AMTSociety Update

Nov. 25, 2013
AMTSociety lends its support to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition, presented by the Aerospace Maintenance Association in 2014.

AMTSociety Supports the Aerospace Maintenance Association’s Aerospace Maintenance Competition in 2014

To better serve its entire membership and to enhance future offerings, the AMTSociety is proud to lend its support to the Aerospace Maintenance Competition, presented by the Aerospace Maintenance Association in 2014.

Over the past six years AMTSociety has held its Maintenance Skills Competition in conjunction with Cygnus Business Media’s AviationPros LIVE annual tradeshow. Once again next year a maintenance skills competition will take place at this event but will be organized and managed by the newly formed Aerospace Maintenance Association with support of Cygnus Business Media, Snap-On and AMTSociety.

The Aerospace Maintenance Competition is a friendly but competitive event for teams of certificated aircraft maintenance technicians, aircraft maintenance engineers and students enrolled in either FAA, EASA, CASA or equivalently authorized schools as well as personnel of any country’s Armed Forces that are involved in the aircraft maintenance and spacecraft maintenance field. The competition is an opportunity for today’s and tomorrow's skilled aviation maintenance professionals to test their combined abilities against those of their peers.

The event is being managed by the Honorable John Goglia, former NTSB member and staunch advocate for the aircraft maintenance technician.

Ronald Donner, executive director of AMTSociety, says, “A maintenance competition has always been a key offering of AMTSociety and it's important the aircraft maintenance community continues to be provided such an event. This competition showcases the many talents needed for aircraft maintenance students and professionals to maintain the safe aircraft we all enjoy flying on. Collaboration with like-thinking people and organizations from the industry ensures the continuation of these types of events. We are very pleased to support the new AMC.”

John Goglia says, “This is an exciting opportunity to add to the existing success of the competition to support the recognition for the profession of the aircraft maintenance technician. Moving forward our two groups will synergize our efforts to produce the highest quality event which brings us together to highlight their professionalism and safety used in maintaining aircraft today.”

Michael Sasso, show director for AviationPros LIVE and AMTSociety board member, says, “As a second generation aircraft maintenance technician, I am proud to be continuing the tradition of hosting this outstanding and spirited event in conjunction with AviationPros LIVE bringing even more teams and a greater excitement level to the expo event."

The AMC will be held March 25 and 26, 2014 at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. For information on the AMC and to register your team visit, http://aerospacemaintenancecompetition.com/general-information/venue-information/.

For information regarding AviationPros LIVE visit, http://aviationproslive.com/.

AMTSociety coordinates airplane donation to Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College

Ronald (Ron) Donner recently coordinated the donation of an airplane to the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC) for use as a training aid in its newly developed Composite Technology program. The airplane, a Flight Design Light Sport Aircraft, was donated by Stanton Sport Aviation, Inc. located in Stanton, MN, just south of the Twin Cities where Donner volunteers on the board of directors. The airplane was manufactured using the latest composite materials and will be used for education and training purposes.

Stanton Sport Aviation is the upper Midwest distributor for the Flight Design series of LSAs. The un-airworthy airplane was acquired by Stanton from a private owner for its engine, avionics, and various other components. It was deregistered, will never fly again, and for the last year the bare fuselage and wings had been placed into storage. 

Tim Wright, the composites instructor responsible for developing the Composite Technology program at WITC, regularly contributes composite repair articles to Aircraft Maintenance Technology magazine. Several months ago the subject of training aids for the new program was discussed between Wright and Donner. Students enrolled in the program can now learn composite repair techniques on real airplane parts. 

Announcement of the donation was made during Donner’s visit to WITC in September. The Superior and Douglas County Chamber of Commerce and WITC hosted an open house to showcase many of the school's technical offerings, including the new Composites Technology course, along with local companies typically employing graduates from WITC. On display in the composite lab during the event was a fuselage mock-up for Kestrel Aircraft’s all composite turbo-prop aircraft.