​After more than a decade of advocacy by industry stakeholders, the FAA has promulgated a new part 147​. The regulation will usher in a new approach to aviation technical training, one that provides more freedom and flexibility for educators and their industry partners. 

The new Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 147 goes into effect in 120 days and will continue to govern aviation maintenance technician schools that hold an FAA certificate.

The new rule is in line with congressional mandate originating on Dec. 12, 2019 with introduction of the Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act (S.3043/H.R.5427). The bill was industry-supported, bipartisan and bicameral, and championed by Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the late Don Young (R-Alaska), and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.). On Dec. 27, 2020, the PARTT 147 Act was signed into law as part of the massive coronavirus relief package, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R.133/Public Law 116-260).

The new rule introduces a performance-based regulation that will massively change the way FAA approves and oversees aviation technical programs.

Under the new rule, for nationally accredited programs, the FAA will defer to Department of Education accreditors in all areas concerning quality of education, meaning the agency will no longer approve curriculums, methods of instructional delivery (i.e., no more FAA distance learning authorizations required), how and where educational content is consumed (i.e., schools will have the opportunity to provide training at an additional fixed location, such as a high school), grading systems, testing schedules, or class sizes. And under the watchful eye of national accrediting bodies, AMTS will assess educational outcomes in lieu of meeting seat time mandates—aligning aviation maintenance education with common practice in other technical-related programs.

As part of the part 147 certification requirements, the FAA will continue to oversee a program's facilities, equipment, and instructor qualifications, control the certification standards (i.e., mechanic airman certification standards) that drive school curriculums, and continually assess AMTS performance through analysis of student passage rates. And most importantly for aviation safety, the FAA will retain the ultimate decision-making authority when it comes to issuing mechanic certificates, which it only does after through assessment of an individual’s skill and knowledge.

In preparation for the upcoming effective date, ATEC has put together a host of resources and events to support the transition. Visit the The New Part 147 landing page for more information.

In celebration of Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, members provided materials and resources that could be used in the classroom to commemorate the efforts of aviation maintenance professionals and the achievements of Charles Taylor:

• A PowerPoint presentation (provided by the Aviation Institute of Maintenance) provides an overview of the life of Charles Taylor.
• AMT Magazine’s May issue included an article written by Charles Taylor in 1948 while he was living in retirement in California. It was first published in Collier's on Dec. 25, 1948 and was reprinted in Air Line Pilot in December 1978. It was provided by Charles Edward Taylor II, the great-grandson of Charles Taylor. It’s well worth the read.
• Flight Safety Detectives Podcast: John, Greg and Todd talk about the impacts of Taylor’s work in the earliest days of aviation.

More to share? We’ll add to the list each year so send ATEC your contribution! ​

An instructor at Federal Aerospace Institute and a student from Blue Ridge Community College have been named the 2022 recipients of ATEC's most prestigious awards. The annual awards are made possible through partnership with the Northrop Rice Foundation and JSfirm.com, who provide cash prizes as well as registration, travel and accommodations to the ATEC Annual Conference.
 
FAI educator Brad McDonald was named the Ivan D. Livi Aviation Maintenance Educator of the Year Award for 2022, while BRCC Student Waren Lelewa was named the James Rardon Aviation Maintenance Technician Student of the Year for 2022.

Weyers Cave, Virginia—Avotek’s newest online course, Aviation Mechanic Instructor Training, gives instructors the tools and knowledge they will use every day in becoming more effective, specifically in aviation maintenance. The course is a companion to Avotek’s popular book, Aviation Mechanic Instructor’s Handbook, which was released last fall. The book notes that people have different learning styles, so one should deliver the content in various styles. By offering this training in an audio, visual, and online format, author David Jones is following his own advice.

The aviation community has always relied on finding people with the skills needed to do the job, and then employing them to instruct the next generation. Some new instructors quickly discover that they need additional skills and knowledge to become an effective instructor of adult learners. This course includes over 3 hours of material. Jones created the lessons to cover the core concepts that are in the instructor’s handbook.

For more information on this course, see https://avotek-online.com/p/aviation-mechanic-instructor-training
To order the companion book, go to https://www.avotek.com/shop/aviation-mechanic-instructors-handbook-textbook/

About Avotek
Avotek, of Weyers Cave, VA, develops and manufactures modern, fully functional aviation maintenance training systems; publishes a full line of high-quality, up-to-date textbooks that complement its training systems; and offers online training.
Avotek has earned an industry reputation for quality and excellence. Our team of authors includes mechanics, inspectors, aviation experts, and instructors. They are actively involved in aviation maintenance training or working in the aviation maintenance field. They bring their expertise to Avotek from colleges, universities, and current hands-on experience.