Many know me as a blunt, tell-it-like-it-is kind of guy. First and always a mechanic, and proud to be the first NTSB Board Member with an A&P. I care very deeply about aircraft maintenance and the hard-working maintenance men and women. Since leaving the NTSB, one of my efforts has been working with PAMA as vice president, government affairs.

I am increasingly concerned about our industry’s ability to retain qualified mechanics and attract new ones to meet the aviation demands of the 21st century. It’s no secret that mechanics are leaving aviation to take better paying jobs in other high-tech fields. Many A&P graduates never even enter the field, finding higher paying jobs elsewhere.

I believe the time has come for the maintenance community to join together to work towards these common goals. As a major step towards achieving these goals, I enthusiastically invite you to support SAE International’s and PAMA’s program to develop a comprehensive safety and quality certification program for aviation maintenance professionals. Together we have a unique opportunity to combine the maintenance community’s knowledge and skills with SAE’s traditional expertise in aerospace engineering.

Avoiding the FAR Part 66 Debacle

Like many of you, I was personally involved every step of the way during our industry’s last effort to recognize and elevate our careers during the Part 66 regulatory expansion. It failed badly and there were two primary reasons:

1. It tried to put advanced standards in the hands of FAA, a minimum standards organization.

2. We did not solicit and receive the support of the engineering community, the group on which we depend to design and develop the procedures for the products that we maintain.

Currently, under the auspices of the SAE International G-17 Human Factors in Aerospace Maintenance Committee, which I chair, SAE/PAMA has begun the process of developing the aviation maintenance engineer/specialist core competencies certification. We have many experts that volunteered to be a part of this historic effort and we expect to have our first certification ready by the end of the year. Our menu of advanced certifications is a huge effort and one in which we need as many dedicated people, like yourselves, as possible to actively participate.

Voluntary Industry Consensus Standards

The first step is to develop industry consensus standards of excellence. These certifications establish and validate aviation maintenance skills for all levels of maintenance expertise, for both FAA-certificated and non-certificated technicians. This industry initiative creates a series of career paths along which qualified maintenance personnel can professionally progress. In addition, our program also documents the substantial training and advanced education we all receive throughout our careers.

Unfortunately, what we do not have is the structure that succinctly quantifies necessary training or provides an easily followed career path. Here is what the SAE/PAMA program provides:

1. All certificated and non-certificated persons take an exam that establishes baseline core competencies in essential maintenance and production knowledge.

2. The FAA-certificated and non-certificated tracks then diverge with the ability for the specialists to earn advanced status once FAA certification is achieved.

3. Specialists learn and become certified in highly developed skills including composite bonded structure repair, parts and supply, and avionics.

4. The engineer track presents a series of "Industry Segment Specialties" that provide a broad overview of the knowledge specific to industry segments like Transport Aircraft, Business Aircraft, Rotorcraft, and Vintage Aircraft.

5. Also, there is a path to supervisory roles on the shop floor, as well as in the corner offices, as desired.

The SAE/PAMA process formalizes a gateway for young people entering our industry and introduces new training opportunities for our struggling FAR Part 147 schools, and a method for our military to assimilate directly into an area of their expertise and/or gain FAA certification. For the business community, SAE/PAMA certification is a tool for establishing cokmpetitive superiority.

I solicit your support for this effort to ensure that the next century of flight is indeed safer that the last.

John Goglia served as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board and was the first Board Member to hold an FAA aircraft mechanic’s certificate.