Reader Feedback

Is Retesting Enough?

I found that the idea of retesting mechanics that attained their license without the full certification process of the licensing requirements goes deeper than the top side of the FAA merely putting up a somewhat minuscule retesting program (see June AM, page 9, "PAMA Backs Retesting Mechanics"). That does not fix the problem. We never seem to get the full picture of the impact that is on the aviation maintenance in the industry. There are FAA cases on the operations side that proved bogus flight instructors can create the domino effect of uncertified pilots’ records.

A major problem still exists. All of the bogus mechanics that will be retested "a la" FAA style have worked on aircraft signing off records of 100-hour inspections, major/minor repairs and possibly annual inspections, are all invalid entries in the aircraft records that they worked on, not considering the quality of the work.

You don’t hear anything from the FAA about this fiasco. They have got keep this under the rug. This would be costly for the government to review all of these events. All the FAA wants to do is get on paper that they did something irregardless of any sub-grade work that may have been done by these mechanics.

The drive is get a retest and claim things are all fixed and just fine for the retested mechanic to go back to what they were doing. Is that the true fix? Over 50 years in the industry shows me one thing. Cover it any way you can from the oversight agencies.

Algy F. Giles Jr.

Retired FAA/MD

Tech Shortage

I read your article "Signs of Hope" (see May AM, page 4). We have been hearing of the aircraft mechanic shortage for more than 10 years but we don’t really know how bad it is because we don’t have accurate numbers. The FAA knows that there are more than 375,000 aircraft maintenance licenses issued since 1927, when mechanics were first certified, and that 6,400 licenses were issued in 2004 compared to 14,000 in 1994. But it does not know the number of licensed technicians still active. Some estimates are based on attrition of licenses issued to individuals who turn 70 years of age; another study used an estimated attrition rate of 7 – 10 percent equating to 11,000 per year, assuming a present active licensed aircraft technician population of 110,000. Arbitrary numbers.

The projected needs analysis for 2006 to 2016 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections foresees a need for an 11 percent increase in aircraft mechanics and service technicians from 122,000 to 135,000 and an 8 percent increase in avionics technicians from 16,000 to 17,000. However, another data base from the same institution says the population, as of 2007, is 126,000 aircraft mechanics and service technicians and 14,000 avionics technicians. Where they got these numbers is beyond me.

They don’t even agree within their own report. Regardless, these numbers take a wide swath. Throw in the declining student attendance in aviation maintenance programs from 24,000 in 1991 to 10,000 in 1997 and a corresponding decline in the number of schools offering these programs from 220 in 1993 to 185 in 1997, I would say we are not headed in the right direction.

So all we really know is that it feels like we have a shortage but we can only guess how bad it is. We know we are sick and running a temperature but we don’t know if is just a mild temperature or it’s life-threatening.

Patrick J. Kinane, PhD/A&P/IA

AAR Corp.

Senior Quality Systems Auditor