Story ID: 
NBAA Maintenance Management Event Bigger Than Ever
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Business aviation maintenance managers share tips and tricks at the 2016 NBAA Maintenance Management Conference.
Word Count: 339
The annual NBAA Maintenance Management Conference (MMC) opened yesterday at the Kansas City (Mo.) Convention Center, with many more exhibitors and attendees than last year’s event. Robert Duncan, chairman emeritus of Duncan Aviation, launched this year’s MMC with a heartfelt summary of how his family and, more important, the people who work for Duncan Aviation have built one of the largest independent maintenance companies in the U.S. “We really are one big family,” he said.

Issues that the NBAA Maintenance Committee is addressing this year include working with the FAA’s Aircraft Maintenance Division (AFS-300) on improving the Airworthiness Directive and alternative methods of compliance processes, which have caused some difficulties for business aircraft operators. The committee is also working with the FAA on clarifying electronic recordkeeping and digital signatures via an update of Advisory Circular 120-78. “We do have a seat at the table with AFS-300,” said Nathan Winkle, committee vice chairman and director of technical services for Yum Brands.

Leonard Beauchemin, managing director of AeroTechna Solutions, highlighted a key accomplishment for the committee: agreement on an international maintenance review board process standard signed by nine regulatory authorities, among them the FAA, EASA and Transport Canada. Essentially, this will enable business jet manufacturers to create one maintenance program that will be accepted by all nine authorities, which will make international aircraft transactions much simpler and less costly. “We signed it last Friday,” Beauchemin said. “It has been a 20-year journey.” 

Yesterday, the committee announced the 45 winners of this year’s Maintenance Technical Reward and Career Scholarships (Tracs). The winners receive transportation and attendance at model-specific training courses for aircraft, engines and avionics. A variety of organizations made this year’s Maintenance Tracs possible: Abaris Training Resources, AeroTechna Solutions, Bell Helicopter, Bombardier Aerospace, CAE Simuflite, Dassault Falcon, FlightSafety International, Garmin, GE Aviation, Global Jet Services, Gulfstream Aerospace, Honeywell, Maintenance Directors Roundtable, NCATT/ASTM, Rockwell Collins, Rolls-Royce, Satcom Direct, Textron Aviation, USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Williams International.