PAMA AND THE FAA SAFETY PROGRAM

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PAMA AND THE FAA SAFETY PROGRAM

• IS PROUD TO PRESENT

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ACE RECOMMENDED CREDITS for AP

• This program tells you how to apply for 67
  undergraduate college credits based on your AP
  certificate.

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DEFINITIONS

• ACE is shorthand for the American Council on
  Education.
• ACE ADDRESS
• ACE
• One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 250
• Washington, DC 20036-1193
• ACE Telephone is 202-939 9434

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DEFINITIONS

• Credit recommendation means that ACE has
  formally reviewed the 9 exams for the FAA
  Airframe and Powerplant certificate and has
  recommended that 67 undergraduate credits be
  assigned to the AP.
• ACE recommended credits are honored at 1200
  colleges and universities.

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HOW MANY MECHANICS ARE AFFECTED BY ACE?

• ACE recommended credit is only for mechanic
  certificates issued after August 1, 1989.----(ACE
  imposed the 10-year limit)
• FAA Airman Registry records have identified over
  172,000 mechanics who are eligible.

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WHAT IS INVOLVED

• The Professional Aviation Maintenance
  Association(PAMA) picked up the 10,000 fee for
  the ACE review (4 Ph.Ds did the review)
• FAA supplied over 4 1/2 feet of documentation to
  ACE for the content review.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

• ACE credit recommendations is not a guarantee
  that the college of your choice will accept all
  67 credits.
• Other variables such as whether it is a 2 year or
  4 year degree and/or the degree field of study
  will affect the number of credits you are given.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

• ACE recommended credits are for the AP ratings
  only.
• A FAA mechanic certificate with only an airframe
  or only a powerplant rating can not be accepted.

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Send in your application directly to ACE (ACE
  will not send you a postcard)
• ACE reviews the application against an FAA
  provided data base, and if approved, assigns full
  credit.

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Mechanics take the ACE transcript to the college
  or university of their choice and negotiates
  what ACE recommended credits will be applied
  towards the degree desired.

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WHAT KIND OF DEGREES IS ACE CREDITS GOOD FOR?

• ASSOCIATE---2-YEAR DEGREES (AVERAGE 60 TO 65
  COLLEGE CREDITS)
• BACHELOR---4-YEAR DEGREES (AVERAGE 120 TO 130
  COLLEGE CREDITS)

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HOW WERE THE CREDITS ASSIGNED?

• Lower division, undergraduate
• FAA general exam--14 hours in aviation science.
• FAA powerplant exam--28 hours in aviation
  science.
• FAA airframe exam---25 semester hours in aviation
  science.

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HOW LONG DID THIS PROCESS TAKE?

• Two mechanics met in Orlando airport in April
  1998 and decided to get college credits for the
  AP certificate.
• ACE review began August 1999.
• ACE recommendations was given to PAMA in January
  2001.

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WHAT ACE CREDITS ARE NOT

• You are not assured that 67 credits will be
  accepted by every college.
• Credit depends on the degree you want.
• If you want a 2-year degree, the number of ACE
  credits accepted will be less.

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WHAT ACE DOES FOR YOU

• Formal recognition of the level of training
  needed to earn the AP.
• Depending on the degree program ACE recommended
  credits may shorten a 4-year college degree by 2
  years or shorten a 2-year degree by 1 year.

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WHAT ACE DOES FOR YOU

• Establishes a lifelong transcript service that
  tracks your credits.
• Cuts down the negotiating time with Directors of
  Admissions.

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HOW MUCH IS ACEs TRANSCRIPT GOING TO COST ME?

• 30.00 FEE AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO SEND A LETTER
  TO ACE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

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ACE NEEDS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

• A letter asking ACE for recommended credits for
  your mechanic certificate with AP ratings.
• A statement that the AP was issued after August
  1, 1989.

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ACE NEEDS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

• First, middle and last name
• Date of birth
• Social security number
• FAA mechanics certificate number
• Current address and telephone number

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ACE NEEDS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

• Notarized true copy of your AP certificate
• A 30.00 check made out to ACE
• The address where you want the transcript
  sent---your home or to a college. Additional
  transcripts for other colleges are 5.00 each.

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SEND THE INFORMATION TO

• ACE AP Credit
• AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION
• One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 250
• Washington, DC 20036-1193

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

• ACE reviews the applicants documents and checks
  his or her name against the FAA-supplied data
  base.
• If the documentation matches the FAA data base,
  the credits are assigned and a transcript
  prepared.

