New Part 147 Training Era, Finally

The basic requirements to become a licensed aircraft maintenance technician (AMT) haven’t changed much over the years. Until now. Robert W. Moorman explores dramatic changes in AMT training methodologies and regulations.

The passage of the Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act is likely to have a significant effect on how AMTs are trained and certified in the United States.

The PARTT 147 language was attached to the massive “CoronaBus” Consolidated Appropriations Act, which provides funding for coronavirus relief. President Trump reluctantly signed the omnibus bill into law on December 27. Now the  FAA has until 27 March 2021 to enact the new part 147 as directed by Congress.

PARTT 147 requires the FAA to reform technical education by promoting innovative curriculum development for aviation mechanics, enabling schools to adjust their curriculum as needed to be more aligned with the latest Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Airman Certification Standard (ACS).

PARTT 147 also moves airman training to a competency-based standard, removing the static curriculum and “hours of training” requirements. This means, for example, students might test sooner if they can prove they meet the knowledge and skill requirements of the ACS.

These new rules will help students save tuition dollars and replenish the rapidly depleting A&P technician talent pipeline.

In addition, the law provides for “additional fixed locations” for training, such as high school partnership programs. Federally accredited institutions no longer have to obtain FAA approval of curriculum and grading systems.

“PARTT 147 is a great step forward in creating the next generation of aviation maintenance technicians,” said Chris Moore, Chairman of The Aviation Mechanics Coalition (TAMC). “It will allow FAA-certified technicians to enter the industry with the most relevant skills needed to work on the latest generation of aircraft.”

“The primary driver (of going the direct law route) was the egregiously outdated 50-year-old FAA regulation that mandated aviation maintenance schools to teach outdated curriculum. Industry has been actively advocating for a new Part 147 for more than a decade; we couldn’t wait any longer,” said Crystal Maguire, Executive Director, Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC), which is part of a coalition of academia, labor and industry that pushed to update the regulation governing certificated aviation maintenance schools.

Maguire added: “FAA Part 147 proposals rely on a curriculum standard, separate from the imminent FAA airman certification standards. The framework would create an ongoing challenge for schools trying to comply with curriculum standards while adequately preparing their students for the FAA test. The direct rule instead relies on the ACS as the basis for both training and testing. That standard will evolve under the watchful eye of an FAA-industry working group, ensuring training will adapt to new technologies.”

(Editor’s Note: AETC has established a resource page to help AMT schools comply with the new law -  www.atec-amt.org/the-new-part-147.html.)

WATCH NOW - Maintenance Training presentations from the Global Airline Training & Simulation - Virtual (Global ATS-V)  Day 1: Airlines, the New Training Reality; Repair Station Staffing Today and Tomorrow

AMT labor groups say the Act modernizes and simplifies mechanics requirements standards that haven’t been modified since the 1960s.

“Instead of having AMTs focus substantial time on dope and fabric processes, we need to be teaching AMTs more about avionics and composites,” said Justin Madden, Executive Director of Government Affairs, Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. AMFA represents AMTs and support personnel at Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other carriers.

Madden added: “This law changes the current prescriptive rule to a performance-based rule, which gives schools more flexibility to educate the next generation of technicians on advanced technologies.”

The Act also removes some of the “multiple masters” to which these Part 147 schools must answer. These include: the US Department of Education, the accreditor, as well as each local FAA flight standard district office (FSDO).

Under the Act, FAA will no longer have oversight responsibility for accredited US schools’ grading and recordkeeping systems, but will still oversee the facility and equipment, such as training devices.

Even with the passage of the Act, some schools are seeking additional guidance on how to proceed.

“At the current time, we are waiting for additional guidance and advisory materials on how these new regulations will affect the operation of AMT schools nationwide,” said Nicholas Brown, Campus President, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology - Broomfield. Spartan has campuses in Broomfield, Colorado and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as Los Angeles and Inland Empire, California.

For now, the basics for becoming a licensed AMT will likely remain intact and the curriculum is not likely to go through major changes, according to AMFA’s Madden. AMT candidates must have graduated from an FAA-approved school for maintenance and accumulated at least 18 months of job experience working on airframes and/or engines. The AMT may become certified for airframe or powerplant, or both, by passing FAA written and oral and practical exams. Students must pass the tests with a minimum score of 70%.

