ATEC Fly-In: Impact Report

This year’s ATEC Fly-In brought 51 attendees from 22 states to Washington, DC for a record 73 congressional meetings, including 12 Member-level conversations. Attendees met with both House and Senate offices split nearly evenly across party lines, ensuring our voice was heard broadly across Capitol Hill. It was our most impactful Hill Day yet.

The event also reflects steady growth year-over-year, building from 37 meetings in 2022 to 73 in 2025. That momentum underscores both the strength of our coalition and the increasing recognition of aviation maintenance as a priority workforce issue.

As the voice of aviation technical education, ATEC consistently advocates for common-sense law, particularly those influencing the FAA, the Department of Education, and the aviation industry. This year, our members carried a clear set of priorities to the Hill, urging lawmakers to:

1. Maintain FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS) to protect aviation safety and ensure industry workforce needs are met.
2. Fully fund FAA workforce grants at $20 million annually for each program (pilot, maintenance, and manufacturing).
3. Expand access to testing and increase the number of Designated Mechanic Examiners (DMEs) to reduce certification barriers for graduates.
4. Classify aviation technical programs as STEM fields across all federal agencies.
5. Promote career pathways through secondary education partnerships, including implementation of Choose Aerospace curriculum.
6. Oppose legislation that threatens aviation technical schools and limits the industry’s ability to meet workforce demand.

These conversations left staff and members with a clear picture: aviation maintenance education is vital to national infrastructure, and investment in the technician pipeline is an urgent workforce need.