Aviation Education Demands Better, Presents Regulatory Solution to Modernize Maintenance Training

摘要

While school was out, the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) spent the summer break drafting a proposal that would mandate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revision of long-outdated mechanic training mandates. The work paid off. Right before the holiday recess, congressional leaders unveiled a bill that, if passed, would replace aviation maintenance training regulations with the community-drafted language. The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act (S.3043/H.R.5427) - a bipartisan and bicameral bill championed by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Tommy Duckworth (D-IL), Rep. Don Young (R-AK) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) - would direct the FAA to revise the current training mandates in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 147. The regulation and its curriculum directives have not been significantly updated in more than 50 years, resulting in grossly inadequate teaching standards considering the knowledge and skill required for today's airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic. Industry is left holding the bag, forced to retrain new graduates to ensure they can complete basic tasks required to maintain a modern, sophisticated aircraft.