
Look beyond the latest replacement.
- Symptom
- A recurring WAP#3 fault in the local wireless IFE system kept returning despite earlier equipment replacements and wiring checks.
- Investigation
- I reviewed the aircraft’s defect history and work already completed, then specified replacement of the contacts in the connector attached to WAP#3. When the fault remained after that work, I checked the installed server by serial number: the same unit had been removed from four other aircraft for the same reported defect.
- Action & outcome
- Both the connector contacts and the server were replaced. Normal operation was restored, with no recurrence reported in subsequent informal follow-up with colleagues.
The decisive evidence came from combining the aircraft’s defect history with the individual unit’s removal history.
02 / THALES I5000The pattern
pointed to power.Two powered rows, then an unpowered rowTHREE-PHASE DISTRIBUTION / WIRING CHECKS
Use the distribution of the symptom.
- Symptom
- Seat groups followed a repeating pattern: two rows operated normally, then the next had no power, continuing through the affected area.
- Investigation
- I related the pattern to the system’s three-phase power distribution and checked the wiring with a meter. The measurements identified a missing phase.
- Action & outcome
- I located the faulty wire, and the wiring was repaired to address the loss of power.
A repeating pattern across seat rows pointed to a shared electrical cause.
03 / PANASONIC eX2A restart.
A longer history.Repeated in-flight IFE resets traced through server historiesRECURRING DEFECT / EQUIPMENT SERVICEABILITY
Check the history behind the hardware.
- Symptom
- The IFE system repeatedly restarted during flight, and earlier troubleshooting had not resolved the issue.
- Investigation
- I reviewed the installed servers’ fault and maintenance histories. That review identified two servers with serviceability issues.
- Action & outcome
- The two servers were replaced, resolving the reported restart issue. The aircraft continued operating after the intervention.
Individual equipment history helped determine the next maintenance action.
05 THE FLIGHT PATH
Built on
hands-on experience.
A progression from IFE technician to foreman and Lead MCC Engineer.
APR 2024 — SEP 2026Lead MCC EngineerIFE & Cabin Systems · Airline maintenance
Coordinated fleet-wide IFE support across B737, A320-family, B777, A330 and A350 aircraft, with primary responsibility for the B777 fleet. Monitored IFE status on other types and supported complex cases. Cabin and seat work focused on B777, A330 and A350.
Coordinated with four maintenance units through their shift supervisors. In urgent or complex cases, assigned tasks directly, briefed technicians and attended the aircraft when further support was needed. Direct technical guidance in complex cases could involve up to around 20 specialists.
Trained more than 100 specialists, including maintenance-base and visiting outstation technicians, using OEM materials and practical fault-isolation explanations. Prepared troubleshooting instructions and reference notes.
Planned corrective work around aircraft downtime, available personnel and operator priorities. Analyzed reliability and supported MEL decisions within the assigned IFE and cabin scope. Prepared emailed shift handovers with the rectification plan, completed work and next actions for the following shift.
JAN 2023 — APR 2024Avionics TechnicianAircraft maintenance
Performed pre-departure and post-arrival checks and hands-on troubleshooting within Category A authorizations, with IFE and cabin systems experience.
JAN 2020 — JAN 2023IFE Technician — ForemanIFE line maintenance & team coordination
Allocated maintenance work and guided technicians through IFE inspection, troubleshooting, component replacement and functional testing under line-maintenance time constraints.
Worked with Panasonic eX-series and Thales I5000. Supported cabin modifications, premium-seat interfaces and fibre-optic network checks.
JAN 2018 — DEC 2019IFE TechnicianIFE line & base maintenance
Performed line and base maintenance on IFE, connectivity equipment and cabin interfaces. Carried out operational checks, fault isolation and defect rectification during aircraft turnarounds.
06 TECHNICAL FOUNDATION
Always
learning the system.
OEM & technical training
Individual training records, with a certificate for each course. Public copies have employer details and personal identifiers redacted.
- Panasonic AvionicseX3 & Connectivity Line Maintenance22–24 January 2020View certificate
- Panasonic AvionicseX1/eXW Line Maintenance28 November 2018View certificate
- Panasonic AvionicseX2 Line Maintenance26–27 November 2018View certificate
- Thales InFlyt Experiencei5000 IFE with Top Connect — B777 Line MaintenanceJanuary 2019 · Irvine, CaliforniaView certificate
- Collins AerospaceA350 Horizon Business, MiQ Premium Economy & Aspire Y Seat MaintenanceFebruary 2020View certificate
- Boeing7X7 BACC69C & BACC69A Multi-Mode Fiber Optic Cable Maintenance7 March 2018View certificate
- AirbusEWIS — AMC 20-22 Groups 1–2, theory & practical training27–30 August 2019 · ToulouseView certificate
Additional technical training5 more course certificates
- ETOPS fundamentalsFundamentals ETOPS Training25–26 February 2019 · Airline training centreView certificate
- Human FactorsInitial Training — EASA Part-14525–28 March 2019 · Airline training centreView certificate
- Fuel Tank SafetyPhase 1 & Phase 2 — Initial Training12–13 April 2018 · Airline training centreView certificate
- Human FactorsPart-66 Module 9 — theoretical training & examination15–16 November 2018 · Airline training centreView certificate
- Aviation LegislationPart-66 Module 10 — theoretical training & examination12–14 November 2018 · Airline training centreView certificate
Education & qualifications
Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation
Technical Operation of Aircraft Electrical and Flight Navigation Systems
Sep 2018 — Feb 2024
Egoryevsk Aviation Technical College of Civil Aviation
Electrical and Flight Navigation Systems
Sep 2013 — Jun 2017
Russian Federation — Category A1.
Ratings listed: A319/A320/A321 (CFM56), A330 (Trent 700), B777-200/300 (GE90).
View licenceB2 and FAA A&P not held.
AMOS · Toolbox · Panasonic DART · Wireshark · Basic Linux CLI · VPN / WireGuard
SQL and Python for occasional troubleshooting and analysis.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE WORK
Still curious.
Still learning.
IFE is a big part of my life. I enjoy investigating difficult faults, understanding how systems interact and helping colleagues build that same understanding.
I value clear technical explanations, practical learning and sharing knowledge with the people I work with.
07 NEXT DESTINATION
A new team.
A wider horizon.
Have a question or an opportunity in mind? I’d be glad to hear from you.