2025 – Edition 5 – June 6
Table of Contents
Note: The order of material varies in hotline emails, but is always presented the same on this landing page. Readers scrolling through content on or printing this page will find it organized consistent with the table of contents.
The President’s Desk
Following our Design
Part 3 defines “airworthy” as meaning conformance to an approved “type design and [] in a condition for safe operation.” This simple two-part test underlies every safety determination. For maintenance professionals, this standard drives the “original or properly altered” performance standard in part 43. For owners and operators, part 91’s assignment of primary responsibility for airworthiness begins with this foundational definition. Every aviation stakeholder must recognize and uphold this basic standard.
The definition’s criteria offer more than a technical standard. To support good engineering, safe operation, and practical business, adherence to a carefully developed plan and the needed tools for effective work are the keys to success.
ARSA’s leadership maintains a similar philosophy in managing the association’s expertise and resources. The association’s member benefits aim to further regulatory, legislative, and career development by staying rooted in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Conformance to an approved design demands focus on those core and fundamental requirements. Ensuring a condition for continued safe operation means investing limited resources in areas where the most return for the association’s membership can be obtained.
The boundaries of ARSA’s philosophical standard are not the limit of its members’ interests. When questions arise outside of the team’s approved standard and limited resources, other organizations, associations, and colleagues are called upon to provide information, advice, and advocacy. The expertise and experience of others provides value to every member without distracting from the association’s philosophy of airworthiness—know the rules like you know your tools.
Ask ARSA is open to any member question or need. The team follows up within two business days, either requesting clarification or providing information (developed internally or retrieved from elsewhere) to help each of us navigate a complicated regulatory and business world.
For anyone needing a reminder of ARSA’s philosophy and expertise, the hotline’s updates and analysis provides the perfect place to start. Read on.
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John Riggs 2025 ARSA president | Director of Airworthiness, Chromalloy |
ARSA Works
AMT Day – Celebrating Charlie
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor, the Wright Brothers’ mechanic and father of aviation maintenance, was born on May 24, 1868. Now – 157 years later – we celebrate him through continued commitment to good work.
In 2008, a congressional resolution dedicated the date in honor of Taylor, establishing National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day. While the “holiday” doesn’t get anyone out of work (there are no days off from aviation safety), it’s important to celebrate the commitment, integrity and skill of every aircraft mechanic and all those who support them – this is Taylor’s legacy and our shared responsibility.
How did you acknowledge May 24? Members are invited to share with the association any and all special celebrations of AMT Day. The communications team shares these celebrations whenever possible and would love to amplify your company’s observance.
See this example from 2024:
Crawfish with Charlie
ARSA member Fairhope Aerospace in Fairhope, Alabama shared their 2024 southern-style celebration of Charlie. The company hosted a crawfish boil on May 24 for all of its staff; the crustacean delicacy was paired with a presentation about Taylor’s legacy and aviation safety. Also, technicians were given tool truck credits and a metallic model of the Wright Flyer (whether they put it together themselves or bring it home to their kids is up to each technician).
The association is grateful to Fairhope for sharing its activities and wants to hear about your company’s celebration of Taylor’s legacy and the vital importance of your people to the aviation community’s future (Contact ARSA to share your story.)
No matter how you celebrated AMT Day, it’s a small bit of well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and support.
The world can’t fly without you.
Click an image below to expand.
 Cameron Cázales tends the boiling crawfish during Fairhope Aerospace’s 2024 AMT Day celebration. |
 Fairhope Aerospace staff gather to enjoy to results of the company’s crawfish boil to commemorate AMT Day 2024. |
 Fairhope Aerospace staff received Wright Flyer models to commemorate AMT Day 2024. |
SBA Pushes DOT on ARSA OpSpecs Recommendation
On May 5, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy submitted comments to the Department of Transportation’s regulatory reform request for information. The comments compiled small business issues from across transportation modes, leading its aviation section with multiple recommendations based on ARSA’s analysis of countless Operations Specifications Requirements without regulatory authority.
The SBA comments began with paperwork burdens. The agency noted, on behalf of the more than 100 representatives (including ARSA’s) participating in its April roundtable discussion of issues to be highlighted for DOT, the government’s burdensome imposition of recordkeeping requirements: “Even with the [protections of the Paperwork Reduction Act]…DOT and its subagencies have more than 500 active collections of information, resulting in more than 178 million annual burden hours and more than 2.4 billion in annual costs.” In 2024, the FAA acknowledged – with the support of ARSA comments – its application requirements alone cost repair stations more than 240,000 hours and $11 million each year.
The association’s April recommendations to SBA (covered in the most-recent edition of the hotline newsletter) aligned well with this foundational focus on paperwork. The FAA adds requirements through OpSpecs paragraphs issued under 14 CFR parts 119, 145, and 147 (among others) that (a) are not contained in the regulation and in some cases have been specifically rejected during informal rulemaking, and (b) create unnecessary expenditures of time and money by the agency, applicants, certificate holders, and the public.
