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 todd@airsafemedia.com. 

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.”
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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.

The Aerospace Maintenance Council’s Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC)—being held in conjunction with Aviation Week’s MRO Americas—will take place April 9-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

This year’s event will showcase 29 events testing the technical prowess of current and future aviation maintenance professionals. Fifty-four companies and schools​ have registered to participate, the largest number of teams ever to compete. With only six open slots remaining, would-be competitors should register now to guarantee their spot.

The council is overwhelmed by industry support for this year’s event. Companies have pledged funds, organized competitive events, donated prizes, and contributed scholarships in recognition and celebration of the aviation maintenance technician. There is still time to get involved, click herefor more information.
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Get more details below, and check a few items off the to do list.

Special thanks to American Airlines for donating 1.5 million AAdvantage® miles to support student competitors traveling to compete in the 2018 AMC. The company's AAdvantage® mileage award certificates will fund flights for thirteen school teams at this year's competition.

Companies and individuals that would like to "adopt" a school team through donation of miles should email team@aerospacecompetition.com.

Learn more about and support American Airlines mileage donation programs at www.aa.com/giving.

The council is gearing up for 2018. Take a look back at last year's event in this video, provided by our presenting sponsor, Snap-On.

Get highlights from last year's event and more on the AMC YouTube Channel. 

Taking place April 10-11, 2018 in Orlando Fl, Military Aviation Logistics & Maintenance (MALMS) is a dedicated maintenance event for military professionals and their suppliers. Held in conjunction with the MRO Americas, the host of the 2018 AMC, and with the support of the sustainment leadership of the USAF, Army and Navy, the Symposium brings together key-decision makers from all military service branches and government leaders with prime contractors, suppliers and OEMs to discuss critical safety and security issues, current and future programs and the latest developments in military MRO technology and services.
 
Formerly known as MRO Military, the event was renamed to better reflect the “logistics” core of how the military performs and conceives its sustainment and readiness functions. The purpose of the Symposium is to drive information and knowledge sharing and support the U.S. military to partner with the commercial marketplace for innovation, process improvement, and increased readiness across the board.
 
The symposium is free for active, uniformed military personnel.  The Aerospace Maintenance Competition is collocated on the MRO exhibition floor and military teams will be actively competing.
  
Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium 2018 Speakers

• Jack Arehart, President, MRO Services, Delta Air Lines
• Matthew Bromberg, President, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines
• Lt Gen John Cooper, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force
• Fred Cleveland, Managing Director, Operations: Transportation and Logistics, PwC
• Alan Estevez, National Security Strategy & Logistics Executive, Deloitte
• Col. Allan Lanceta, Commander, Corpus Christi Army Depot
• U.S. Army
• Lt Gen Lee K. Levy, Commander Air Force Sustainment Center, USAF
• James A. Regenor, Business Unit Director, Transformative Technologies, Moog
• Michael Tint, Defense Data Manager, Aviation Week Network
• Ken Watson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Maintenance Policy and Programs
• Don Wetekam, SVP Government & Defense Business Development, AAR CORP

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The AMC was pleased to present its inaugural Phoebe Omlie scholarship, an award named in honor of the first woman to hold a US aviation mechanic’s certificate.

Educational institution team competitors were encouraged to apply; a total of $6,000 in scholarships were awarded to the following students--

• Lynze Price, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Stephen Colton, Utah State
• Victoria Schultz, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics

AMC scholarship committee chair Loretta Alkalay facilitated application review which resulted in the selection of recipients that "demonstrated a track record of accomplishments as aviation maintenance students, as evidenced by their academic transcripts, letters of recommendation and personal essays." Alkalay went on to say that "among the many talented applicants, the four award winners stood out as embodying the passion, diligence and drive that made Phoebe Omlie an aviation pioneer and role model for future generations of aviation mechanics."

The AMC will  accept applications for the 2018 scholarship. Stay tuned for more information.