WATCH NOW - Maintenance Training presentation from the Global Airline Training & Simulation - Virtual (Global ATS-V)  Day 2 – Manufacturer Training Directions

Airline-School Partnerships

Like pilots, most AMTs want to eventually work for major airlines where the pay and benefits are good. Average salary for a seasoned United AMT in the US is around $76,791, 44% above the national average, according to the airline.

United has numerous ways of hiring AMTs. There are already trained walk-ins that have worked for major or regional airlines or those trained by the US military.

Another path gaining in popularity is hiring directly from accredited AMT schools, particularly those aligned with airlines. United has partnerships with various AMT schools throughout the US, including the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM), which has campuses in 12 cities, and Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, the Broomfield campus near Denver, a major hub for United.

CAT spoke with Nick Accardi, Senior Manager Aircraft Maintenance, United Tech Ops in Denver, about how AMTs are hired and why today’s aircraft mechanics must be better trained than yesterday’s A&Ps.

“Basically, you need an A&P license to get in the door,” said Accardi. “We will put you through training for a specific skillset, such as avionics, composite inspection and repair, brakes and engines.”

“If you want to specialize in boroscope inspection, we will put you through boroscope training or composite inspection and repair school and so on,” he added.

Accardi urged all prospective AMTs to expand their skillsets to keep up with the ever-evolving technology. Avionics technicians should obtain an FCC license in addition to the required A&P license.

READ MORE -  An AMT View from Europe

Airframe specialists today must be proficient in composite inspection, repair and replacement, noted Accardi. Consider the Boeing 787, which United AMTs call the “Plastic Princess” because 50% of the 787 is made up of carbon materials, most notably the fuselage. Composites are much stronger than aluminum airframes on older aircraft. Yet, inspection criteria are vastly different and calls for additional in-depth training. Often the damage to composites is beneath the surface and requires advanced technology to detect the damage.

The 777, a staple of United’s fleet, is older technology with hydraulic systems and aluminum structures. The 787 is all-electric-powered with a carbon-fiber fuselage. Accardi described United’s three-week, avionics-laden 787-maintenance class as “grueling” but necessary to keep up with the change in aircraft design and technology.

Accardi believes virtual and augmented reality devices and drones will become important tools for AMTs. Using drones for lightning strike inspections and other inspections will become commonplace at airlines and AMTs will be the ones to fly them.

Spartan offers two major programs. The 15-month Aviation Electronics Technology course is offered in Tulsa and Broomfield. The 20-month Aviation Maintenance Technology course is offered at all four campuses.

At the Broomfield campus, instructors teach mechanics how to repair jet and turboprop engines with over 80 powerplants on campus. Equipment on campus includes two Rolls Royce RB 211-22B turbine engines and numerous aircraft on which to learn, including: three Cessna 172s, one Cessna 152, a LearJet course and 24, Falcon 20, and a Beech C-35 Bonanza

At its Tulsa campus, Spartan College offers a program in non-destructive testing technology (NDT). Some of the inspection techniques today are ultrasonic and radiographic (X-ray) inspection. The program teaches students to detect flaws in the manufacturing process. Students also learn about composite materials, including types of material, basic fabrication techniques, inspection and repair methods.

Said Brown: “Spartan’s Tulsa-based program was the first school to offer a hybrid aviation maintenance program, which combines distance learning with traditional on-ground class [instruction].”

Spartan College worked with Computerized Training Systems to develop the e-learning platform for distance learning and simulation programs. Students receive a pre-loaded surface tablet with the course materials, allowing them to complete the courses online. Before applying for Spartan’s online program, prospective students should make sure they reside in a state that is eligible for the program, the school noted.

Avionics technicians must keep up with the ever-evolving technology for the flight deck and passenger cabin. Spartan offers avionics courses that cover both the older and newer systems.

In addition to United, Spartan has AMT-related partnerships with American Airlines regarding its employees and their dependents working at the airline’s maintenance base in Tulsa. Last February, the airline announced it would invest US$550 million at its Tulsa facility.

Spartan formed a partnership with Delta Air Lines recently to establish a pipeline for trained AMTs. The school also has a cadet program with Phoenix, Arizona-based Mesa Airlines, a regional airline that flies for American and United Airlines.

WATCH NOW - Maintenance Training presentation from the Global Airline Training & Simulation - Virtual (Global ATS-V)  Day 3 – Safety Culture and the Role of Training

There are other independent and industry affiliated trainers worth noting:

Lake Superior College (LSC) in Duluth, Minnesota. FAA-approved AMT program continues to evolve despite losing students by the closing of AAR Corp’s aircraft maintenance base at the Duluth International Airport due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

LSC offers a two-year Aviation Maintenance Technology Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. The school trains students in the repair and scheduled maintenance of aircraft. Students learn to troubleshoot and repair electrical malfunctions as well as analyze and repair powerplants and subsystems.

