Fielding a PAMA Olympics Team

Perhaps your organization has entertained the idea of competing in the PAMA Aviation Maintenance Olympics but was somewhat intimidated by the process of selecting and preparing a team. The competition is a series of events that includes rigging, electrical projects, hardware identification, troubleshooting, FAR and data research, hydraulic line fabrication, and safety wiring. Most AMTs should have some experience in all of these areas, with some specializing in one particular area and others able to tackle them all. Regardless of the specialty of the AMT, any team can be competitive in the Olympics with the proper preparation. The following guide may assist you in creating your organization's selection and preparation process.

In May 2003, the Maintenance Craftsmen of Orlando brought home the Olympic Gold Medal. The team was comprised of three Delta TechOps line maintenance technicians from Orlando. This same team won the Silver Medal in the 2002 Olympics, the first year for team competition. This victory generated a great deal of interest at Delta, and more technicians are seeking to bring home the gold for Delta. Because of this increased interest, TechOps needed a way to determine who would represent Delta in the 2004 Olympics, and here's how it was handled.

There are several areas that any internal selection process will need to address: the management of Olympics competition, qualification guidelines for team formation, events, judging, and final selection of an Olympics team.

Selecting a Committee: The initial formation of the committee to oversee the competition included participants and observers of TechOps's previous competitions. Added to this were frontline and management maintenance personnel. "A well-rounded committee gives us more ideas for strategy, planning, and competition scheduling," said Richard Cassidy, manager of line maintenance operations in Orlando and the chair of the TechOps Olympic Committee. Once this group was determined, the announcement was made to solicit potential Olympians.

Initial Team Formation: TechOps allowed the formation of teams from all areas of the operation, with some restrictions. Only a single team from any station was allowed to compete in the preliminary rounds. The selection of teams within the station was determined individually at each station. Stations with hangar, line, and shop operations were allowed one team from the hangar, one from the line, and one from the component shops. The preliminary rounds culminated in eight regional finalists to try their skills against the clock and the seven events in the finals.

Events: The events that TechOps decided to use were as close to the actual PAMA Olympics events as possible. "There seemed no need to design our own events since all of the information that you need to duplicate the events is on the PAMA web," said Ed Ryan, captain of the Gold Medal Orlando team and senior official of the TechOps Olympics Committee. "With few exceptions, the events are necessary skills for all line AMTs," he added.

Judging: The determination of judges for the competition was also based on organizational duties and responsibilities. Because TechOps has a wide variety of specialties, finding an expert in each event was not difficult. Each judge was given a tutorial on the events and trained in proper judging criteria. Michael Bouchard, lead AMT and TechOps Olympics Committee member, had this to say: "One of the most important issues with judging is consistency. We believe that giving the judges the theory behind the events, as well as the experience of judging a practice round, gave them the tools they needed to be fair and impartial."

Final Selection: The final selection of the Delta TechOps team took place on February 2-4 in Atlanta, Georgia, with the top team to represent TechOps in Las Vegas in May. Tool prizes sponsored by MAC Tools will go to the top three teams, and a ride on the Delta Heritage Museum's DC-3. The final winners will receive tickets to an Atlanta Thrashers hockey game. All Olympians will receive participation prizes from companies that were quick to support TechOps's efforts at sponsoring a 2004 team.

One piece of advice that TechOps gives to any potential Olympic team is to pre-test and try the events before the competition. This real-life trial can save a lot of time and worry. However, the best advice that TechOps has for any future Olympians is summed up by Richard Steer, director of line maintenance operations: "Remember that the purpose of the Olympics is to showcase the talents of your organization's technicians. Regardless of the results, all the competitors in Las Vegas will be representing themselves, their organization, and their profession. That's what it is really all about."