U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular Subject: William (Bill) O’Brien Aviation Maintenance Technician Awards Program Date: 6/3/09 Initiated by: AFS-300 AC No: 65-25E Change: 0
1. PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) outlines the participation requirements for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) William (Bill) O’Brien Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Awards Program. This revision to the AC provides instructions for AMTs and the employers of AMTs participating in the online William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program and addresses all the changes to the program.
2. EFFECTIVE DATE. The effective date is 06/03/09.
3. CANCELLATION. AC 65-25D, Aviation Maintenance Technician Awards Program, dated February 7, 2007, is canceled.
4. DEFINITIONS.
a. Calendar Year. The period of time from January 1 through December 31. All training must be earned within an individual calendar year to be eligible for a William (Bill) O’Brien Award for that year.
b. Mandatory Core Training. Training that must be completed by all AMTs to be eligible for an individual William (Bill) O’Brien Award. The Mandatory Core Training will focus on aviation maintenance accident/incident causal factors, special emphasis items, and regulatory issues. Core Training will be comprised of either one or two online courses, depending on FAA evaluation of training needs. The Core Training courses can be located and completed in the Aviation Learning Center at http://www.FAASafety.gov.
The time allotted for each Core Course will count towards the hour requirements for an William (Bill) O’Brien Award.
c. Eligible Aviation Maintenance Training. A formal meeting, seminar, or block of technical training and/or Web-based training, lasting at least 50 minutes, constitutes one hour of training. An AMT may receive credit toward an individual William (Bill) O’Brien Award by completing this formal training conducted by the following:
(1)
(2) A course provided by a manufacturer or its authorized representative.
Training provided by an air carrier/repair station training department.
(3)
(4) Attending an FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) sponsored aviation safety seminar or symposium.
Training from FAA aviation safety inspectors/FAA Web-based training, FAA-accepted Inspector Authorization refresher training entities, FAASTeam managers/representatives, industry subject matter experts, and Title 14 of Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 147 instructors as long as the information presented is technical, safety-related, regulatory in nature, or pertains to maintenance human factors.
Part 147 curriculums excluded, information must be outside of course requirements.
NOTE: Industry seminars must not contain commercial endorsements or serve as advertisements for a particular products or services. Additionally, company personnel policy type training is not eligible.
d. FAASafety.gov Syllabi. A syllabus of topics and guidance used to develop eligible training and seminars. Various syllabi are located on the http://www.FAASafety.gov Web site.
e. College Level Course. A course of instruction on one subject constituting at least three credit hours or 40 classroom hours from a nationally accredited college, university, or a vocational/technical school approved by a higher educational accreditation organization. Correspondence and Internet courses are acceptable. Examples of acceptable college courses are Mathematics, English, Science, Aviation Safety, Human Factors, Quality Control, or similar aviation career related courses.
5. BACKGROUND. In October 1991, Flight Standards Service, AFS-300 determined there was a need for an incentive program to encourage AMT employees and employers to participate aggressively in available initial and recurrent maintenance training/courses.
Through the William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program, the FAA recognizes eligible technicians and employers by issuing awards to those who receive or promote and foster initial and recurrent training.
a. Technician Incentives. This program provides maintenance technicians with incentives to improve safety by actively participating in initial and recurring training programs on their own initiative or in training programs subsidized by their employers.
b. Employer Incentives. The FAA is aware that the employer bears the short-term loss of employee productivity and other costs associated with training. To increase the incentive for management to fund training under the award program, the FAA recognizes employers who take proactive roles in training their technical workforce.
c. Technician Award. The award for technicians is an AMT Certificate of Training and an associated decal signifying the award year. The award for employers is an AMT Employer Award of Excellence.
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d. William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program Logo. The William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program logo was chosen from designs submitted for review. The winning logo was chosen and represents the following:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(1)
(2) The William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program logo’s hexagonal shape resembles standard Army/Navy hardware. The hexagon design symbolizes strength in maintaining a common standard of integrity and trust.
The two perfect circles within the hexagon symbolize the continuing cycle of maintenance and inspection, which must be unbroken and perfect today and every day to ensure continued airworthiness and aviation safety.
The formula, “Knowledge + Professionalism = Safety”, represents not only the aviation maintenance industry’s commitment to maintaining the aircraft entrusted to its care, but serves as a personal commitment as well.
The two aircraft located in the center of the logo represent the 1903 Wright Flyer superimposed over the proposed space plane. The Wright Flyer represents the maintenance community’s proud past. This is because the Wright brothers’ mechanic, Mr. Charles Edward Taylor, plays an important role in the history of aviation. Not only was Taylor the first aircraft mechanic, he also designed and built the engine for the 1903 Wright brothers’ Flyer. The space plane, with its technological advancements and low orbit capability, represents the bright future of the maintenance profession.
6. WILLIAM (BILL) O’BRIEN AWARDS PROGRAM OVERVIEW.
a. Technicians and Employers Eligible for Awards. Technicians and employers may be eligible for William (Bill) O’Brien Awards. The individual technician’s award will be an AMT Certificate of Training and an AMT Decal signifying the year the award was earned.
b. Individual William (Bill) O’Brien Awards:
Phase I, Bronze Award.
Phase II, Silver Award.
Phase III, Gold Award.
c. AMT Employer Awards:
AMT Employer Gold Award of Excellence.
