What An Aviation Maintenance Organization Should Provide
It is gratifying to see the number of participants increase as the discussion revolves around the need for representation in D.C.
There is not a single response indicating there is no need for this. Rather the responses, albeit a very small percentage of the total readers of this magazine, are clear in their message that representation is needed. It is “strategically imperative” that this be accomplished as one comment emphasized. It’s necessary “to look after and speak for the (A&Ps’) interests in regulatory matters and to support professional growth” as another reader commented.
What is not clear is how this can come about. Some support an advocacy group that is a union or one that joins an existing union. Personally I would not favor this as I think it could cause more harm to the effort than benefit. Others support lining up with an already successful lobbying group such as the AOPA. I am not trying to sound negative, but is the AOPA “charter” consistent with the goals of the A&P? Sure, they have big bucks, but what about issues that might be in contradiction, such as allowing pilots without an A&P license to work on aircraft? This has been an issue with some regulations emanating on behalf of growth in GA.
I am fortunate. I am able to list among my friends and associates many A&Ps. And what I hear consistently is the call for a grass-roots movement, one in which A&Ps join under one banner and leverage their numbers and expertise to gain recognition and clout in the regulatory arena.
I believe an organization built through the joint efforts of aviation maintenance personnel from all areas can succeed, provided it:
- Sends a clear message that supports and acts in accordance with the goals of the aviation maintenance professional.
- Is operated by a professional staff and has respected leadership.
- Does not abuse trusts and is transparent in its operation to its membership.
- Finds ways to produce the resources necessary to continually gather strength, with a goal of eventually reaching critical mass. This will mean initially working with limited financial support from membership and finding creative ways to raise capital.
Keep in mind, an organization that credibly represents most professional aircraft maintenance personnel certainly will have clout — lots of it! Think of that when you join and are asked for a few bucks to help the thing get going. Participate and benefit the “Me Inc.” offered by some readers.
This is something that I also wish we had. There is no logical reason that the aircraft maintenance profession should not be accepted as a “skilled” profession. The airline industry has been able to keep Washington from changing us from unskilled to skilled for a long time. The reason being a skilled worker demand a better compensation than unskilled. The unions have not been able to do so because the lobbyists have more money and support in Washington. An independent organization is needed. How to get the funding is the difficult part.
Whither PAMA?
If they are not representing the aircraft maintenance professional, then why join that organization? And why have I not heard of them trying to get aircraft mechanics designated as skilled workers.
Lets review; it takes some 2,060 hours of instruction to be allowed to take the tests, and another 3 years of experience to be granted the licences now. And this doesn’t constitute skilled? Did I miss a meeting?
Some thoughts and comments on… ‘how this can come about’.
1: In regard to my past AOPA comments, if not directly affiliated with their organization, at the very least copy the organizational and business model that they developed. I don’t think we need to re-invent the wheel on this operational matter. I’m not sure if a more sound model exists in operating an association. In the bigger picture, our organization needs to be able to engage with all the alphabet organizations civilly. One would think we have more in common then not with the AOPA. They could even gain in understanding outside the typical flight ops arena they deal in from having us working closely with them. Another thing, we are going to need ‘friends’ on our side from time to time, and the bigger the better.
2: Union or Professional association? Professional association hands down. This organization has to be for the mechanics benefit specifically regardless of where they’re employed. To get involved in the labor laws, politics, etc would just complicate operations way too significantly; bleeding off money and resources that are better spent supporting the professional growth of the individual mechanics. Realistically the unions should be donating to our organization on behalf of their membership!
3: Leadership. A core group of dedicated individuals will need to rise to the challenge. Forward thinking, creative, dedicated people. Leadership that can listen to its membership and start the ball rolling. To build the organizational plan, mission statement, and all the other preliminary aspects of a professional association. Not a small task.
4: Grass roots engagement from the aircraft maintenance community, supporting the association leadership and fellow members. Mechanics will need to actively engage the public, their peers- licensed (certificated) or not, their employer, other subsets of the maintenance industry in all the associations activities- professionally. Membership drive, article writing, photography, sponsoring events, hosting events, fund raising, excreta. Those are the activities that grow an organization.
5: A collective understanding and acceptance of all the varied maintenance activity participants. General aviation, air carrier, corporate, specialty services such as composites, ndt, structures, military, accessory shops, all aircraft, all maintenance. All accepting of each other at the same level, professional mechanics- just different areas of expertise.
6: The purple Ape in the room when it comes to kicking off an organization and growing it (or the operations of organizations already in existence) -money, and lots of it. Face it, operating an effective association, supporting the mechanic in the ways as we’ve been discussing, take facilities, equipment, talented, connected, full time staff on a good salary and benefits program, significant seed capitol and a quickly spooled up operating income.
In a previous post I mentioned AOPA’s annual income as $15 million. I found on their site that they have an annual operating budget of $41 million! Frankly I’m embarrassed as a professional that the professional maintenance associations can not collect that kind of coin! And they do it with out killing their membership with excessive dues or additional fees for access.