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WHAT DO YOU GET FROM ACE?

• A confirmation letter stating your eligibility
  status and recommended credits available.
• A transcript listing 67 ACE recommended credits
  which is sent either to you or the college of
  your choice.

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WHAT DO YOU GET FROM ACE?

• Additional transcripts will cost you 5.00 each.
• If you take additional ACE approved courses
  (technical or college level) those credits will
  be added to your transcript.

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NOW WHAT?

• FAA and PAMA have provided the incentive.
• Each individual mechanic must provide the effort
  to find a local college or a college that
  provides distant learning.

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NOW WHAT?

• You must NEGOTIATE with several colleges to get
  the maximum number of ACE credits assigned.
• Remember, each college is a business. They are
  providing a service for a fee---dont be shy!

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NOW WHAT?

• Remind them that over 172,000 aviation mechanics
  are now potential college students.
• Tell them that the FAA certificates approximately
  5,000 plus new AP mechanics a year. So we, as
  future customers, are not going away.

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PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

• Each quarter the FAA will send a new data base of
  mechanics to ACE.
• If an AP has moved and not updated his address
  as required by FAR 65.21, ACE will not approve
  the credits if the addresses do not match.

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PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

• If you moved or changed your sex or did not get
  another rating or medical, you have to notify the
  FAA.
• Send into OKC FAA form 8060-55 change of address
  form. (check your FSDO or go to www.faa.gov for
  the form)

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PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

• No---the FAA will not send you a nasty letter
  because you forgot to update your address.
• No---FAA will not send you a new certificate with
  your new address unless you request it and send
  in 2.00.

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PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

• Figure it will take 5 weeks to change your record
  in OKC.
• But it could be up to 90 days before ACE is
  notified again because you missed being updated
  in the last quarter.

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NOTICE

• FAA Headquarters, local FSDO, PAMA, or ACE cannot
  make Airmen Registry office in OKC speed up the
  process to get your new address in the data base
  to meet a semester deadline.

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NOTICE

• So please do not call, visit or write letters to
  your congressman to correct a problem that you
  alone are responsible for.

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WHY A COLLEGE DEGREE IS IMPORTANT!

• Recognition
• Career enhancement
• Personal satisfaction
• Show your kids what the old man is capable of
• Mark of a professional

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REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT GO TO COLLEGE

• Too old
• Cant compete with young kids
• Not smart enough
• Afraid you would flunk out
• No time
• No money
• Scared-- but wont admit it.

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REBUTTAL

• Too old You are too old when they snap the lid
  to your coffin-- shut.
• Cant compete You have at least a 10-year
  advantage in the common sense department plus
  your hormones are no longer raging so
  concentration is no longer a problem.

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REBUTTAL

• Not smart If you are not smart, why do people
  let you sign off million dollar aircraft?
• Flunk out Thousands of students flunk out of
  college courses every year----you wont be alone.

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REBUTTAL

• No time-----cut out 2 days a week sitting in
  front of your television.
• No money---apply for a student loan or maybe your
  company will pay.
• No courage----We cant help you

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A REQUEST

• There is no way we can research 1200 colleges
  nation-wide and find out who is offering the
  maximum credits awarded for ACE transcript or
  lowest cost for a degree.
• So we need a little help

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A REQUEST

• If you find a college that is mechanic friendly,
  please send that name, address and telephone
  number via e-mail to william.obrien_at_faa.gov and
  a list will be created and put on the FAA Safety
  Program web site.

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A SECOND REQUEST

• We realize that not everyone will go for the
  college degree. We understand this is a
  personal/economic decision.
• We only ask that you support those who make the
  decision to earn a degree.

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A SECOND REQUEST

• For they have chosen the harder road and in time
  they will change the public perception of all
  aviation mechanics from a semi-skilled worker to
  that of a career professional.

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Closing Comments

• We realize that mechanics certificated before
  August 1989 are left out of the ACE program.
• FAA and PAMA are working with individual colleges
  who presently offer distance learning. This is
  not an easy task, please be patient.

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Closing Comments

• It is our hope that we can convince at least 10
  colleges to accept the ACE AP credits for the
  pre-1989 mechanics and to design a degree program
  that is mechanic friendly both in time to earn
  the degree and in cost.

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Closing Comments

• This is a giant step for our profession to gain
  public recognition of an aviation mechanic as a
  career professional.
• It will take time, money, and sweat, but it is
  doable and we mechanics can make it happen.

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Thanks for listening