2026 – Edition 1 – February 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.
President’s Desk
From the Top
“Administratium” is the fictitious element first reported in the January 1989 issue of The Physics Teacher periodical that remains entertaining and instructive when dealing with governments:
“Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years, at which time it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Some studies have shown that the atomic mass actually increases after each reorganization.”
The description of a bureaucratic chemical element echoes reality for aerospace and the government – the U.S. Department of Transportation announced yet another reorganization of the FAA – the resultant challenges will mirror those within our own companies. Even ARSA’s team, which boasts only four full time members, sometimes feels “held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons.”
This humorous critique lends its name to the newest level of Sponsorship available for ARSA’s Annual Conference. Joining the other “precious metals,” Administratium offered an increased opportunity to invest in the aerospace maintenance community’s premier substantive event and the association’s daily work.
As ARSA’s president and Chromalloy’s longtime beneficiary of the association’s antidote to administratium’s proliferation, it was right to be the first to commit at the new level. It doesn’t hurt that it will guarantee the customary open bar at the IceBreaker reception on March 18. Whether you benefit more from the spirits served in glasses or the collective lifeforce of industry colleagues, the Conference provides the best therapy against the element that “is known to be toxic at any level of concentration and can easily destroy any productive reaction.” Join the Conference in March for an inoculation against the toxin in government, our companies, and ourselves.
Registration is open, the hotel is filling fast, and it’s still possible to boost your investment and join the “who’s who” of aerospace businesses sponsoring the event.
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John Riggs 2025 ARSA president | Director of Airworthiness, Chromalloy |
Conference 2026
Register Now!
March 17-20, 2026
Event Information | Registration | Hotel
Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C. with Livestream Options for Online Participants
Experience the international aerospace maintenance community’s premier event. Join ARSA members and invited guests from around the world to engage governments, network with peers and improve the state of the aviation world.
Submit your registration right now!
Don’t Sleep in the Cold
Event Information | Registration | Hotel
ARSA has reserved a block of rooms for Conference participants at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia. The hotel hosts most of the activities related to the event and is convenient to the Metro as well as Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA).
Rooms must be booked by Friday, Feb. 20, so reserve yours today and don’t sleep in the cold…or worse, have to ride Metro to get breakfast. To make your reservation, visit:
https://book.passkey.com/event/50914353/owner/49759012/home
Having a room makes you close to breakfast (and lunch and receptions). Registering gets you into them.
Hot Topics
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Regular Conference attendees know what to expect from the event agenda: Substantive discussion with elected officials, government representatives, regulators, and colleagues from around the world covering issues vitally important to the aerospace maintenance community. This year in particular, attendees should expect useful information concerning:
(1) Trade & Tariffs – Of particular importance for the sponsor company representatives participating in the Executive to Executive Briefings.
(2) Midterms – Legislative day attendees will help get the maintenance industry’s work started ahead of important American elections.
(3) Drug & Alcohol Testing Requirements – Symposium participants will connect with government representatives and hear ARSA’s updates on considerable work related to new mandates impacting international repair stations.
(4) Safety Management Systems – A full breakout session on SMS integration will help maintenance providers dealing with early lessons related to their own compliance.
A Message from Our Sponsors
Event Information | Registration | Hotel
ARSA is grateful to the 19 organizations (so far) that have joined the “who’s who” of aerospace maintenance by sponsoring the 2026 Annual Conference. Sponsors ensure key elements of the event are covered which supports the association all year long, these companies’ collective message is clear: ARSA works for all of us.
Is your company listed below? Click here to download your “proud sponsor” signature insert to add to your company email.
Administratium
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You WILL Believe this Year’s Agenda
Event Information | Registration | Hotel
The ARSA Annual Conference is the international aerospace maintenance community’s premier substantive event. With the association’s reputation for direct discussion, every participant will absolutely believe the value of this year’s agenda:
March 17
Executive to Executive Briefings
(Sponsors Only)
March 18
Legislative Day
March 19
The Annual Repair Symposium
March 20
Annual Member Meeting &
Training/Breakout Sessions
Click here to see the full agenda and register.
Help spread the word: Add this custom email signature insert to show where you’ll be for four days in March.
Send Your Own Message
Event Information | Registration | Hotel
ARSA has produced special email signature inserts for Conference Sponsors and Attendees.
Place the image in the bottom of your professional emails to show off the connection to the industry’s premier substantive event.