Those are some of my thoughts on what it takes. Any volunteers?
I’ll comment later on what an orginization should provide.
My ideas as to what a professional maintenance organization should provide to its members….
1: Truthful, transparent business operations.
2: A ‘go to’ place on the web, providing useful tools such as:
A: Useful training opportunities not requiring an up purchase to access. These should be dynamic, relevant to today mechanic, and reinforce the ‘classic’ skills set of the maintenance professional. This effort should be supplemented and supported by the industry powerhouses as well.
B: A warehouse of useful, currant, industry information such as contacts for industry field reps. not some weak click through ads, but the names, numbers and e-mail so I can find them when I need them. Same for service providers, government and regulatory officials.
C: A repository for relevant aviation job postings.
D: A properly moderated forum for the open exchange of ideas between members.
3: A regularly published periodical, which contains useful, interesting, entertaining, and professional development literature that is well written and well illustrated.
4: Comprehensive and objective observation of regulatory affairs. With near real time reporting to its membership of issues, changes and concerns.
5: Actively represents and lobbies for our interest in Washington/FAA/Industry/International affairs.
6: Listens to, and supports all subsets of our membership.
7: Engages in a professional manor with all the other relevant alphabet organizations.
8: Engages the industry powerhouses and can gather there support both financially and professionally.
9: Can organize and support professional gatherings at both the local, national, and trade level. Always providing an opportunity to socialize, network, inform, train, and develop the membership’s professional growth.
10: Provides these services and capabilities to its membership for a reasonable dues contribution.
That would be a good start…
Tommy has a great outline, 1-3 describe AMT Online/Society. We definately have a need to build the foundation for the organization and use good concrete for the foundation and like others have brought up we definately need to have the organization be flexible to handle all aspects or basically the diversity of the career field. But I for one am definately against the union idea as I feel unions have done more damage than good. One incident is at Tulsa and AA, the union discouraged the AMT Society chapter membership for its members. Now how can you get a voice when the union is discouraging the mechanic from having a voice. I think AMT Magazine has moved in the right direction with its new voice and gone away from blogs about non-aviation related issues. The Society and the magazine might just well be the starting point and who knows we might form an alliance with PAMA to form a broader front.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Mike
A&P Mechanic
A customer service contact that answers member inquiries in a timely manner.
Leadership that keeps the membership informed of activity (Tommy said “Truthful, transparent business operations.”)
This is a letter that I never sent to Mr. Bill O´Brien, because of my bad english. When I read the sad news, the first thing that came to my mind was “God send a complete healing to Bill”, please.
This is my letter, that never sent: When I retired from the Venezuelan Air Force, I didn’t know anything about Federal Aviation Regulations neither about CAR´s.
Then when I engaged in an aircraft maintenance shop in 1996, I heard that civil aeronautical words that are common in nowadays, but in that dark days for me, were almost a mystery. Later, when time passed by, landed in my hands a two years old edition of an AMT. This publication was buried in the boss’s drawer until he, tired of it throw the magazine over an office’s table.
In other words, at the office, we were relegated to read previous editions.
Those were the days when I found face to face with Bill O’Brien, while I was leaf(ting) through the magazine.
When the days and years passed by, I used to look for AMT over the table, some magazines older than editions already checked.
Through “Bill’s Notes For Technicians”, I crashed against the invisible wall of the ignorance. I realized that only the chief executive and his managers had the power to know about this marvelous leading publication, but they didn’t see the importance of spread the contained information, an aviation magazine designed to educate and inform personnel like me. I requested to the Q.A. manager to have the publication subscribed, which was refused, because it was “very expensive” to maintain a lot of subscriptions, of people which never tear the magazine plastic bag out. Well, after a prolonged prison in the drawer, the AMT publications aged into that silently room, were finally liberated, and some of my companions and I could read that valuable treasure.
After the web entered in our offices, we can read earlier editions as well as the latest, reducing to a millions of years light the difference between the civilized mechanics world and we here in this maintenance shop, in Venezuela. A thing I can not explain yet myself is the apparition of the roadkillibus texanis (the armadillo) in the front page when I entered the first time with numb fingers in the magazine electronic page. We, readers appreciate the steady beam of light that we have received from you, Mr. Bill O’Brien. I can say that I have enjoyed each of those articles written with a very fine humorous approach, like “The Rite of Passage”, “Grease Monkey”, “The Code”, “Leaky Boat”, “Part 43”, “Red Tape”, “Silverback”, etc; but never nobody will overcome the summit of all “The Visit”.
But nothing remains for ever. I think that like me, your readers felt got a knot in our throats, when we know about your retirement. Fortunate wind has not let to blow. Thanks God, and thanks to Miss Marie for push back Bill again to the arena. I will be eager to read that articles written by You in this new stage as an independent article writer.
P.D. My words of admiration and well wishes for a speedy recovery for Bill.
Enry Rodríguez, Maracay. Venezuela (erodenez@gmail.com)
If you can get your hands on the Octiber issue of Avionics news, read “Why Should You Join an Association?”
Well worth the read!