PAMA's Strategy for 2004: What's ahead for the association and the industry

Feb. 1, 2004

PAMA's Strategy for 2004
What's ahead for the association and the industry

By Brian Finnegan, A&P

Greetings and welcome to a new brand of Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) communications. Through our very supportive business relationship with Aircraft Maintenance Technology magazine, PAMA will now have a column eight times a year in AMT. PAMA's usual insert of PAMA Mx Magazine will be reintroduced this month as a stand-alone piece distributed to members only. Mx Magazine will publish six times a year to our membership with additional circulation at all the major aviation tradeshows. We are very pleased to introduce this members-only benefit and, in addition, provide advertising opportunities for companies targeting the maintenance professional audience. Here in the pages of AMT, PAMA will continue to inform the aviation maintenance community at-large on the issues of particular importance to individual technicians and provide opportunities to become involved in the legislative and rulemaking process. It's true that PAMA will become more effective as additional maintenance professionals join the ranks of membership. To justify that kind of personal and financial commitment, PAMA will continue to illustrate the value of your personal and professional investment in the association.Training regulations and recognition A number of big issues are coming up as we kick off this election year. By the end of 2004, the maintenance training regulations in Part 135 will likely have been reviewed and decided upon. This will also have great implications for the training requirements in Parts 91 and 121. During a recent poll of PAMA's chapter leaders, a strong desire for an elevated and strengthened minimum standard for training and recurrency requirements for mechanics came out on top. How do you feel about those regulations and who will speak for you? Also desired is a form of PAMA-sponsored advanced recognition that quantifies and encourages training above the minimum standard. PAMA is hard at work developing such a program and will introduce it to our members this year. Closely tied to these advanced training and recognition initiatives will be the introduction of liability insurance for the individual and small aviation maintenance provider. Insurance protection We are not just talking about product liability insurance that protects a maintenance provider against legal action in the event of a crash following maintenance. We are also preparing to offer premises and personal injury insurance which, among other things, protects a maintenance provider in the event damage is done to the aircraft while maintenance is being provided, or if injury is incurred by the mechanic performing maintenance or by a third person visiting or traversing the area. Many airports are requiring individual and small maintenance providers to show proof of insurance before allowing maintenance to be performed. This insurance promises to be more cost effective than individual policies that are currently available, but there will also be a commitment required from the insured maintenance provider - continuous training. Insurers know that both the number of maintenance insurance claims and the value of individual claims decrease when there is an environment of continuous education and training. To achieve the depth and stature of a respected professional, mechanics need to achieve these kinds of industry investments in our education and recognition. Improving aviation safety requires it. The combination of PAMA's national influence, professional recognition, advanced training opportunities, and unique insurance opportunities make PAMA membership an essential tool in every mechanic's toolbox. PAMA will continue to strive toward these improvements, but we need the membership support of the entire aviation maintenance community to be successful. We will keep you posted here in the AMT column, as well as online at www.pama.org, in our monthly membership email JetBlast!, and in the pages of Mx Magazine. Stay Strong!