Sponsors: Click here to download your “proud sponsor” signature insert.
Participants: Click here to download your “join me” signature insert.
ARSA Works
ARSA Offers D&A Waiver Guidance to Australia
On Jan. 26, ARSA delivered resources and instructions to Australian holders of U.S. repair station certificates for seeking a single, nationwide waiver from the FAA’s new rule imposing drug and alcohol testing requirements outside the United States.
Based on its decades of experience with testing requirements and analysis of the final rule issued in December 2024, ARSA drafted a waiver application based on the equivalency of Australian drug and alcohol testing regulations to American standards. After coordinating with government officials in both countries, the association provided a method for repair stations to push Australia to seek the blanket waiver on behalf of all of its FAA-certificated repair stations.
“We offer the draft waiver … that [the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia] can use to obtain acknowledgement that your country’s drug and alcohol testing regime is equivalent to that being imposed by the United States on ‘foreign’ repair stations under CASA’s jurisdiction,” ARSA said in its first outreach to the Australian Government in December – the exchange led to direct repair station outreach. “We are also hopeful that the draft waiver can serve as an example of the care and detail that the American regulations require to establish a country-wide waiver.”
Repair stations located outside the United States must comply with new testing requirements by the end of 2027. Given the extreme complexity of compliance, ARSA urges governments and international stakeholders to take action now to plan program management.
To read the ARSA letter to the Australian Government that began this effort, click here.
To review ARSA’s matrix analyzing CASA’s drug and alcohol testing requirements against those of the 14 CFR part 120, click here.
For background on American drug and alcohol testing rules for maintenance providers and ARSA’s engagement, click here.
For information about the association’s Annual Conference, which will include coverage of D&A testing issues, visit arsa.org/news-media/events/arsa-conference.
ARSA, AEA Offer Guidance to OpSpecs Working Group
On Jan. 9, ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) offered resources to help improve FAA issuance of Operations Specifications paragraphs. The analysis was delivered in a letter to the industry chairs of the Operations Specifications Working Group (OSWG) to see through an effort begun 2018.
The 2018 letter was signed by representatives of 15 aerospace organizations to request creation of a cross-industry working group. It utilized a congressional directive 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.”
Providing regulatory references alongside issues to consider, ARSA and AEA’s January letter suggests specific guidance to be given to the FAA by the OSWG. These suggestions include assignment of objective criteria for use in creating or amending OpSpecs and utilizing a “recommendation report” considering several factors in such creation or amendment:
(1) The type of certificate held.
(2) Regulatory citations, including new requirements.
(3) Possible redundancy with other paragraphs.
(4) Safety/operational justification.
(5) International obligations.
(6) Uniform application across different certificates.
(7) Measures of effectiveness.
The FAA recently determined it was legally unable to engage industry through the OSWG. The associations’ letter was delivered to representatives from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Nimbl as industry helms the working group in absence of the agency. The retreat of government representatives provides regulated entities a clear opportunity to provide solutions to regulators in an unmissable way.
To read the 2018 letter to the FAA, click here.
To read ARSA and AEA’s January letter to OSWG co-chairs, click here.
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.
Legal Brief
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.
It Ain’t That Easy
By Christian Klein, Executive Vice President
The FAA was way off base in its estimate of the burdens its new foreign repair station drug and alcohol (D&A) rule imposes on industry, foreign governments, and the agency itself. ARSA is ringing alarm bells and proposing solutions to make compliance and oversight more efficient. That does not mean that showing compliance or obtaining a waiver or exemption is going to be easy.
Issued in December 2024, the D&A rule (codified at 14 CFR part 120) was mandated by Congress at the request of U.S. airline mechanic unions to discourage the use of foreign repair stations by U.S. air carriers (see related ARSA on the Hill story). ARSA and its allies successfully injected some flexibility for industry and the agency into the law by requiring D&A testing be conducted consistent with the laws of the country in which the repair station is located and, in a manner acceptable to the FAA administrator.
Those concepts are embodied in the rule, which established mechanisms for foreign repair stations and their governments to obtain waivers based on existing D&A programs and domestic legal restrictions. However, as ARSA has pointed out, first, foreign governments are not going to ask for waivers or exemptions on behalf of the certificate holders under the foreign jurisdiction. Second, the agency did not go far enough in embracing flexibility and crafted a rule that is impossible to comply with without obtaining waivers from the agency and exemptions from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The lack of understanding of the rule’s impact is reflected in the preamble. FAA’s estimate of the compliance burden assumed, “the expanded waiver options [would] reduce the burden on foreign citizens and on FAA and DOT by reducing the number of waivers and exemptions received.” Specifically, the Final Rule’s Paperwork Reduction Act analysis states:
FAA assumes that every foreign government that regulates part 145 repair stations located outside the territory of the U.S. will submit a request for a waiver based on recognition. There are 65 countries that have part 145 repair stations within their territories so there will be 65 submissions. (Emphasis added.)