The following recommendations led the section of the SBA’s comments concerning the FAA:
(Recommendation 17) Operations Specification A025 – Electronic Signatures, Electronic Recordkeeping Systems, and Electronic Manual Systems
The issue: The FAA requires detailed reports about how aircraft operators will use electronic signatures, manuals, and records.
Small business impact: This authorization may have been helpful when it was new or novel to use a computer to support a business. However, today nearly every aircraft operator uses electronic signatures, records, and manuals. Additionally, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000 gave electronic signatures and records the same binding authority as paper signatures and records in interstate commerce. Congress already gave businesses the right to use computers in furtherance of their business, but the FAA’s outdated rules are complicated and burdensome. These processes are commonplace among all businesses.
The process is a waste of time, as the end result is already authorized by Congress and has no impact on aviation safety.
Small business recommendation: The FAA should rescind Operations Specification A025. This change would eliminate policies requiring operators to document how they use computers. It would also save time for FAA personnel and aviation operators without diminishing safety.
(Recommendation 18) 14 CFR parts 119, 145, and 147 among others that require the issuance of operations specifications paragraphs
The issue: The FAA issues mandates on applicants and certificate holders through policy rather than the notice and comment rulemaking. Specifically, the agency has added requirements through “operations specifications” paragraphs issued under 14 C.F.R. parts 119, 145, and 147 (among others). These requirements are not contained in the regulation and in some cases have been specifically rejected during informal rulemaking. They also create unnecessary expenditures of time and money by the agency, applicants, certificate holders, and the public.
Small business impact: This practice adds to the financial and time burdens associated with obtaining and maintaining certificates issued by the FAA. Furthermore, since policy can change at the discretion of the agency without notice or comment from the public, new or differing “requirements” can result in requests for “corrective actions,” issuance of letters of investigation, and notices of proposed civil penalty and/or certificate action that unnecessarily burden the agency and industry, particularly small businesses.
Small business recommendation: The FAA should follow the advice of the industry representatives, which has been provided in numerous solicited and unsolicited recommendations, and create a method of developing operations specifications paragraphs that clearly distinguish among those 1) required by regulation, 2) requested by a certificate holder that can and should be issued in the interest of safety, and 3) developed for the convenience of the agency. This would remove unnecessary burdens from all applicants and certificate holders subject to 14 CFR requirements and would reduce the work for the agency to issue and keep the operations specifications paragraphs current.
For context, ARSA provided SBA the following letters and recommendations associated with operations specifications paragraphs:
- November 21, 2007 request for Chief Counsel to review unilateral changes to repair station operations specifications without due process.
- January 17, 2013 recommendation from the FAA appointed Consistency of Regulatory Interpretation Aviation Rulemaking Committee (CRI-ARC), followed by October 19, 2015 industry letter supporting creation of guidance based solely on regulations and a November 22, 2019 letter from ARSA to the new chief counsel on the same subject.
- April 13, 2018 industry letter supporting the congressional mandate that without “a written finding of necessity, based on objective and historical evidence of imminent threat to safety, the Administrator shall not promulgate any operations specification, policy, or guidance document that is more restrictive than, or requires procedures that are not expressly stated in, the regulations.”
- December 8, 2022 Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee final report on part 145 Repair Stations recommending changes to operations specifications paragraphs “automatically” issued to repair stations that are NOT limitations.
- A December 2024 FAA letter to ARSA stating: “We are also in the process of revising the requirements for part 145 Operations Specification paragraph A025, Electronic/Digital Recordkeeping System, Electronic/Digital Signature, and Electronic Media, which is not grounded in a regulatory mandate or safety limitation.” (Emphasis added.)
By focusing on something like Operations Specifications that are directed at applicants and certificate holders, the agency can eliminate any and all guidance that requires action from the public (applicant or certificate holder) unsupported by the plain language of a regulation.
Current FAA bureaucracy functions through “requirements” placed in the agency’s own “orders/policies” to its own workforce that require action by an applicant or certificate holder. Without the action being taken, the FAA employee cannot do its job, but there is no requirement in the regulation to obtain the information or action from an applicant or certificate holder. To “deviate” from the order or policy, the FAA employee must ask permission; if the employee does not “wish” to ask permission, the applicant or certificate holder is forced to request a deviation for the order which is not required to be followed by the applicant or certificate holder in the first place.
The association encourages members to connect with the Office of Advocacy, utilizing resources (including the “Red Tape Hotline”) and participating in industry outreach. Stay tuned for more on ARSA’s engagement and go to arsa.org/about/contact-us or use arsa@arsa.org to share updates on your own advocacy.
To read SBA’s complete comments to the DOT RFI, click here.
To see all comments submitted to the DOT RFI, click here.
The RFI is closed, but the agency will continue to review (and docket) observations provided to Transportation.RegulatoryInfo@dot.gov.
