Avionics technicians are in a class of their own when it comes to the government’s definition of the aviation maintenance workforce — but the rest of the industry requires special treatment, too.
Information is the oxygen in the modern age, but the aviation maintenance industry — and the government — is suffocating from a lack of accurate data. Repair stations continue to struggle to find qualified maintenance technicians; however, a 2014 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded there was no evidence of labor shortage.
D.O.M. News
04/01/2015 - 12:00
I hope I didn’t chase any of you big, strong mechanic types away with my headline. This isn’t going to be a Disney-themed fairy tale with sorcerers and princesses and princes. OK, there might be a prince or two in this true story.
04/01/2015 - 12:00
The price of oil has fallen dramatically since the summer of 2014, with a slight recovery in early 2015. While the latest price drop is nothing out of the ordinary from a historical perspective, the cause and effect might impact the move to alternative aviation fuels if prices persist at a low point for a long period of time.
A Quick Historical Perspective
04/01/2015 - 12:00
We have a departure from our normal cover story this month. Instead of profiling a D.O.M.magazine reader, we decided to start a discussion of how we can help prepare the next generation of maintenance managers.
One of the themes that developed as I started to ask some of my industry contacts for their input for this month’s cover story was that of mentorship.
03/27/2015 - 12:53
Robb Williams, Executive Director of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, announces that SUN ‘n FUN, with help from the aviation job website JSfirm.com, will be hosting its second annual aviation Career Fair during the SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In on Wednesday, April 22nd.
Williams started the Career Fair last year with a notable list of hiring companies. This year’s list of superstar companies is even more impressive.
Companies Recruiting for Captains, First Officers, Flight Attendants, Dispatchers, Engineers, A&P Mechanics, Avionics and Maintenance include;
03/27/2015 - 12:42
Landmark Aviation has named its Miami International Airport (MIA) general manager, Isaac Lee, as the 2014 General Manager of the Year. This is the second consecutive year that Isaac has received this distinction.
03/27/2015 - 12:29
Peerless Electronics is now distributing Kissing Electrotec’s environmentally sealed 26 series relays. The 26 series features 300 amp dual-coil system power relays. The dual-coil system develops high contact pressure, resulting in low contact voltage drop and enhanced shock and vibration capabilities. An important feature of the dual-coil system is the minimized coil power resulting from the low holding current.
03/27/2015 - 12:23
Today, EASA published a temporary recommendation for airlines to ensure that at least two crew, including at least one qualified pilot, are in the flight crew compartment at all times of the flight. Airlines should re-assess the safety and security risks associated with a flight crew leaving the cockpit due to operational or physiological needs.
03/02/2015 - 06:49
Comlux America, the Completion and Services center of the Comlux Group based in Indianapolis IN, announces the appointment of Scott Meyer as its new CEO. Meyer currently serves as the COO for Comlux America and he will take on this new role beginning the 1st of April 2015.
03/01/2015 - 12:00
Proper collaboration between regulators and industry ensures effective regulation. Meeting this standard, of course, requires experience, knowledge and a good plan. Directors of maintenance have enough to handle every day: business realities, customer needs and safety requirements.
03/01/2015 - 12:00
This two-part article series has explored and compared how key innovations in the aerospace/aviation industries compare to the automotive market (part one) and the electronics/software industries (part two). Note that we consider communications as part of this electronics industry, since telecom and networking are wholly dependent upon semiconductor and electronics to drive data, and software to control it. We will also refer to these set of industries as the technology industry below.
03/01/2015 - 12:00
In past articles, I have discussed FAA legal enforcement actions in which the FAA has suspended or revoked a mechanic’s certificate or the certificate of an air carrier or repair station, or has assessed a civil penalty against a certificate holder. In those situations, the FAA believed the regulatory violations committed by the certificate holders justified legal enforcement action to suspend or revoke the offending party’s certificate(s) or to assess a civil penalty, rather than simply resolving the violation through an administrative action.
03/01/2015 - 12:00
February is Black History Month, during which Americans working aviation-related jobs are reminded of the contributions of aircraft mechanics and teachers like Cornelius Coffey and Willa Brown and pilots Besse Coleman and WWII’s Tuskegee Airmen. March is the month to honor women in history. It has been adopted in our industry as Women in Aviation History month.
03/01/2015 - 12:00
We deal with many acronyms in our industry. An A&P might install an STC on a customer’s SR22 at an MRO. We regularly deal with the FAA, NTSB, TSA, OSHA and other federal agencies.
Then there are the industry groups and associations — EAA, AOPA, AEA, ARSA and NBAA to name a few.
It’s like an alphabet soup! If you are having some alphabet soup, there are some letters you should consider including: AMC and NBAA MMC.
AMC