In addition to falsely assuming every country would apply for a waiver, the agency also assumed the average cost in terms of time for a country to request a waiver for all its repair stations was just $2,569. The agency did not address the cost for initial compliance to repair stations, but estimated the annual and continuing burden for a foreign repair station to maintain its antidrug and alcohol misuse operations specification at 16.2 hours with an estimated annual burden for test data at 5.25 hours.
Those assumptions are fictitious for several reasons.
First, ARSA’s and the FAA’s own conversations with foreign regulators verify that governments are not going to apply for a waiver, whether because of politics, a lack of awareness or understanding, insufficient resources, or other unstated or unknown reasons.
Even governments inclined to apply will be unable to determine the appropriate department, agency, or authority through which the waiver or exemption should be requested as it involves foreign relations, privacy rights, health and safety laws, and aviation regulation. The burden will therefore shift from 65 governments to hundreds of individual facilities; the FAA and DOT will have to expend resources to provide the required waivers and exemptions in a timely manner.
Which leads to the second false assumption: the FAA’s estimated time to develop a waiver petition is ridiculously low. ARSA team members – who are very familiar with U.S. D&A rules – have consumed hundreds of hours analyzing compliance challenges associated with part 120 and U.S. Department of Transportation at 49 CFR part 40 requirements. It used that time to develop the association’s toolkit and other compliance resources. ARSA also drafted a waiver petition for Australia, an English-speaking country where the D&A rules closely align with FAA’s, an exercise that took dozens of hours even using the toolkit.
Regardless of whether the waiver petition is filed by the government or by individual repair stations, the cost of analyzing every applicable provision of the FAA and DOT rules, aligning those requirements with domestic requirements, gathering the country’s laws (which must be submitted along with the waiver application), coordinating internally between management, human resources, health and safety, and aviation regulation compliance personnel, and developing alternative compliance methods and equivalency justifications will cost much more than the FAA’s $2,569 waiver estimate. If the result of the analysis is the need to apply for an exemption from DOT requirements, the hours will multiply rapidly as those rules are fraught with additional complications.
The agency’s flawed estimates will impact the FAA. It assumed it would only have to review 65 country-level waiver applications, but it’s more likely FAA personnel will have to wade through hundreds of company waiver requests, each with its own complexities. As the December 2027 compliance deadline approaches, and no with no guidance available to date, the agency is likely to be buried in waiver requests. Many companies must also obtain exemptions from DOT’s mandates (which address technical aspects of how tests are conducted and results handled), other parts of the U.S. government will also be affected. Coordinating waivers with exemptions and ensuring timely responses to through multiple requests will undermine the FAA’s effectiveness and global reputation.
ARSA is known for bringing solutions to the table. The association led a petition for rulemaking and (after it was rejected) a petition for reconsideration to clarify applicability, improve the waiver process, reduce compliance complexity, and make oversight more efficient. ARSA has also provided recommendations to the FAA’s Drug Abatement Division (DAD) for issues to address in its guidance, which is scheduled for release this spring. Until then, there are more questions than answers about the agency’s plans and expectations.
Foreign repair station D&A will be a hot topic at ARSA’s 2026 Annual Conference in March and will be discussed both in general session panels and during a special breakout session to which FAA DAD personnel have been invited.
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.
A Lesson in Civics
By Brett Levanto, Vice President of Operations
Law demands attention by every layman. Opportunities to exercise American rights can occur anywhere; it demands a willingness to analyze the impact of government actions through personal experiences.
In January this layman lawyer read a Washington Post editorial board position on the “GOOD” Act. H.R. 1515’s full (and cleverly ominous) title is the “Guidance Out of Darkness Act” and it would direct the executive branch to publish, in a timely and publicly accessible fashion, any and all pronouncements impacting parties subject to an agency’s jurisdiction.