Final Documents/Your Two Cents
This list includes Federal Register publications, such as final rules, Advisory Circulars and policy statements, as well as proposed rules and policies of interest to ARSA members.
Regulatory Update
Security and the Supply Chain
In May, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it had opened a national security investigation on the import of commercial aircraft, engines, and component parts. On June 3, ARSA responded to the government’s request for public comments addressing the criteria defined in 15 CFR § 705.4 for determining the effect of imports on national security.
The review is being performed under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Within 270 days of initiating a “section 232 investigation,” the Commerce Secretary must submit to the president a report on the investigation’s findings with respect to the effect of an imported good “in such quantities or under such circumstances” upon U.S. national security and recommendations for action or inaction.
To respond to the Commerce Department, ARSA drew on its expertise in the aviation safety rules and resources defining the global aviation maintenance and parts production market. The general overview and specific response provided in the comments illustrated the industry’s international footprint, value to the U.S. market, and need for interconnected supply chains crossing national borders.
“Tariff free treatment allows all sectors of the U.S. aerospace industry to thrive through safety, quality, and innovation in a highly competitive global market,” the comments said. “For example, the United States is both the world’s leading exporter and importer of aircraft parts. Over the past year, the United States exported $129 billion worth of aircraft parts compared to $15.3 billion in imports, resulting in a $113 billion trade surplus. France, the United Kingdom (UK), and Germany, all signatories to the Agreement, accounted for almost 25 percent of U.S. aircraft parts exports, while close to half of parts imports came from signatories the UK, France, Canada, and Japan.” (Emphasis in original.)
Walking through the specific questions of the Federal Register notice, the association provided the following insight:
- The global civil aircraft fleet is expected to include 38,000 commercial aircraft (in addition to tens or hundreds of thousands of general aviation and business aircraft).
- Domestic production of civil aircraft, engines, and component parts will be insufficient to meet American demand.
- As the world’s largest exporter of aircraft parts, the United States dominates the global supply chain that serves major manufacturers like Boeing, StandardAero, and Honeywell, as well as the countless smaller entities producing and distributing articles for installation on a type certificated product.
- Aerospace supply chain impacts pose a security risk to the United States, stemming from the Department of Defense’s use of commercial derivative aircraft.
- Bilateral aviation safety agreements help limit non-tariff barriers to trade and should be pursued and expanded as a matter of national policy.
- While U.S. firms face barriers to increasing capacity, the long-established limits on tariffs and other barriers to trade have allowed American aviation business to thrive while serving the needs of a global market.
To read the association’s comments, click here.
To review the Federal Register posting from the Commerce Department, which includes useful follow up and contact information, click here.
To see the results of ARSA’s support for Aerospace Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force convened by the Department of Transportation, click here.
ARSA has coordinated with numerous industry stakeholders submitting independent comments. Members are encouraged to contact the association related to their own engagement on international supply chain issues.
Layman Lawyer
Editor’s note: This material is provided as a service to association members for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal or professional advice and is not privileged or confidential.
Upon Further Inspection
By Brett Levanto, Vice President of Operations
This month’s “A Member Asked” highlights a question concerning whether use of a surface scanning machine constitutes a step in the maintenance process and therefore must be performed by a qualified inspector.
Based on the regulatory definition of “maintenance”, a review of supporting guidance, several back-and-forth exchanges with the member, and research on whether pilots of drones used to perform airframe inspections are considered inspectors (pilots are not as the drone is autonomous), the association concluded that the creation of a scan is not maintenance.
The fact that the scan operator was merely trained to place the item on the scan as part of the receiving process and was not making any decisions regarding the condition of the item or any fixes that may apply drove this “layman lawyer” to review the sections of part 145 governing inspections:
A repair station’s quality system (described in § 145.211) requires a description of procedures for performing preliminary inspection (§ 145.211(c)(1)(ii)) and final inspection before issuing an approval for return to service of maintained articles (§ 145.211(c)(1)(vii)). If an article has been involved in an accident, § 145.211(c)(1)(iii) covers hidden damage inspections. The system must also describe how the repair station establishes and maintains proficiency of the responsible inspection personnel (§ 145.211(c)(1)(v)).
A repair station’s quality system also requires a description of procedures for incoming inspections of raw materials (§ 145.211(c)(1)(i). A 2017 FAA legal interpretation to ARSA concerning receiving inspections determined they do not constitute maintenance activities. Though the interpretation addresses questions of a “safety sensitive function” for drug and alcohol testing purposes under part 120, it notes: “14 CFR part 43 applies to the performance of maintenance and preventative maintenance. Sections 43.9 and 43.11 establish recordkeeping requirements for tasks associated with maintenance and preventative maintenance. These recordkeeping requirements have never been applied to tasks associated with receiving articles for stock.”
All items received for work under the authority of a repair station certificate must undergo a preliminary inspection. The purpose of having procedures around that requirement is to ensure the work requested can be reconciled with the work required in a technical sense. That inspection must be performed by a qualified inspector; however, before the work is accepted for processing, business information must be obtained, such as customer, part number, serial number, extent of work requested, payment information, and the like. The “receiving” process only prepares the article for the preliminary inspection.
