In This Issue:

• What Now?
  
• New Strategic Plan for PAMA
• New A&P Certificates Required

News

What Now?

As the economic recession and downturn in the aviation business continues, many AMT's are asking themselves "What Now?". As the Program Coordinator of a 14CFR147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School, I have been getting lots of phone calls from AMT's that have been laid off, downsized, or are just looking for a way to keep their current job. 

Jobs are harder to find and with numerous applicants applying for each open position, people are looking for ways to make themselves more marketable than the other "guy".

Since the school I teach at has been around since the mid 1960's we have a large alumni population. Many are calling to find out what it would take to get their Associate degree or advice on maybe going farther and getting a Bachelor's degree. 

I find this easy with alumni but I also get calls from people who have gotten their A&P from another college, tech school, or through experience. This is where I run in to trouble.

Read the Full Article a www.pama.org/techarticles

New Strategic Plan for PAMA

The PAMA Board of Directors met in Washington DC on October 4th to approve a new strategic plan to better serve the aviation maintenance community. 

Under the new plan – the first since leaving SAE – PAMA will concentrate on serving the core issues that affect AMTs and their employers. The guiding principles for the next 5 years will be:

• Becoming a key resource of information for and about aviation maintenance community.
• Advocating for AMTs in education, safety, standardization and by keeping regulators informed about how these issues effect the community.
• Building recognition of the value and services that AMTs provide
• Building a positive public perception of the aviation maintenance profession.

To help promote these goals and build awareness of what PAMA provides to the community, PAMA will be holding a series of town meetings and other events nationwide over the coming year. 

John Casker (PAMA President, 2006-2009) said he was "very optimistic" about the plans to hold these meetings in support PAMA Chapter events and other nationwide industry programs. 

"I believe delivering the "new" PAMA in these face-to-face opportunities will reassure the membership and the industry that PAMA certainly is the voice of the mechanic," Casker added.

New A&P Certificates Required

Following a new regulation that went into effect last year, certified A&P mechanics must upgrade to a new "credit card" –style plastic by 2013 or lose their A&P privileges.

ALL Certificated Airmen (including mechanics, ATC's, dispatchers, etc) certified under 14CFR65 are required to change from the "paper" certification to "credit card" style by March 31, 2013.

This rule will not apply to temporary paper certificates issued under §65.13 (see http://u.nu/6qer3), but all others must apply for a replacement at the FAA's registry website.

How to Get the New Certificate

The best way to get new replacement certification is to follow the instructions at www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates

The replacement costs $2.00, unless you still have your SSN as your certification number.

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