The Post Editorial Board’s position mirrors ARSA’s. As the editorial’s title proclaimed: “Federal agencies drown Americans with unreleased regulatory ‘guidance’.” Rescuing the people from that flood can be advanced by the simple act of public awareness. Professionals, including the association’s team, have long opposed regulations through guidance, hoping to push government overreach back to the plain language of the law.
“As the bill’s definition of ‘guidance document’ illustrates, agencies have numerous avenues to regulate outside the rulemaking process. Memorandums, notices, bulletins, directives, news releases, letters, blog posts, no-action letters, and speeches by agency officials can all carry policy import,” the Editorial Board said. “Whether someone thinks government should regulate more or less, there is nothing controversial about making it easier to know all the rules. As agencies make more regulations through guidance rather than rules, disclosure and publication requirements need to catch up to reality.”
Reading this perspective resulted in wandering down into the comments section. Internet comments aren’t helpful, but their distorted understanding of civics is instructive. The automated summary revealed:
“Many participants express skepticism about the motivations behind reducing regulations, suggesting that such actions often prioritize corporate interests over public welfare. There is also a recurring theme of distrust towards the current administration’s handling of regulations, with concerns about political motivations influencing regulatory changes.” (Emphasis added.)
Really? Distrust of executive branch power? Total transparency in the actions of the “current administration” is what GOOD is aimed to achieve—not a reduction in regulation, but a reduction in overreach.
A healthy skepticism of authority is fundamental to American culture and key for the many laymen lawyers throughout ARSA’s members. It is this skepticism that demands “getting it in writing” and protecting your rights even when the government inspector “is a good guy”. Lawyers (and those who support them) don’t get called when citizens are having a good day. The creation of requirements through orders, notices, bulletins, and public pronouncements is the target of the GOOD Act. These are the devices that enable the government to act outside of the law and public interest.
Many comments called out the Editorial Board for taking up such a minor issue when so many major problems face the nation. Government representatives superseding the plain language of the statutes or regulations is not a minor issue. Evidence of more egregious acts of overreach by executive branch representatives is being exposed by congressional hearings and on the news every day.
The GOOD Act would purportedly make orders, notices, bulletins, and public pronouncements by government officials as transparent as daily news footage. It would not eliminate safety requirements or create advantages for any political faction. Rather, it would give individuals, businesses (80 percent of which are small), and the public at large the opportunity to rein back government overreach.
BONUS – The Law of Public Pronouncements
By Brett Levanto, Vice President of Operations
On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump publicly pronounced plans for the U.S. government to decertify Bombardier aircraft. The president’s interest in international aircraft certification was a political response to purported delays in U.S. certificated aircraft.
“Based on the fact that Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700, and 800 Jets, one of the greatest, most technologically advanced airplanes ever made, we are hereby decertifying their Bombardier Global Expresses, and all Aircraft made in Canada, until such time as Gulfstream, a Great American Company, is fully certified, as it should have been many years ago,” the president posted.
Any layman with an aerospace specialty would find this statement a blatant executive branch overreach. As always, the bombast statement demands knowledge in the power of the president and the laws that govern his actions. The FAA, which theoretically would be included in the “we” referenced by President Trump, is subject to statutory requirements such as the Administrative Procedure Act. Type, production, and airworthiness certificates are issued under the authority of the Federal Aviation Act. The agency is only given the authority to act “in the interest of aviation safety” and the security of the national airspace. Thus, the agency’s rulemaking (part 11) and enforcement (part 13) procedures proscribe standards for government action in issuance of rules (like an Airworthiness Directive found in part 39) as well as the investigative procedures that could result in certificate action.
Regarding certificate action, the law is clear:
“The Administrator may issue an order amending, modifying, suspending, or revoking—
(1) any part of a certificate issued under this chapter if—
(A) the Administrator decides after conducting a reinspection, reexamination, or other investigation that safety in air commerce or air transportation and the public interest require that action.” (Emphasis added; see, 49 U.S.C. § 44709(b).)
The due process procedures of 14 CFR § 13.19 require notice to the certificate holder and allow for response and appeal. Even if a threat to safety and the public interest was determined to require Canadian “decertification,” a proclamation on social media does not meet the legal standards for executing such action. If passed, the GOOD Act would make that clear.
ARSA on the Hill
Hijacking Aviation Technician Grants
By Christian Klein, Executive Vice President
One of ARSA’s signature legislative achievements is the Sec. 625 workforce grant program. It was first proposed in 2017 to provide $5 million in annual federal seed money to schools, businesses, and local governments for maintenance technician education and recruitment. Based on demonstrated need and the program’s success, Congress gradually expanded it to include three separate grant programs – for technicians, pilots, and aviation manufacturers – each authorized at $20 million per year. (To understand the Sec. 625 program structure, see the notes at 49 USC sec. 40132).
Unfortunately, the final FY 2026 transportation appropriations package (see pages 499 to 501) being prepared by Congress falls far short of the mark when it comes to aviation maintenance workforce. The total amount provided for all three Sec. 625 programs in the FY 2026 THUD bill is $40 million (i.e., two-thirds of the total authorized).
More significantly, rather than a “clean” appropriation that splits the money equally among all Sec. 625 programs, appropriators directed the funding only to manufacturing, two community colleges affiliated with general aviation airports, and minority serving institutions (20 USC 1067q(a)). Additionally, the general aviation community college money is directed to two awards of $5 million each notwithstanding the $1 million per award cap (previously $500,000) established in the 2024 FAA bill.
In other words, the only clear opportunity for repair stations to obtain Sec. 625 grant money from the FY 2026 THUD bill would be under the manufacturing program if the repair station also holds a type or production certificate (e.g., PMA) and by partnering with an institution that’s eligible.
Does ARSA support general aviation workforce development? Of course, in fact we ensured the original Sec. 625 program included money for general aviation pilot education. Does ARSA support diversifying the maintenance workforce? Absolutely. ARSA has long pointed out that women and minorities are woefully underrepresented, and we even helped draft the original Sec. 625 law to help address the issue.
But congressionally appropriation is problematic for several reasons. It disregards one of the basic purposes of the Sec. 625 program: to provide stable resources to support maintenance industry career development. It ignores the statutory $1 million limitation on grant sizes, which was designed to allow more projects to be funded with limited resources. And it removes the FAA’s discretion to fund programs based on merit, demonstrated past benefits, and the greatest potential impact.
The problem in the FY 2026 appropriations bill stems from Congress’s two-part process for spending money. First, the spending is authorized for one or more years (e.g., in a multi-year FAA authorization bill), then, on an annual basis, Congress must designate the money to be spent. The theory is that appropriators will act as a check on authorizers. But problems arise when appropriators don’t understand why a program exists or, worse, they want to syphon off money for their own priorities.
Since the Sec. 625 program was created, Congress has fully funded it (in some years even providing more than the authorized levels). That money has been invested all over the country to attract new maintenance industry entrants and give them the training to pursue successful careers. However, despite all the progress, there are still a projected 10,000 open technician jobs in the U.S. maintenance industry and the problem will persist for years to come.
ARSA will make the return to a full and “clean” appropriation for next year’s Sec. 625 programs a top legislative priority in 2026. Join us for ARSA’s Legislative Day on March 18 to remind Congress about the maintenance industry’s workforce needs and that America can’t fly without us.
Pro-Labor Lawmakers Push FAA on Foreign Repair Stations
A coalition of 106 House members sent a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford Jan. 28 urging the agency to swiftly implement provisions of last year’s FAA law aimed at foreign repair stations.
Led by Reps. Jefferson Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), the correspondence asked Bedford to prioritize the foreign repair station personnel certification, background checks, unannounced inspections, and maintenance data collection directives in sec. 302 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63).
ARSA is concerned about the direct impact on members with FAA certificates outside United States and tit-for-tat retaliation by foreign governments. The association opposed the foreign repair station language in the FAA law as an unnecessary diversion of agency resources considering existing oversight, certification standards, and a lack of demonstrated risk. The association and its partners were able to negotiate changes to the provision to limit its negative impact. ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) also provided suggestions to the FAA more than a year ago on how to the implement the new requirements in the least disruptive manner possible.
“Members of Congress from both parties stood up for TWU Aircraft Maintenance Technicians whose jobs are endangered and the traveling public’s safety at risk from shoddy standards at foreign aircraft maintenance facilities in countries like China. It is unacceptable that the FAA hasn’t enforced the law to close loopholes that allow airlines to cut costs and safety at the expense of American workers,” Transport Workers Union of America International President John Samuelsen said.
The letter to Bedford is a reminder that airline mechanic labor organizations are still spreading false messages on Capitol Hill about the risks associated with the use of foreign repair stations and contract maintenance in general. The Sec. 302 directives and new FAA foreign repair station D&A rules are evidence of unions’ success.
ARSA’s Legislative Day on March 18 is your opportunity to join the conversation, push back against untruthful messaging, tell your company’s story, and protect the whole industry from new congressional mandates that do nothing but drive-up costs.
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.
SMS Integration Webinar Series Continues Feb. 10
On Jan. 20, ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association presented the fourth of six planned webinars – a monthly series stretching into March – explaining effective integration of a safety management system within the operations of an FAA-certificated repair station. These hour-long virtual sessions will help U.S.-based repair stations holding European approval to implement a part 5 compliant SMS programs as required by the special conditions of the bilateral agreement between the United States and European Union. This requirement to “design, implement, and maintain” an SMS should be met by effectively and efficiently integrating SMS into the facility’s existing quality system and daily operations.
The session materials and recording from completed webinars are available within the SMS tools managed by AEA and available for discounted access to ARSA members. Interested participants should mark their calendars for the remaining sessions, each beginning at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time:
- October 29, 2025 – SMS Integration Overview – COMPLETE
- November 18, 2025 – SMS Compliance Elements: Part 5 Subparts A & B – COMPLETE
- December 16, 2025 – SMS Compliance Elements: Part 5 Subparts C & D – COMPLETE
- January 20, 2026 – SMS Compliance Elements: Part 5 Subparts E & F – COMPLETE
- February 10, 2026 – SMS Integration Review – Click here to register.
- March 10, 2026
Session 5
Title: SMS Compliance Review
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
Registration: Click here.
For more information about webinar logistics, contact Ric Peri, AEA vice president of government and industry affairs, at ricp@aea.net.
Interested ARSA members should learn about access to SMS tools available through the association’s partnership with AEA:
Quick Question – Human Factors Findings for Training Development
Approved maintenance organizations with EASA, TCCA, or ANAC approval must include human factors topics in their training programs. In November 2019, change 7 of the FAA-EASA Maintenance Annex Guidance (MAG) clarified that recurrent training must be based on lessons learned from discrepancies and corrective actions:
NOTE: The recurrent human factors training must not be a simple repetition of the initial training. Instead, it must be built upon errors/lessons learned and the experiences within the organization (or group of organizations). This should help ensure that the results of internal quality audits and occurrence reports are brought to the attention of all staff. (See Section B, Appendix 1)
While some members have already integrated ARSA’s existing human factors training sessions into their compliance, the association intends to expand its offerings as part of its new rollout of live training (which remain in the training catalogue as on-demand recordings). To help select topics for those classes, respond to this month’s “quick question.”
Note: The question is displayed in its own, embedded window. If the “Submit” button is not visible on the screen, you must scroll within the survey window to submit your response.
If the embedded survey does not appear/load, open the survey independently by visiting: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/qq-HF-findings.
Click here to see what questions have been asked and answered…and keep a lookout for more.
From the Ground Up – Elementary Education
The entire series of articles are about overcoming the main obstacle to developing aviation maintenance technicians and aerospace builders: awareness.
Rare attention is given to the people who skillfully maintain aircraft in readiness for each flight. To the public, the work “happens” with little consideration to who does that work and the skill required. One never sees the technician taking apart an engine or replacing worn components in the middle of the night. Most of the work is performed out of sight and out of mind.
Who are these people among us that build and maintain aerospace vehicles? They live in our neighborhoods and save lives but are rarely identified or featured as a “human interest story” in local media. Precision and safety are not glorified subjects.
How do we make them known—and particularly to young people?
It is as simple as asking them to meet a bunch of students and to bring tools, pictures, and experience. While some may be too busy or shy or retire, if enough are queried, someone will accept. Taking the time to find people to share experiences with young students is quite simple and not as daunting as one imagines.
School students clamor to learn from real people. Days are primarily filled with book learning, video programs, teacher-led discussions and lots of testing. Appreciation for a change of pace by sharing information about exciting or interesting jobs is a reward for both the student and the worker.
Here is how to go about the process:
- Have a technician write a very short outline of the technical elements of a typical workday.
- From the technician’s information obtain the tools, tooling, machines, equipment, and test apparatus used and if possible, examples of the finished product or result.
- Have a technician meet with the students and provide a breakdown of the skills associated with the job and the industry. Most classrooms will have audio-visual technology available for photographs, short videos, and additional resources. The props, pictures, and video enhance discussion and will provide something to focus for those that are uncomfortable presenting to a group.
- Have the technician engage with the students at the appropriate level to explain—
- How many people are needed in maintenance and manufacturing, now and into the future.
- How aerospace skills, training, certification, and knowledge can be used in every industry and is valued around the world.
- Alternative educational pathways to becoming a professional in aviation.
- What will be found most challenging while learning and when a professional.
- Provide the students, faculty, school counselors, and librarian resources—about the skills needed, the industries, and the technology.
- Share your own experiences so students understand and respect safety, whether on the job or crossing the street!
Even if just one student feels excited and interested enough to learn more—the seed has been planted in more than one brain.
Robert “Bob” Ryan is president of Ryan Strategies International, which provides business development for companies and non-profit entities to accelerate commerce and capture revenues in growing supply chain markets. The firm is based in Vancouver, Washington and helps consult with individuals businesses seeking to raise awareness and recruit new AMT workforce members. For more information, visit www.ryanii.com, call 503.250.2337, or email ryanstrategies@aol.com.
Regulatory Compliance Training
Test your knowledge of 14 CFR §§ 21.49 and 21.50(a), type certificate display and the beginning of ICA.
Click here to download the training sheet.
Membership
Respond to 2026 Maintenance Industry Surveys
The first quarter brings two opportunities to share insight and ARSA encourages members to invest time and thought into these industry surveys:
(1) ARSA’s Annual Member Survey. The association gathers intelligence on issues facing the international aerospace maintenance community and its economic outlook. Responses improve the association’s services and provide data to support advocacy on behalf of the global industry.
The first invitation will be delivered to the inboxes of all primary contacts in early February. (If you don’t know who the primary contact is, we can help.) As the primary contact ensure the survey gets the attention it deserves by taking the 15 minutes to complete it or to forward it to the person that can do so. Direct any questions to brett.levanto@arsa.org.
(2) Oliver Wyman’s MRO Survey. The global consulting firm has surveyed members of the maintenance, manufacturing, airline, and aviation finance communities for over a decade. Through its partnership with ARSA – which produces the association’s annual market assessment – the survey team is inviting repair stations to participate.
The survey should take no more 15 minutes and can be accessed from your mobile device or computer. It will close on Feb. 6.
Participants will be given the option to receive a summary of the survey results in addition to the full report launched at this year’s MRO Americas in Orlando.
To participate, please visit: https://oliverwyman.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2gmBtkN2tMX9TW6
Responses are confidential and all information provided by participants will be reported in aggregate only. Questions about the survey may be directed to our research team at: MROsurvey@oliverwyman.com.
The 2026 Global Fleet & MRO Market Assessment, prepared by Oliver Wyman, will be unveiled in March during ARSA’s Annual Conference. Click here to register now.
The Numbers Are In
Thank you to all members for their continuous support.
2025 Renewal numbers are in:
| 2025 | Affiliate | Associate | Enterprise | Military / Educational |
(R01) | (R02) | R03 | R04 | R05 | R06 | Total |
| January | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| February | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| March | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 34 |
| April | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 33 |
| May | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| June | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
| July | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| August | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| September | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 32 |
| October | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 33 |
| November | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| December | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Total | 5 | 10 | 17 | 7 | 72 | 78 | 53 | 35 | 10 | 8 | 295 |
| 2025 Membership Renewal Rate | |
| Total Renewed | 270 |
| Total Recovered | 25 |
| Total Paid Memberships | 295 |
| Total Lapsed/Cancelled | 25 |
| Total Memberships invoiced | 320 |
| Renewal Rate | 92.2% |
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 January:
New Members
Intersky Precision Instruments, LLC dba Intersky Precision Aerospace, R02
Returning Members
Aero Accessories & Repair, Inc, R04, 2023
AerSale Component Solutions, R04, 2013
Air Shunt Instruments, Inc., R02, 1999
Aircraft Component Repair, Inc., R03, 1987
NORDAM Group LLC – Repair Division, Enterprise, 1984
Avocet Aviation Services, LLC, R03, 2014
Alliance Aeronautical Composites, LLC, R01, 2025
ARC145, LLC, R01, 2025
AvidAir Helicopter Supply, Inc., R01, 2011
Aviation Repair Group, LLC, R01, 2025
Barfield Precision Electronics, LLC, R04, 1996
Brothers Aviation Maintenance Services, Inc., R01, 2016
California Radomes, Inc., R02, 2025
Cobalt Aero Services LLC-, R03, 2012
Colorado Northwestern Community College, EDU, 2021
Delta TechOps Services Group, Enterprise, 2002
Flight Power Repair Group, LLC, R03, 2021
Fortner Accessory Service Corporation, R01, 2002
Genesis Aviation, Inc., R04, 1994
JETTECH, L.L.C, R02, 2021
Master Air Parts, Inc., R01, 2026
Moog, Inc., Enterprise, 1997
Nelson Engineering Co., R04, 2013
Pacific Sky Supply, Inc., R02, 2024
Papillon Airways, R03, 2011
Parker Lord, R04, 2002
Precision Turbine Services, LLC, R01, 2024
Redline Aviation Inc., R01, 2025
Southwest Turbine, Inc., R02, 2018
The Giles Group, Affil, 2013
TMC Engine Center, Inc., R02, 2021
Turbo Technologies, L.L.C., R02, 2025
Western Aero Repair, Inc., R03, 2011
Ad Infinitum
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With one daily, one weekly and one monthly release, the spectrum of aerospace subject matter experts is covered. Use ARSA periodicals to spread your message with tailor made pricing for any size business and product.
A Member Asked…Drug testing for sub-contractors?
Q: I come from the air carrier realm and I’m trying to figure out the Drug Abatement rules for repair stations. My experience was that any contract maintenance providers working on the carrier’s aircraft had to be on an FAA approved drug program. My understanding was that the DOT/FAA drug and alcohol testing program only applied to the people working on the aircraft.
I have now been advised that the repair station working for must ensure our contract vendors who perform a portion of the work on components must be on a FAA approved drug abatement program. I have read 14 CFR part 120 several times and cannot find anything that requires this. The repair station performs the final inspection and issues an approval for return to service. Our technicians are all in an FAA approved drug and alcohol testing program.
Are we required per to ensure our contract maintenance providers are on a program?
A: The short answer to your question is Yes. Employees performing safety sensitive functions at any tier in the maintenance chain for air carriers are subject to D&A testing requirements in 14 CFR part 120. Here are some regulatory references that will help your understanding. (The underlined text emphasizes key language)
§ 120.7 Definitions.
For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:
. . .
(i) Performing (a safety-sensitive function): an employee is considered to be performing a safety-sensitive function during any period in which he or she is actually performing, ready to perform, or immediately available to perform such function.
. . .
(n) Safety-sensitive function means a function listed in §§ 120.105 and 120.215.
§ 120.105 Employees who must be tested. [Drugs]
Each employee, including any assistant, helper, or individual in a training status, who performs a safety-sensitive function listed in this section directly or by contract (including by subcontract at any tier) for an employer as defined in this subpart must be subject to drug testing under a drug testing program implemented in accordance with this subpart. This includes full-time, part-time, temporary, and intermittent employees regardless of the degree of supervision. The safety-sensitive functions are:
. . .
(e) Aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance duties.
. . ..
§ 120.215 Covered employees. [Alcohol]
(a) Each employee, including any assistant, helper, or individual in a training status, who performs a safety-sensitive function listed in this section directly or by contract (including by subcontract at any tier) for an employer as defined in this subpart must be subject to alcohol testing under an alcohol testing program implemented in accordance with this subpart. This includes full-time, part-time, temporary, and intermittent employees regardless of the degree of supervision. The safety-sensitive functions are:
. . .
(5) Aircraft maintenance or preventive maintenance duties.
. . .
A review the requirements in § 43.9 for maintenance records reveals that in addition to the approval for return to service issued by the repair station under § 43.9(a)(4), § 43.9(a)(3) requires “[t]he name[s] of the person[s] performing the work if other than the person specified in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.” To satisfy this paragraph, you must include the names of everyone performing maintenance on the article – if a name needs to appears in the maintenance record, then that individual must be in an FAA-approved drug and alcohol program.
Hope this helps.
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 |
| Aerial Works Safety Conference | 12/7-9/2025 | Boise, Idaho |
| MRO Latin America | 1/14-15/2026 | Santiago, Chile |
| Singapore Air Show | 2/3-8/2026 | Singapore |
| MRO Middle East | 2/4-5/2026 | Dubai |
| AeroEngines Americas | 2/10-11/2026 | Tampa, Florida |
| VERTICON | 3/9-12/2026 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| ARSA Annual Conference | 3/17-20/2026 | Arlington, Virginia |
| AEA Convention | 3/23-26/2026 | Dallas, Texas |
| ATEC Annual Conference | 3/29-4/3/2026 | Portland, Oregon |
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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