Any word on the future of the cert program?   Did the program end with the split?

Anyone have news about the PAMA/SAE split?

Many of the aviation maintenance instructors within the Oklahoma CareerTech education system took a one-day overview of the SAE International Aviation Maintenance  Fundamentals course this past weekend and then sat for the PAMA/SAE Institute Aviation Maintenance Engineeer certification exam.

The result of this giant step forward for the Oklahioma Aerospace industry is 15 new AME "Honored Colleagues" in our rapidly growing population of PAMA/SAE Institute certified aviation maintenance professionals. Employing a top-down philosophy of familiarizing their technical leadership with our porgram, Oklahoma has expressed an interest in offering knowledge and skill credentials to their students across a broad spectrum of topics and specializations.

We welcome Oklahoma into our program and thank them for the leadership they have shown in advancing the future of aviation maintenance professionalism.

Stay Strong!

Brian Finnegan

Oklahoma CareerTech has chosen the SAE Institute/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) Professional Certification Program to provide advanced credentials for its aviation maintenance students.  (Click that link for the full story.)

Congrats, y'all!

PAMA strongly endorses the comprehensive, quality education as prescribed by the FAA for students entering the field, and we are dedicated to helping the FAA improve and modernize the system. We believe the work of an improperly trained and certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic not only reflects negatively upon all maintenance professionals but presents an inherent danger to the purpose of our industry – the safety of flight. We work closely with the FAA to ensure that PAMA continuing education programming meets industry needs and Administration standards.  Also, to enhance an A&P candidate’s education, PAMA extends its membership benefits to PART 147 students and encourages their involvement in PAMA chapter activities, as well as national events.  To us, quality continuing education is just as important as the quality of initial A&P training.

While we support and commend the FAA’s attempts to correct the problem in Texas, we also encourage the Administration to recognize that the individuals going through these programs may not have understood they were not getting proper training. These individuals no doubt entered the industry placing their trust in a training institution to prepare them properly. We do not believe that these individuals should be working in the industry with their current training, but we do applaud the Administration for providing a mechanism for these unsuspecting individuals to come into compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

Clark Gordon, Chairman

PAMA

www.pama.org

John Casker, President

PAMA

www.pama.org

I am a student of atlanta tech in Atlanta, Georgia.  Im in school to recieve my A&P certificate. I started to think about aviation when i was a ramp agent for ups and talking to the mechanics about what they do.  I learned about PAMA from a classmate and attended the  symposium in Dallas Forthworth. From there my eyes was open to a different world of aviation.  Once I finish with A&P school I plan on attending embry riddle to get my bachelor  in science. I am open and would appreciate any advice that any one could give me to advance in this field. I would like to thank Gary Brossett for the advice that he has already given me. 

 Me along with three other classmates are included in the picture on the home page for the compition in the PAMA olympics

Everyone please welcome Tereon Dorsey and Ricardo Keen, students at the Atlanta Technical College!

Tereon and Ricardo, if you have questions about our vocation be sure to chime in here.  There is a wealth of knowledge lurking in the pages of this site and I'm sure we can wake a few folks up and get you some answers.

Perhaps you might tell us about yourselves and what sparked your interest in aviation maintenance...

I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Thomas Esterley at the PAMA show in Dallas/Ft. Worth last week. He and I have been friends for several years as he has been trying to find employment in our profession. During our chat, Thomas told me about his colleague Carlos Freytes who is a Line Mechanic for Southwest.

I have to admit that I was initially skeptical about the concept of a deaf aircraft mechanic. How could he communicate or be communicated with during an emergency? That was my biggest concern. However, in chatting with Thomas, I came to realize we are all deaf on the ramp. With our ear protection firmly in place, we were actually at a disadvantage to our deaf colleagues, as we were left screaming uninteligible directives or using improvised hand signals to get our message across - Ramp Sign Language.

So, the more I thought about how being deaf was not as much of a disadvantage as I had thought, the more I came around to how much we might learn from our deaf maintenance colleagues. Thomas turned me onto this video at DeafNation.com and I present it to you for your amazement.

Anyone interested in learning more about Thomas and/or engaging him as an aviation maintenance professional in your organization, please contact me directly.

Stay Strong!

Brian 

Many people have asked us about affordable liability insurance for aviation maintenance professionals working in small or independent shops. It has been particularly pricy for small business owners and we have been looking closely at opportunities to lower those costs and expand coverage.

The SAE Institute Professional Certificaiton program is currently working to develop a program that would provide such insurance. One aspect of such a program would likely include participation in a safety program, such as PAMA/SAE Institute Certification.

This is all the information we have right now as we formulate a plan with our partners. Please stay tuned for more info soon.

Stay Strong!

March begins the renewal period for our first Honored Colleagues. Yes, is was one year ago that we began issuing credentials for our Charter Aviation Maintenance Specialist/Aviation Maintenance Engineer (AMS/AME) certifications.

Now, as part of our commitment to continuous education and recognizing the professionalism of the women and men in aviation maintenance, we are requiring everyone to get at least 8 hours of annual training in courses tha tare accepted for Inspection Authorization or approved for FAA AMT Awards program credit. This is the essence of certification: validate a standard and stay connected with industry advancements through training.

Throughout the year, but primarily during the first three months, IA renewal seminars are hosted all across our country. The training presented there is really not tailored to inspectors, rather it typically is a good cross-section of information throughout the spectrum of aviation maitenance. Because there is not a specific requirement for all technicians to continually train, these seminars are under-utilized by our industry. The PAMA/SAE Institute certification renewal plan is a intiative that will grow these often free or low cost training events and become a gathering point for all technicians and maintenance workers.

Your thoughts are appreciated.