Though the quality system section lists final inspection and return to service in the same subparagraph. The two are separated by the operating rules in § 145.213(a), which requires the repair station “inspect each article upon which it has performed maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations…before approving that article for return to service.” (Emphasis added.) After an inspection, the repair station certifies on the maintenance release that the article is airworthy with respect to the work performed (§ 145.213(b)). The repair station is required by § 145.219 to provide a copy of that maintenance release to the owner or operator of the article on which the work was performed and to maintain for at least two years its records demonstrating compliance with part 43.
Repair station requirements related to inspections spread throughout part 145. As with any regulatory activity, personnel required to comply must understand this lattice work of regulations, their applicability, and the expectations placed upon individuals holding specific responsibilities under the rules.
Similarly, there must be an understanding of when aviation safety is involved and when business practices apply. In the member’s case, the person performing the receiving process is to place an item on a scanner so the result can be reviewed by the person performing the preliminary inspection. The receiving process, as noted above is not considered maintenance, it merely sets up the article for acceptance by the repair station and readies it for preliminary inspection.
ARSA on the Hill
Sucking the Air Out of the Room
On May 14, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee convened a hearing reviewing implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. One year since the law’s enactment, the hearing demonstrated how aerospace policymaking attention has been captured by the FAA’s struggle to manage resources and technology supporting the nation’s air traffic control system.
Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the session noting the recent occurrence of “another aviation tragedy”, specifically the midair collision between an Army Blackhawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January. Aviation incidents direct public and congressional attention to specific oversight issues, as in the intense scrutiny of Boeing after a pair of accidents involving the company’s 737 MAX aircraft.
Since the January crash into the Potomac River, the Trump administration and Congress have both focused on the technological capability and staffing of air traffic control towers handling increasingly congested airspace. As a result, the Commerce committee hearing generally ignored much of the 2024 reauthorization law’s content for the sake of air traffic provisions.
Cruz’ introduction was blunt in his assessment of the FAA’s troubles. Describing the challenge of managing complex projects and programs for the benefit of private stakeholders, particularly as new platforms like air taxis and commercial drones enter the market, the chairman admonished: “If you think the FAA as it currently constructed is ready for the challenge, then you haven’t been paying attention over the last two decades.”
ARSA certainly has paid attention. The association’s response to repair station related provisions in last year’s law was to provide the government simple methods for handling newly mandated oversight of foreign repair stations. It is also working on regulatory initiatives to help industry address incomplete consideration by the FAA of its new requirement for drug and alcohol testing programs at repair stations located outside the United States. These submissions continue the association’s long history of helping the government do right by its responsibility to the aviation safety rules.
Distracted FAA attention – directed by the media, congressional pressure, and presidential whim – slows needed progress on various aviation safety issues. While ATC issues sucked the air out of the hearing room in May, ARSA remains focused on the issues that will directly impact member businesses.
Training & Career Development
Make ARSA Training Work
ARSA’s online training program represents its most-valuable benefit to the aviation industry: knowledge gained through training and experience. The association’s team has turned its decades of work on behalf of aviation maintenance into more than 80 hours of on-demand content.
While sessions are available for registration at any time – ARSA member discounts available – companies can also incorporate the association’s training into their regular programs:
(1) Subscription. Make up-front, bulk purchases of training hours. The details of each subscription can be customized, including focus on specific subject areas (e.g., human factors) or options for specially-priced session access after the initial hours have been used.
(2) “Championing” a session. Guarantee a certain number of attendees for training in a particular topic that will also be made available for general registration. Variations include open registration for a live session (i.e., company personnel participate at the same time as general registrants) or a company-specific live event for which a recorded version (not including any company-specific information) is made available for on-demand registration.
(3) Tailored training. Contract ARSA’s management firm Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C. to produce or modify training specific to your organization. The team can then re-record it (or offer it as a separate live session) for ARSA’s training program. Tailored programs are priced differently from ARSA’s hourly rate and are administered by OFM&K, which allows for a client engagement and related attorney-client privilege for all discussion.
For more information about ARSA’s training program, review the menus below. If you have questions or would like to learn more about ways to integrate ARSA training into your own program, contact Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto (brett.levanto@arsa.org).
Government employees: Contact ARSA directly for auditing opportunities.
Registration: Registration and payment may be processed directly through the training platform/course catalog (free account creation required).
Technical questions and assistance: Click here for FAQ and technical support from training platform vendor.
Refunds: No refunds are granted for ARSA training sessions. When classes are canceled, registrants can choose from future courses of equal value. If a registrant is unable to attend a live session, their registration allows access to the on-demand, recorded version of the webinar.
IA Approval: A number of ARSA training sessions have been accepted for Inspection Authorization (IA) renewal credit. These sessions are denoted on their registration page with their FAA course acceptance number (in red).