AMT Employer Diamond Award of Excellence.
d. The Design of the William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program. The William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program is designed to require additional training at each phase. To be eligible for an award, an applicant must complete all of the requirements for the award Par 5 Page 3
within an individual calendar year. A technician or employer who qualifies may receive only one award during any given year.
e. Flexibility of the William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program Design. The William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program is designed to be flexible. Technicians are not required to complete a lower award phase before earning the next higher phase. For example, a technician who qualifies for the Gold Award during his or her first year in the program would be issued the Phase III Gold Award.
f. All Technicians and Employers Encouraged to Participate. The FAA encourages all eligible technicians and employers to participate in the awards program each year. Continuous participation in the FAA William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program for regulatory, airworthiness, and safety awareness training will reinforce and promote/foster a high level of professionalism and safety within the industry.
7. INDIVIDUAL WILLIAM (BILL) O’BRIEN AWARD ELIGIBILITY. The following individuals are eligible to participate in the William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program:
An FAA-certificated mechanic and repairman, actively working (see 14 CFR part 65, § 65.83) in general aviation, repair station, or air carrier maintenance, and working on aircraft or component parts for 14 CFR parts 91, 121, 125, 127, 129, 133, 135, 137, 141, or 145 entities.
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• A noncertificated maintenance technician employed by a part 121/135 air carrier or a part 145 repair station and working on aircraft or component parts.
A student in an FAA-certificated part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School who is maintaining a course average grade of “C” or better. The student must receive training required by this award program outside of his or her regular part 147 school curriculum.
An apprentice mechanic working full time or part time performing aircraft maintenance under an FAA-certificated mechanic or repairman is also eligible to receive an award.
8. INDIVIDUAL WILLIAM (BILL) O’BRIEN AWARD REQUIREMENTS. All phases require that individuals register at http://www.FAASafety.gov, enroll in the William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program, and complete the Core Training Course/Courses, which can be found in the Aviation Learning Center at http://www.FAASafety.gov. Participants must also meet the following requirements.
a. Phase I. Bronze: Obtain a minimum of 12 hours of eligible aviation maintenance training.
b. Phase II. Silver: Obtain a minimum of 40 hours of eligible aviation maintenance training.
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c. Phase III. Gold: Obtain a minimum of 80 hours of eligible aviation maintenance training plus satisfactory completion of a college level course of three credit hours or 40 classroom hours in Mathematics, English, Science, Aviation Safety, Human Factors, Management, Quality Control, or similar aviation career related courses.
9. EMPLOYER ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible for the employer’s award, the employer must:
Be involved full time in the business of maintaining or repairing aircraft and component parts and appliances, thereof.
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• Employ at least three full time AMTs.
10. EMPLOYER AWARDS REQUIREMENTS.
a. AMT Gold Award of Excellence. An eligible employer with a minimum of 50 percent of its eligible employees receiving an individual William (Bill) O’Brien Award for a given calendar year is eligible to receive special recognition in the form of an AMT Gold Award of Excellence.
b. AMT Diamond Award of Excellence. An eligible employer with a minimum of 100 percent of its eligible employees receiving an individual William (Bill) O’Brien Award for a given calendar year is eligible to receive special recognition in the form of an AMT Diamond Award of Excellence.
c. FAASTeam Regional Manager Responsibilities. The FAASTeam Regional Manager with responsibility for the area location of the employer will coordinate with the FAA Certificate Management Team (CMT) in responding to company requests for issuance of the Employer William (Bill) O’Brien Award of Excellence.
11. APPLYING FOR THE AWARD. Any person or company desiring to participate in the William (Bill) O’Brien Awards Program must register and utilize procedures outlined at http://www.FAASafety.gov.
a. Individual AMT. Throughout the calendar year and within the first month (January) of the next calendar year, AMTs may upload their training on http://www.FAASafety.gov. During the month of January immediately following the calendar year that the training was earned, an individual AMT may claim his or her award on http://www.FAASafety.gov. Claiming the award during the month of January will allow the individual AMT to print his or her AMT Certificate of Training and request the associated decal. After January the award certificate may be printed from the individual’s award history page, but no decal will be issued.
b. Employer. At any time during the month of February, immediately following the year the training was received by the employers’ AMTs, an eligible employer may apply on line at http://www.FAASafety.gov for an Employer Award of Excellence. Employers must upload a spreadsheet showing a list of eligible employees who have received awards, and the award level of each employee. This process will be completed at Par 9 Page 5
http://www.FAASafety.gov. Once award eligibility has been confirmed, the appropriate FAASTeam Regional Manager will receive automatic notification from HTTP://www.FAASafety.gov. The FAASTeam in conjunction with the FAA CMT will coordinate the issuance of the award with the company. A minimum of 60 working-days must be allowed for processing.
NOTE: Only one employer award per company may be awarded each calendar year.
12. HOW TO OBTAIN THIS AC. Copies of this AC can be found at http://www.airweb.faa.gov/rgl.
13. CONTACT. For additional information or suggestions, please contact the FAA AFS Aircraft Maintenance Division, AFS-300, ATTN: Aviation Maintenance Technician Awards Program, 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591, or at (202) 385- 6435.
John M. Allen Director, Flight Standards Service Page 6 Par 11