​PSI and the FAA have completed contractual negotiations and established mechanic certification applicant pricing for the next three years.  Effective July 1, 2021, the price for all FAA Airman Knowledge Tests (AKT), regardless of location, will be one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175).

The shared revenue for third-party testing facilities will be one hundred ten dollars ($110) to PSI, and sixty-five dollars ($65) to the testing site.

For questions or comments, contact Paul Clark at pclark@psionline.com or Ed Herrera at eherrera@psionline.com.

Valparaiso, IN – June 1, 2021 – On behalf of Cadence Business Finance (CBF), Sage-Popovich, Inc. (SPI) will be coordinating the donation of multiple CF34 and ALF 502 engines to aviation mechanic schools. Nick Popovich, the company Chairman, has always supported the aviation learning community. When it came time to clear these engines out of storage, the CBF team generously offered them up for donation to any aircraft mechanic school for training purposes. 

The General Electric CF34 is a turbofan jet engine used on a number of business and regional jets, including the Bombardier Challenger and CRJ series, the Embraer E-Jets, and the Comac ARJ21. First manufactured in 1982, the engine family is in greater demand today than ever before. The engines are currently used around the globe on both military and civilian aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines, United Airlines, Republic Airlines, Uganda National Airlines Company and more. 

The ALF 502 engines were first produced in 1980 by Lycoming Engines, then AlliedSignal, and then Honeywell Aerospace. They are geared turbofan engines used on early Bombardier Challenger 600 (1A11) series and on Northrop YA-9 and British Aerospace 146 aircraft. 

If interested in acquiring any of these engines for your aircraft maintenance education program, please call SPI at 219-464-8320 or contact Nick Popovich (at nick@sage-popovich.com) or Brian Bolin (at bbolin@sage-popovich.com). 

​Last year, ATEC member dues funded the creation of a new foundation, Choose Aerospace, with the mission of promoting aviation technical careers.

Council leadership immediately began implementing an aggressive initiative to support the expansion and development of high school aviation technical programs. Over the last year the foundation managed a procurement process to identify aviation technical curriculum development partners and will soon roll out an ambitious plan to reach 10,000 users of the content by 2027.

Choose Aerospace is currently soliciting applications for high school programs that will pilot the program during the 2021-2022 academic year. For more information about the curriculum, including the previously-recorded informational briefing, visit chooseaerospace.org/curriculum.

While the deadline to apply is June 15, Choose Aerospace will continue to accept applications until twenty pilot schools are selected.

ATEC recently joined a coalition of more than 30 organizations representing U.S. aviation, trucking, rail, and maritime interests to express support for legislation promoting career opportunities available throughout the nation’s transportation sector.

The Promoting Service in Transportation Act (H.R. 3310 and S. 1681) calls on lawmakers to authorize funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop a series of broadcast, digital and print public service announcements highlighting available careers in transportation as all sectors of the industry regain strength in the aftermath of COVID-19.

“The pandemic has reminded all of us how vital transportation is to our economy and our lives,” reads the coalition’s letter to leaders of the House and Senate transportation committees. Although COVID-19 temporarily impacted hiring of new workers across the industry, “as recovery continues the demand for qualified workers will return, and the workforce shortage will yet again destabilize transportation operations.”

The coalition further noted the DOT campaign would also promote greater diversity throughout the next-generation transportation workforce. “H.R. 3310 and S. 1681 are an opportunity to highlight for young people of all races, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses that transportation careers are good, high paying jobs that embrace technology and offer a bright future,” the letter continued.

The coalition, led by the National Business Aviation Association, is currently seeking additional co-sponsors for the legislation with the ultimate goal to see the Promoting Service in Transportation Act included as part of a larger infrastructure measure.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-2-WA), Rep. Don Young (R-AK) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-2-MN) reintroduced the legislation from the previous Congress, with Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) sponsoring the Senate bill.