Benefits: Registration for an ARSA-provided training session includes:
- Access to the live class session on the scheduled date (if applicable).
- Unlimited access to the on-demand, recorded version of the webinar to be made available after the live session is complete (or at time of purchase, for on-demand classes).
- A copy of the presentation and all reference material with links to relevant resources and citations.
- A certificate* upon completion of the session as well as any required test material.
OFM&K Training Portal: All of ARSA's training sessions are provided through OFM&K's training portal. As the training provider of choice for ARSA and a trusted resource for the aviation community, the firm's training materials represent a vital tool for entities pursuing regulatory compliance and business success. All of the courses are administered via PotomacLaw.InreachCE.com, which is not part of ARSA's website.
Complying with Part 145 – “Soup to Nuts” (Four Hours) Instructor: Sarah MacLeod Description: Specially recorded with a hand-picked audience for interactive discussion, this session thoroughly reviews 14 CFR part 145, discusses the application of the rule and overviews some practical implications of obtaining and maintaining a repair station certificate. Pricing Note: This is a four-hour session and is $300 for members and $600 for non-members. Click here to register and get access for 90 days.
Sessions Accepted for IA Renewal Credit Eight of ARSA's on-demand training sessions have been accepted by the FAA for Inspection Authorization renewal credit under 14 CFR § 65.93. Each session is currently available for registration and immediate access:Click here to purchase all eight sessions (plus one required prerequisite) at a “bundled” discount – let ARSA take care of your IA renewal requirements this year. Click here to purchase all eight sessions (plus one required prerequisite) at a “bundled” discount.
Aircraft Parts
Audit Activism & Prophylactic Lawyering
Drug & Alcohol Testing
Human Factors
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness
Parts 21, 43, 65, 145 (and others)
Public Aircraft"Going Global" - International Regulatory Law
Grassroots Advocacy
Recordkeeping – "Finishing the Job with Proper Paperwork"
The Fourth Branch of Government (Administrative Agencies and Procedures)
Self Disclosure Programs and Practices
(1) Subscription. Make up-front, bulk purchases of training hours. The details of each subscription can be customized, including focus on specific subject areas (e.g., human factors) or options for specially-priced session access after the initial hours have been used.
(2) “Championing” a session. Guarantee a certain number of attendees for training in a particular topic that will also be made available for general registration. Variations include open registration for a live session (i.e., company personnel participate at the same time as general registrants) or a company-specific live event for which a recorded version (not including any company-specific information) is made available for on-demand registration.
(3) Tailored training. Contract ARSA's management firm Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C. to produce or modify training specific to your organization. The team can then re-record it (or offer it as a separate live session) for ARSA’s training program. Tailored programs are priced differently from ARSA’s hourly rate and are administered by OFM&K, which allows for a client engagement and related attorney-client privilege for all discussion.
For more information about ARSA's training program, review the menus below. If you have questions or would like to learn more about ways to integrate ARSA training into your own program, contact Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto (brett.levanto@arsa.org).The association’s training program is provided through Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C., the firm that manages ARSA. To go directly to OFM&K’s online training portal, visit potomaclaw.inreachce.com. To learn more about the association’s training program and see course availability, visit arsa.org/training.
What training do you need? Contact ARSA to let the association know and help get it developed.
Substitute Teaching
On May 30, ARSA Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto visited with three classes of sixth grade students at Bush Hill Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia. Levanto was making good on the association’s “homework assignment” to introduce aerospace careers in local schools.
Levanto’s goal for each 15 minute presentation was simple: Tell the students that whatever their strengths or interests, someone in aviation is utilizing the knowledge or skills they find interesting. After asking for examples of aviation jobs, he acknowledged the trick in the request: Every job is (or can be) an aviation job.
He also shared a bit of ARSA’s core compliance philosophy, explaining that while many adults and students follow the directions of authority for the sake of “getting by”, aerospace professionals get to show compliance for themselves. Through partnership and sometimes conflict with regulators, every role in the industry can stand up for their own right outcomes.
“If you want to be able to show others that you’re doing the right thing, rather than just doing what you’re told,” Levanto said, “then we’ve got a job for you.”
After brief discussion and viewing of highlights from the 2025 Aerospace Maintenance Competition in Atlanta, he closed by providing each student with a paper airplane template. Along with the folding lines and instructions on the sheet were included a number of websites providing interesting resources for students curious about aerospace opportunity. When complete, the airplane boasts an ARSA logo and avmro.arsa.org/careers on each side of the “fuselage,” along with industry and educational links on the starboard wing.
Click the image to download a copy of ARSA’s paper airplane template.
The association renews its challenge to members to get into classrooms (or invite them to you). For resources from the FAA, review the 2019 update below. If you want to follow Levanto’s “curriculum,” here it is at glance:
(1) Introduction and open questions about aviation: Have you ever flown in a plane? Received a package delivery? Used a GPS? Can you name an aviation job (they’re all aviation jobs)?
