Huge Contingent From FAA

Over 1,500 people have packed into hotel conference centers throughout the United States and Europe to attend the Part 145 Training Sessions offered by the Aircraft Electronics Association, the National Air Transportation Association, and other industry partners.

Over one-third of those in attendance were FAA personnel from various FSDOs and the regional offices.

The FAA-supported training programs cover transitioning to the new Part 145 and implementation of the revised Field Approval policies.

Designed to minimize misinterpretations of the final Advisory Circular (AC) on FAR 145 and the recent policies on Field Approvals, FAA headquarters committed to participate in a series of regional meetings between FAA headquarters, FAA regional offices, Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs) and operators of Part 145 certificated repair stations.

FAA's Diana Frohn, Manager of the General Aviation and Repair Station Branch (AFS-340), is presenting a four-hour session on Part 145, aimed at minimizing any misunderstandings between the FAA and the affected repair stations during the transition to the new repair station regulations.

The second four-hour session presented by Wayne Fry, aviation safety inspector with the FAA's General Aviation and Repair Station Branch and author of the field approval policy, is focused on Field Approval design, documentation and approval. This session reviews the methods for designing an alteration, the expectations of the FAA for documenting the alteration, and how to apply for and receive FAA approval.

"This program provides an ideal opportunity to have the FAA regulators sitting side-by- side with the regulated public learning about the new repair station regulations and field approvals from the experts that wrote the policies is a fantastic learning opportunity," said  Ric Peri, Vice President, Government and Industry Affairs, Aircraft Electronics Association. "We appreciate the effort of the FAA leadership in facilitating these programs and the Field Inspectors and the industry for making the effort to attend. Every repair station and every FSDO should have at least one person attend these quality sessions."

These two four-hour sessions were scheduled in 10 locations, with four sessions still remaining:
July 22, 2003             Southwest--Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
August 5, 2003          Great Lakes--Chicago, IL
August 19, 2003        Northwest Mountain--Seattle, WA
September 3, 2003    Western Pacific--Long Beach, CA

There is no charge to attend this seminar, but participants must register online at www.aea.net, then click on "FAA Part 145 Training Seminar Registration."

FMI: www.aea.net