AirExpert will again bring you live streaming of the April 9-12, 2018 event. Sign up to receive the access link. 

AirSafet.com is presenting five deserving AMT students or professionals the opportunity to take the FAA Remote Pilot Exam in order to become a commercial UAS pilot.
 
The scholarship will pay your costs (about $150) to take the exam that will allow you to become a licensed commercial sUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft System) pilot.
 
Eligibility:

• Involvement in the 2018 AMC Competition
• Not currently a certificated pilot with a current flight review (you can already take the test for free, but you may want to first complete the requirements discussed below)
• High school students, AMT school students, active duty military preferred

 
Requirements:To be eligible to get the scholarship, you have to complete the following three tasks:

• TASK 1: Register an account at the FAASafety.gov web site and take the free Part 107 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) course offered by the FAA at https://www.faasafety.gov/

• TASK 2: Send us your course completion certificate.
• TASK 3: Schedule an appointment with a Knowledge Testing Center (KTC) where you can take the test and we will arrange to cover your expenses. Find one near you at https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/media/test_centers.pdf

Sensible things to do before taking the test:

• Review the FAA requirements to become a remote pilot - at https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/part_107/remote_pilot_cert/#first
• Review the links in the Useful Resources section of this document
• Review the FAA’s list of suggested study materials at https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/part_107/remote_pilot_cert/#first

 
For more information, download the information package. To apply, contact Todd Curtis  at [email protected]. 

Thanks to the AMC presenting sponsor, Snap-on, for highlighting the companies and schools that contribute time, resources and energy to compete. These are the people that make the competition great, hear their stories.

Nominations are open for AMT Magazine’s Next Gen Awards. Each year the organization recognizes individuals from the aircraft maintenance industry for their contributions to the industry and a “job well done.” It is not a ranking, but rather a list of individuals who have shown initiative, capacity, or have made an impact to the aviation maintenance industry.

Whether you work in general aviation, business aviation, airlines, MRO, rotorcraft, military, or education, let the industry acknowledge you or your colleagues for dedication to the aviation industry. Individuals that will be 39 years old or younger on June 30, 2018 are eligible.

The nomination deadline is June 15, 2018. Submit nominations at www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018AMTNextGenAwards. 

WASHINGTON – Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Aviation Maintenance Workforce Development Pilot Program today, bipartisan legislation that will help close the skills gap and fill aviation maintenance jobs.
 
“Our aviation industry needs skilled workers and the aviation maintenance industry provides high-paying, high-skilled jobs across the country,” Sen. Inhofe said. “Aviation is an economic multiplier, connecting local communities and cities in support of commercial activity and generating tourism revenue. We can’t afford to let these skilled jobs go unfilled. This bill will make it possible to close the skills gap by incentivizing businesses, labor groups, educational institutions and local governments to develop innovative ways to recruit and educate the next generation of America’s aviation workforce.”
 
"The aviation maintenance industry contributes $44 billion to our economy, but is struggling from a severe shortage of skilled workers,” said Sen. Moran. “Our legislation would encourage collaboration between public and private entities to issue grants to support technical education and career development on a local level. Our aviation industry is only as strong as its workforce – incentivizing people across America to pursue technical careers in this field will help fill good-paying jobs.”
 
The legislation was overwhelmingly praised by the aviation industry.
 
“We’re extremely grateful that Senators Inhofe, Blumenthal, Moran, and Cantwell have taken up this cause,” said Christian A. Klein, executive vice president of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association.  “If there’s one issue keeping our members awake at night, it’s where to find the next generation of technical talent.  This bill is an important step in the right direction.  It will incentivize local cooperation to develop new aerospace professionals and help veterans and others transition to careers in this high-tech, growing sector.”
  
"AAR welcomes and strongly supports the measure introduced by Senator Inhofe,” said David Stroch, chairman and CEO of AAR. “As the largest independent employer of aviation maintenance technicians in the United States, we are all too familiar with the challenges the aviation maintenance industry faces in hiring skilled workers. This measure will help us begin training the additional employees that we need and can put to work immediately in our facilities in Oklahoma City, OK, Miami, FL, Rockford, IL, Indianapolis, IN, and Duluth, MN. We appreciate Senator Inhofe's leadership on this issue."
 
“Developing an aviation maintenance workforce pilot program is essential to maintaining a pipeline of well-trained and knowledgeable aviation maintenance technicians who can sustain this vital work for our industry,” said David Seymour, Senior Vice President of Integrated Operations at American Airlines. “American Airlines is proud to support Senator Inhofe’s bill, and we look forward to partnering with businesses and educational institutions as the program develops.”
 
“A skilled workforce is essential to the success of Oklahoma’s aerospace community,” said Meredith Siegfried Madden, CEO of NORDAM. “NORDAM supports Sen. Inhofe and his effort to enhance aviation-maintenance education in our state, which will provide opportunity for workers, businesses and communities alike.”
 
“Serving the needs of the nation’s aviation industry for ninety years, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology supports Senator Inhofe’s legislation to establish an Aviation Maintenance Workforce Development Pilot Program,” said Dr. Dan Peterson, president and CEO of Spartan College. “There is a global demand for well-qualified aviation technicians. To keep pace, this bill will afford service providers the opportunity to develop innovative new training programs and provide vital financial support to those seeking career employment in the field of aviation maintenance.”
 ​
Additionally, 17 additional professional organizations--including the Aerospace Maintenance Council--signed onto a letter in support the Aviation Workforce Development Pilot Program, writing in part: “The U.S. aviation industry is a diamond in the crown of our economy. Working together, manufacturers, operators, maintainers, labor organizations, schools, and workers have built an industry that provides unprecedented mobility for people and goods. Your legislation will help ensure our member organizations have the technical professionals they need to grow, compete globally, and, most importantly, continue to ensure the safety of civil aviation aircraft.” Read the full letter here.