(2) Personal history: Explain why you’re in aviation and what you do.
(3) Basic point: Share the essential skill of your work (for ARSA, showing compliance).
(4) Video or presentation: Click here to see the AMC highlight video.
(5) Leave a gift: Company swag? Feel free to use ARSA’s paper airplane template (print on both sides).
(6) Discussion time: Answer questions honestly…even if they are a little off the wall.
Levanto took advantage of his daughter’s attendance at Bush Hill and an invitation for parent participation in career day. Similar opportunities can be produced with a little research and outreach: The National Center for Education Statistics has an online system for searching public school districts that can be found at nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch. Anyone taking to the classroom is invited to tell ARSA so the association can celebrate your assured success.
A Future Better than Yachting in the Caribbean – 2025 Scholarship Winner Daniel Lucerne
2025 ARSA Scholarship winner Daniel Lucerne sailing the Caribbean on the Motor Yacht “Vicky.” Photo courtesy Daniel Lucerne.
Meet ARSA’s 2025 Scholarship winner Daniel “Danny” Lucerne of the Atlanta campus of Aviation Institute of Maintenance. Lucerne’s interest in aviation was stoked while yachting (as crew) in the Caribbean. Now in school, he’s paying the bills with a non-certificated job at a repair station.
Lucerne’s award was made as part of Choose Aerospace’s Aviation Maintenance Scholarship and Award Program. ARSA and its partner organizations combine to provide tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of scholarships, textbooks, training systems, and testing fee credits for educators and future aviators. The association assisted in reviewing applications for all awards, an exercise sure to boost confidence in the industry’s future as the program receives submissions from excellent candidates.
Lucerne answered a few questions for ARSA’s communications team. His answers show how thoughtfully he connects his past experience to future opportunity and provide useful feedback for employers looking to show how big that opportunity is.
(1) Your scholarship application made it very clear you feel passionate for aviation but didn’t mention what brought you to the field in the first place. What got you started?
I was working in yachting and spent a lot of time in traveling the Caribbean. I was exposed to general aviation through the people I worked with, as well as my own trips to and from smaller islands. Aviation was always on my radar. I love the way it connects communities and the world, and how aerospace is constantly at the cutting edge of engineering feats. I personally enjoy mechanics and, combined with my exposure to aviation, I decided to make a shift from working at sea to working on airplanes. That’s when I applied and began my journey to become an A&P mechanic.
(2) How has the experience of working in a part 145 repair station impacted your learning experience? How is the “working world” different from the classroom or training facility?
My repair station maintains components. I overhaul valves and regulators and requalify high pressure cylinders. The school curriculum is very broad, covering airframe and powerplant systems across many types of aircraft, so much of what we learn goes beyond my specific work. It’s always satisfying when I can apply something I learned in the classroom on the job, which has happened several times.
One of the biggest differences is that,\ in the workplace you are responsible for your own learning. Part of our quality assurance is my duty to ensure I’m doing overhauls or repairs correctly according to the maintenance manual. You can’t just rely on how someone else trained you or how things have always been done. You need to be familiar with technical documents and service bulletins, ensuring you’re using the correct revisions.
My time in the classroom has helped me understand the bigger picture: why we do things a certain way, what the regulations are, and how systems work. This has definitely helped me become a better technician.
(3) What have you found to be most surprising/unexpected about AMT school?
One thing I found surprising was how varied the careers of our instructors were, especially those in aviation for decades. Some had experience with sheet metal, helicopters, turbines, reciprocating engines, or avionics. Some were very well-rounded, others specialized. It is encouraging to see the broad range of opportunities that exist for a mechanic.
(4) What are your professional goals after school? How have they been impacted by your working experience at the repair station?
Working at the repair station has helped me understand what I like and what I don’t. It’s helped me identify areas where I have strengths that I can bring to aviation. I enjoy troubleshooting and have discovered I’m good at reading and interpreting technical documents.
I’m passionate about all kinds of aviation, but general and corporate aviation particularly interest me because there are so many amazing aircraft I’d love to work on. Once I earn my A&P, I’d like to work on turboprop and jet-powered corporate and private aircraft, get my Inspection Authorization (IA) after several years, and possibly explore NDT disciplines, although that’s something I still need to learn more about.
(5) If you learned that someone was considering school/career choices and they asked you about aviation maintenance, what would you say?
I would strongly encourage it. There aren’t many careers where you can start working with just a year and a half of education and have access to as many opportunities or such good pay. Aviation is incredibly cool and if you love to nerd out about aircraft (like I do) and have that strong attention to detail, you will be a good fit.
(6) What do you think industry professionals should know in order to be most helpful in helping you and others to build aerospace careers?
Getting your foot in the door is always the hardest part for aspiring aviation mechanics. Opportunities like internships, apprenticeships or anything where you can get wrenching time are very helpful.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that clear career progression isn’t always laid out at repair stations (at least in my limited experience). It would help if newcomers could see a path from entry-level to senior mechanic, director of maintenance, quality assurance, or perhaps management. Having a clearer idea of what’s possible long-term would be very helpful for people entering the industry.
Get to know Danny even better by reviewing his application package for the ARSA Scholarship, which he agreed to share with the public. Click here to see his answers to the review committee’s questions.
To learn more about the Choose Aerospace Scholarships and Awards Program, click here.
For more information on ARSA’s broader efforts to support industry career development, visit avmro.arsa.org/careers.
Want to congratulate Daniel? Learn more about how to find great candidates like him? Contact ARSA for a referral.
Regulatory Compliance Training
Test your knowledge of 14 CFR § 21.29, type certificates for imported products.
Click here to download the training sheet.
Membership
Mourning with a Colleague
On May 22, a Cessna Citation 550 crashed in San Diego, California. On May 25, the San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that among the aircraft’s passengers was Kendall Fortner, the daughter of long time ARSA member, director, multiple term past president, and family friend of the association’s team Gary Fortner.
ARSA’s condolences are with the Fortner family, which has committed its time and care to association’s good work since its founding in 1984. From Bill Fortner’s pioneering investment in an organization dedicated to the maintenance community to his son Gary’s focused commitment to its long-term success (and Gary’s wife Kristin’s constant good nature), the team’s hearts are heavy to learn of their loss. That their mourning results from an incident in the very industry to which they’ve given their personal and professional lives demands that we all remain committed to the capability and good faith of each airman, technician, and support professional on whom the safety of the aerospace world depends.
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
– John Gillespie Magee Jr.
The family has asked for privacy during this time; ARSA will collect any thoughts or condolences shared via email.
Working to Be Free
The Members Getting Members member benefit not only supports ARSA but can drop a year’s dues to $0.
Join these members that are earning the credit to be free!
| Referring Member | Credit |
| Continental Aircraft Support, Inc. | $120 |
Making it Simple
Credit card payments have been streamlined through a single “FluidPay” portal accessed from the “Pay ARSA” webpage. After completing the “screening form” (which helps prove you’re a human), the new setup allows input of the payment amount before quick process completion. Anyone using the older payment links should be sure to go back to “Pay ARSA” and repeat the process.
Payment by credit card can now be made using one link from the “PAY ARSA” page. Just a reminder that there may be a surcharge when paying by credit card but payment by ACH or check is free.
Welcome & Welcome Back – New & Renewing Members
ARSA’s members give the association life – its work on behalf of the maintenance community depends on the commitment of these organizations. Here’s to the companies that joined or renewed in May:
New Members
Jet Air MRO, LLC, R02
Tassili Airlines, R05
Renewing Members
Aircraft Specialties, Inc., R03, 2019
Alpha-Tech Aviation Services, Inc., R02, 2023
AMROC, INC., R01, 2024
Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp, R04, 2024
Aviation Safety Products, Inc., R01, 2013
Coopesa, R.L., R06, 1996
Earp Aviation Repairs LLC, R02, 2019
E.U.A. Air Support, Inc., R01, 2003
Fleet Support Services, Inc., R01, 2013
Heliblade, LLC, R01, 2022
International Air Response dba IAR Technical Services, LLC, R02, 2017
L. J. Walch Co., Inc., R03, 1985
NAASCO Northeast Corp., R02, 2002
Ozark Aeroworks, LLC, R02, 2015
R.W. Raddatz, Inc., R02, 2004
Structural Evaluation Technologies Inc. dba SETAERO , R04, 2024
Triumph Actuation Systems-Clemmons, R03, 2003
Honoring NFF Aviation Services’ Masters
On May 12, ARSA regular member NFF Aviation Services announced five of its technicians had been awarded the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics, honoring professionals with 50 years or more of civil and/or military maintenance experience.
The five recipients from NFF Aviation Services are:
- Patrick J. Gallagher
- Harold H. Rutledge
- Edward Meegan
- Bruce Kukuruda
- Bernie Blanco
The company celebrated the honorees, noting their decades of experience ensuring the safety and reliability of aircraft, mentoring younger technicians, and upholding the highest standards in the industry. The collective expertise was recognized as being instrumental to the NFF reputation for excellence.
NFF Master Mechanics pose during the luncheon honoring their achievements.
“These awards not only recognize incredible individual achievement but also reflect the strength and legacy of our entire maintenance team,” said Andrew Coghe, President. “We’re honored to have these professionals as part of the NFF Aviation Services family.”
The five master mechanics celebrated at the Air Heritage Aviation Museum in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania with their family and friends. NFF was sure to alert ARSA to the honor so it could join in the celebration, the association’s team congratulates Patrick, Harold, Edward, Bruce, and Bernie and thanks them for their long service to the maintenance community, the aviation world, and the public it serves every day.
What accolades are your teammates celebrating? Share with ARSA so we can join the festivities.
NFF Aviation Services is an independent repair station founded in 1997 and now serving U.S., European, and British customers. It provides sales and repair services for airlines, leasing companies, and brokers worldwide. Located just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, its 15,000 square foot facility is situated just minutes from the Pittsburgh International Airport. To learn more about this ARSA member, visit nffaviation.com.
Advertising – Training for Everyone
Sponsoring an ARSA training session supports the association and invests in competence. Personnel from the sponsoring organization get free access to any session chosen, an immediate return on your advertising investment.
The company’s name, logo, and description will remain visible as long as the training session remains active in the catalogue (most training sessions remain active until a regulatory change takes place).
Training session sponsorships start at $3,500.
Click here to see an example of ARSA’s management firm’s sponsorship of the Public Aircraft series.
The online training program has turned decades of work on behalf of aviation maintenance into more than 80 hours of on-demand content.
For more information, visit arsa.org/training-resources. If you have questions or would like to learn more about ways to integrate ARSA training into your own program, contact Vice President of Operations Brett Levanto (brett.levanto@arsa.org).
A Member Asked…Scanning for maintenance?
Q: We have a surface scanner that maps a part, then compares it to a known good part. The resulting report flows to an inspector that will perform the preliminary inspection on the part to determine the work needed. Is the individual performing the scan that generates the report performing maintenance? At no point in time does that person make any decision, they are trained to properly place the part for scanning and ensure the report is provided to the inspector.
A: It sounds like the scan is a step in the receiving process rather than in the preliminary inspection process. The inspector performing the preliminary inspection and providing the scope of work will know if the scan is insufficient or incomplete. That would be no different than any other paperwork discrepancy that is to be discovered during the preliminary inspection. That is a long-winded way of saying that we don’t think the step is maintenance—of course, we have no idea what the agency would say.
Have questions about aviation regulatory compliance, legislative policy, or ARSA resources? Ask ARSA first!
Resources
ARSA strives to provide resources to educate the general public about the work of the association’s member organizations; should you need to provide a quick reference or introductory overview to the global MRO industry, please utilize AVMRO.ARSA.org.
Careers in Aviation Maintenance
How do you share the industry’s story with the people who could be its future? Teach them about the great work done every day to keep the world in flight. (Even if we can’t recruit somebody, we sure can make them thankful for our work.)
ARSA Member Benefits
From access to industry expertise to growing your own through education and training, ensure your company gets the most out of its investment in ARSA.
U.S. Legislative Action Center
ARSA requests its members’ assistance to keep FAA reauthorization front and center on the congressional agenda and ensure our workforce priorities are included. Please use ARSA’s grassroots action center (sponsored by Aircraft Electric Motors) to send a quick note to your elected representatives in support of our efforts.
Industry Meetings & Events
| Event/Meeting | Dates | Location |
| 2025 Alberta Aviation and Aerospace Conference | 5/5-7/2025 | Calgary, Canada |
| 70th Business Aviation Safety Summit | 5/6-7/2025 | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| MRO BEER | 5/14-15/2025 | Prague, Czech Republic |
| IATA General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit | 6/1-3/2025 | Delhi, India |
| FAA-EASA International Aviation Safety Conference | 6/10-12/2025 | Cologne, Germany |
| International Conference on Civil Aviation | 6/14-15/2025 | Montreal, Canada |
| International Conference on Sustainable Aviation | 7/29-30/2025 | Zurich, Switzerland |
| International Paris Air Show | 6/16-22/2025 | Paris |
| EAA Airventure | 7/21-27/2025 | Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
| LABACE | 8/5-7/2025 | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| ATEC Fly In | 9/16-19/2025 | Washington, DC |
| MRO Europe | 10/14-16/2025 | London |
| NBAA BACE | 10/14-16/2025 | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Aerial Works Safety Conference | 12/7-9/2025 | Boise, Idaho |
| ARSA Annual Conference | 3/17-20/2026 | Arlington, Virginia |
the hotline is the monthly publication of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), the not-for-profit international trade association for certificated repair stations. It is for the exclusive use of ARSA members and federal employees on the ARSA mailing list. For a membership application, please call 703.739.9543 or visit arsa.org/membership/join. For information about previous editions, submit a request through arsa.org/contact. This material is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, consulting, tax or any other type of professional advice. Law, regulations, guidance and government policies change frequently. While ARSA updates this material, we do not guarantee its accuracy. In addition, the application of this material to a particular situation is always dependent on the facts and circumstances involved. The use of this material is therefore at your own risk. All content in the hotline, except where indicated otherwise, is the property of ARSA. This content may not be reproduced, distributed or displayed, nor may derivatives or presentations be created from it in whole or in part, in any manner without the prior written consent of ARSA. ARSA grants its members a non-exclusive license to reproduce the content of the hotline. Employees of member organizations are the only parties authorized to receive a duplicate of the hotline. ARSA reserves all remaining rights and will use any means necessary to protect its intellectual property.
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