The school is working with Duluth-based Cirrus Aircraft on supplying AMTs for the general aviation aircraft manufacturer, according to Daniel Fanning, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and External Relations. Cirrus manufacturers the SR22, a single-engine, five-seat composite aircraft with a top speed of 234 mph. Fanning hopes the school will attract AMT candidates wanting to work at Delta, a partner with LSC’s program, or FedEx, which has a presence in Duluth.

Collins Aerospace, now a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, has a Virtual Avionics Products Team, part of its Simulation Solutions and Services (SS&S) business, which creates training solutions to aid pilots and AMTs with their avionics familiarization and initial training. The types of devices offered range from a basic flight management system (FMS) desktop trainer, that can be installed on a user’s laptop, to advanced desktop trainers merged with avionics hardware, to full-up cockpit trainers. All of these devices utilize the same avionics software found in the actual aircraft. Collins also offers Virtual Reality Avionics Trainers for pilots and AMTs.

The Collins SS&S group conducts avionics and maintenance training whenever needed, and supports various training companies and airlines that conduct their own training.

Pan Am Flight Academy provides aircraft maintenance training on an assortment of transport category aircraft, including various models of the Boeing 737, 777, Airbus A320 and twin-turboprop powered Saab 340 aircraft. The company provides a five-day familiarization course in Miami or at the AMT’s employer’s location.

Pan Am also provides a 15-day (120 hours) training course that prepares the AMT to perform inspections, troubleshoot and fix some defects. The course also covers various aircraft systems, including fuel systems, refueling procedures, hydraulics, flight controls, landing gear, auxiliary power unit (APU) and engines, water/waste, lights, doors and windows as well as cargo and storage areas.

A 40-hour avionics course provides instruction of most of the aircraft avionics, including autopilot, glass cockpit and instruments, ILS systems, EICAS, EFIS and navigation systems.

Pan Am also offers a three-day engine run up and taxi (ATA Level IV) course. The course instructs AMTs on engine start-up, running and shutdown procedures, review engine taxi procedures, identify airport taxiway and runway signs and symbols, hold short and ILS hold short procedures.

READ MORE -  Delta Tech Ops AMT Requirements

CAE, the Montreal-based trainer and training solutions provider, has provided AMT instruction on bizjet and rotary-wing aircraft for over 25-years.

The program includes a maintenance familiarization course, initial courses on aircraft maintenance, avionics, engine run and taxi courses, basic avionics as well as scenario-based troubleshooting courses.

CAE’s aircraft training platforms include the Bombardier Learjet 60/60XR, Gulfstream GIV Series, G450/G550 and G5, and Dassault Falcon business jets.

Helicopter training platforms include the Leonardo AW130, Sikorsky S-76A/A+/A++/C, S-92A and various Airbus helicopters.

When the pandemic passes, various aspects of the air transportation business will begin their slow climb back to growth. The journey will take two to three years to reach pre-pandemic revenue levels, according to industry pundits. Once that happens, there will be a pressing need for fully qualified, technology-savvy AMTs. Helping grease the skids will be the new, flexible part 147 training standard for aircraft mechanics, long overdue.

Among the numerous schools that provide AMT instruction:

AMT Schools that work with United Airlines:

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - CLT

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - EWR

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - IAD

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - IAH

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - IND

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - LAS

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - MCO

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - OAK

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - ORF

AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE - PHL

CAPE COD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CHAFFEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO

COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA

EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY

EVERETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

GAVILAN COLLEGE

GEORGE T BAKER AVIATION TECHNICAL COLLEGE

HALLMARK COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS

LEWIS UNIVERSITY

MIAT COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY - MI

MIAT COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY - TX

MOUNT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE

NATIONAL AVIATION ACADEMY - TPA

NATIONAL AVIATION ACADEMY - BOS

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE

PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS - OH

PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS - PA

PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS - MD

PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS - SC

PURDUE UNIVIVERSITY - AVIATION AND TECHNOLOGY

SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE

SOLANO COLLEGE SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIV AVN TECH

SPARTAN COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS - OK

SPARTAN COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS & TECHNOLOGY - CA

SPARTAN COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS & TECHNOLOGY - CO

VAUGHN COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS

WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE