Today's federal register gives notice of a change to Federal Aviation Administration part 147 curriculum requirements. The final rule removes the term "LORAN" from required subject area items provided for in Appendix C of part 147, which reads as follows:
 
Inspect, check, and service aircraft electronic communication and navigation systems, including VHF passenger address interphones and static discharge devices, aircraft VOR, ILS, LORAN, Radar beacon transponders, flight management computers, and GPWS.
 
According to the preamble, the "technical amendment"—which by definition does not require an opportunity for public comment—removes obsolete references throughout the aviation regulations, reasoning that "Loran, Consol, and Omega ground stations have ceased operations, which makes these avionics receivers obsolete and useless. Continued mention of these obsolete navigation aids in title 14 of the CFR serves no purpose, and could only confuse the public."

References the the outdated systems were removed from title 14 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1, 63, 121, 125, 135, 147, and 170. The change is effective immediately.

No mention was made of the expected larger revision to part 147. Agency officials expect the new part 147 final rule to publish this year.

The federal register notice is available at: ​https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/07/25/2017-15517/removal-of-references-to-obsolete-navigation-systems-technical-amendment 

OSHKOSH, Wis., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) released its 2017 Pilot and Technician Outlook today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and projects a demand for more than 1.2 million pilots and technicians over the next 20 years.

Now in its eighth year, the outlook is a respected industry study that forecasts the 20 year demand for crews to support the world's growing commercial airplane fleet. Boeing forecasts that between 2017 and 2036, the world's commercial aviation industry will require approximately:

• 637,000 new commercial airline pilots
• 648,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians
• 839,000 new cabin crew members

The 2017 outlook shows a slight increase of 3.2 percent for pilots over the 2016 outlook, and a slight decrease in the need for airline maintenance technicians (4.6 percent), primarily driven by the reduction in maintenance hours required on the 737 MAX.

For information about the Outlook, including how the data is compiled, please visit: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/market.

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SOURCE Boeing

Advisory Circular (AC) 65-33A, Advisory Development of Training/Qualification and Certification Programs for Composite Maintenance Technicians, sets forth guidelines for developing a composite maintenance training program. 

​"The AC contains recommendations for the experience, training, qualification, and examination of persons performing maintenance and repair of aircraft composite structures or other aviation composite components. It recommends criteria for the qualification of personnel to be able to understand the technical principles involved in the maintenance and repair of aircraft composites."

While the AC is directed at repair organizations, the principles, sample curriculum, and evaluation materials could certainly be utilized to develop courses and programs at aviation maintenance technician schools.

The revised AC, which replaces the current 65-33 originally written in 2011, is available at ​https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_65-33A.pdf. 

At WAI’s 29th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, 103 individual scholarships equaling $569,965 will be awarded. As is the tradition, these scholarships are available for both flight training and scholastic funding with specific scholarships earmarked for nearly every aspect of the aviation and aerospace community, including aviation maintenance.

The scholarships will be awarded during WAI’s conference, held next year in Reno, Nevada, from March 22-24, 2018. Additional scholarships will be added in the coming months, and the total value of awarded scholarships typically reaches more than $600,000 annually.

The only underlying qualification to apply for a WAI scholarship is that the applicant must be a member of Women in Aviation International as of November 1, 2017. New this year, applicants may apply for up to three scholarships, plus internships.  Delta Air Lines, for example, is offering a 13-week paid 2018 summer internship for a college student studying business management or industrial engineering. Individual scholarships may have additional qualifications to apply.

Nearly all scholarships may be applied for electronically and submitted through wai.org/education/scholarships. Applications may also be mailed through the traditional postal process as well. The 2018 scholarship program runs through November 13, 2017. 

Representatives from several local part 147 schools, industry and the Federal Aviation Administration convened to get an update on ATEC activities, give feedback on the council's three-year strategic plan, learn more about the impending Airman Certification Standards (ACS), and discuss how ATEC can support local initiatives and partnerships.

Broward College Associate Dean Sean Gallagan made the trip to Daytona Beach from Ft. Lauderdale. After attending the spring annual conference, he was eager to discuss big picture issues in a more intimate environment, "not only was it a great networking opportunity, we were able to visualize how changes at the federal level would affect us as a local community."

A big thank you to Embry-Riddle's Lorrie Mikesell and Chuck Horning for hosting the event. Keep an eye out for similar regional outreach meetings in your area. Want to host? Give us a call! 

The Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Airman Certification Standards (ACS) will soon replace current practical test standards (PTS), and clearly define minimum knowledge and skill requirements for A&P mechanics. Once completed, the ACS will provide the framework for the written, oral and practical mechanic tests; and subsequently, a guide for revising handbooks, oral questions, practical projects and the knowledge test bank. That means outdated questions and projects will be replaced with relevant assessment material, and incorrect, incomplete or inadequate questions and projects will be updated or removed.

An FAA-industry working group has finalized its initial draft of the document, available at the link below. The draft version will be utilized to "board" all questions in the A&P knowledge test bank. The purpose of the review is to remove, replace or revise outdated or incorrect questions. The process will also provide a "double check" of the draft ACS to ensure all relevant assessment material is addressed in the standard.

The FAA invited an industry representative to participate on the test question review board; ATEC Treasurer and Embry-Riddle University Aviation Maintenance Science Department Chairman Chuck Horning has accepted the role.