SUMMARY:
This final rule establishes regulations that conform with the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, which sets forth statutory requirements to implement regulations for maintenance technician training.
Consistent with the statute, this final rule adopts new requirements for issuing aviation maintenance technician school certificates and associated ratings and the general operating rules for the holders of those certificates and ratings.
Beginning as early as 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration has proposed multiple options to modernize aviation maintenance technician schools only to struggle finding consensus among the industry. The United States Congress incorporated the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act within the Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 116-260), which includes Section 135 of the Act, titled "Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technician Training,'' and directed the FAA to "issue interim final regulations to establish requirements for issuing (AMTS) certificates and associated ratings and the general operating rules for the holders of those certificates and ratings in accordance with the requirements of Section 135.''
The interim final rule produces a performance-based regulation that empowers the technical educational organizations to develop and manage a curriculum, which better supports industry’s needs and to satisfy the quality systems required of certified academia by state educational departments without duplication with FAA requirements.
AEA COMMENTARY:
This rule is effective Sept. 21, 2022, except for amendatory instructions 6 and 9, which are effective Aug. 1, 2023. The interim final rule also includes a request for comment. Comments must be received on or before June 23, 2022.
It also should be noted that the FAA’s Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-1) has been incorporated by reference into 14 CFR Part 147. With the incorporation by reference, the Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards are considered regulatory after Sept. 21, 2022.
For more information from the FAA, click here.
For guidance information, links to reference documents and frequently asked questions click here
The New Part 147 - Aviation Technician Education Council (atec-amt.org)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ric Peri, AEA vice president of government and industry affairs, by email at ricp@aea.net or by phone at 202-589-1144.