The AMT Online Reader Polls

As part of the media industry AMT likes to know what our readers think and feel about certain topics. There are a number of ways this is typically done; feedback from readers, letters to the editors, participation in the AMT Online Forums, replies to this Blog, and more. All are important and provide the magazine a sense of what our readers want and how they feel, in order to provide you with the information important to your jobs. A number of months ago AMT placed its first reader poll on the AMT Online homepage – you may recall seeing it. The purpose of the AMT Online Poll is from time-to-time we place an aviation related question or topic with several simple answers to chose from, in order to provide a “snapshot†of how you the readers feel about that topic or question. The first poll contained a question relating to training with six answers to chose from. Training is a very broad topic and defined answers are not easy with such a broad topic. There were 254 individual answers to the first AMT Online reader poll question, a low number considering the number of website visits each day. Regardless, here is the question restated and answers to the first poll question ranked in a percentage order. “What type of training do you think is needed to meet aircraft maintenance technology demands?†31 percent – Management system/live on-site demonstrations/on-the-job 24 percent – Online presentations/E-learning 20 percent – Aircraft simulation training 11 percent – Classroom textbook training 11 percent – FAA regulations 3 percent – Other Based on this data you can conclude that the majority of the readers who took the poll feel that the best type of training is live on-site demonstrations and on-the-job training. You can also conclude that classroom/textbook style training is currently the least popular. Online, computer-based training (CBT), and other forms of E-learning have gained in popularity over the last number of years and you can see the popularity gain in the results of this ranking as well. Remember this information the next time you have input into the style of training material delivery. A new reader poll question was placed on the AMT Online homepage a couple weeks ago. Again, it is our hope that you take a moment to respond. Over the last number of years there has been a lot of discussion and effort in the aviation industry regarding advanced certification for aviation maintenance technicians. Given the advancements in technology, primarily avionics, is the current process and certification for the Airframe and Powerplant Technician and associated Inspection Authorization adequate? There are several organizations that provide continuing and advanced aviation maintenance training and credentials. Discussions continually take place among industry organizations on how best to provide advanced credentials and/or ratings. Some examples of efforts underway that you may already be aware of are programs such as the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) Certified Aviation Manager and Professional Development Programs, and Project Bootstrap for the Aviation Maintenance Technical Engineer (AMTE). Others programs include the National Center for Aerospace & Transportation Technologies (NCATT) for the Aircraft Electronics Technician course, and the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) provides training in aircraft avionics systems. So the question in the current AMT Online reader poll is a simple one: Is a more specialized system for advanced certification/ratings beyond the FAA A&P/IA certificates needed? Please take a moment to answer the new question. Thanks for reading, Ron