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.