Outgoing FAA Administrator Steve Dickson signed an interim final rule that revamps the Part 147 regulation governing aviation maintenance technician schools (AMTS), updating language and standards that are more than 50 years old. The interim final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register before mid-June.
The Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) told AIN that the revamped regulation directs the agency to provide performance-based oversight of AMTS, which means schools will be expected to turn out students who meet the knowledge and skill requirements for FAA A&P mechanic certification. AMTS that demonstrate a pattern of students not passing the certification test run the risk of losing FAA program approval. Further, the Department of Education, not the FAA, will provide oversight of accredited AMTS in terms of quality such as grading systems, recordkeeping, absentee policies, and other measures.
Additionally, a Part 147 program’s curriculum will no longer have to be approved but instead aligned with FAA certification standards. That will ensure testing and training are correlated and standards will be easily revised to keep up with advances in aviation maintenance technology, according to ATEC. The revised rule also provides a way for FAA-certified AMTS to host offsite training, which is expected to further aid in the development of high school partnerships.
“This alignment creates oversight efficiencies for the federal government, reduces the cost of certification for the program, and gets the FAA out of the education business,” ATEC said. “We’re very happy with the language and look forward to working with the agency on education and implementation.”
Last week, the FAA issued an Advisory Circular providing guidance for obtaining and maintaining Part 147 certification under the revised rule.