IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL FAA CERTIFICATION COURSE STUDENTS!!

The following information is critical to your ability to pass the new FAA testing procedures currently called the “PRACTICAL TEST STANDARDS” that have been developed by your AMT “friendly” FAA.

In order to pass the new oral & practical examinations that were changed on 1 October, 2015, it’s imperative that you read all of this material, take the survey of the projects you may be given, and be absolutely honest with yourself if you want to pass the oral & practical examinations.

For each highlighted section, General, Airframe, and Power Plant there are several sub-sections that we would like you to answer with a simple YES, NO, or N.T. (needs training) Again, don’t kid yourself and answer YES unless you can do the project in question. This will only result in a failure of the examination.

The DME Will be given your examination on an individual basis that will be keyed to you by name and date of birth. Each examination will be downloaded by the DME from the FAA. When your examination is downloaded, you are locked to that particular DME, Pass or fail. Under current regulations in effect until 1 October, 2015, you can change DME’S if you feel that he unjustly failed you. After October 1st, you would have to make an official complaint to the FAA in order to change to another DME.

Since the FAA downloads the oral & practical to the DME, the examination that you receive will be on subjects and not on specific aircraft or systems that you are familiar with; i.e., general aviation, helicopters, commercial aircraft. It’s really the luck of the draw.

When your oral & practical is downloaded, you can be directed to do ANY of the projects in the sub-section of the highlighted section, i.e., GENERAL, sub-section weight and balance. Under the new FAA regulations, IF YOU FAIL ONE OF THE ORAL QUESTIONS OR ONE OF THE PROJECTS IN A SUB-SECTION, YOU FAIL THAT ENTIRE SECTION AND WILL HAVE TO ANSWER THE ORAL QUESTION PLUS NEW QUESTIONS AND IF A PROJECT, THE FAILED PROJECT PLUS OTHER PROJECTS YOU HAVE NOT BEEN DIRECTED TO DO ON YOUR FAILED EXAMINATION.

Does this make the examination more difficult than it was before the new regulations? In some ways yes because the FAA will be more proactive than ever before. Remember, you were signed off by the FAA inspector under the assumption that you are completely qualified to do these various projects as a licensed AMT or you would not have received your FAA form 8610-2 signoff.

Now, you’ve taken the survey and feel that your military of OJT training just did not cut it and you should enroll in a full time FAA approved FAR Part 147 A&P School. Unless it’s a very good school, you can expect to pay $25,000 to $50,000 dollars and have gone through a course that gives you the hours necessary to receive your completion certificate, but NOT your A&P certificate. Now you’ve been in a school for 18 to 24 months, have 18 to 24 months on your resume that is considered “dead time” since you were not working and still have to pass the same oral and practical examinations and hope you have learned enough to pass it. What we’re saying is Don’t give up on your military experience. You worked many hours in adverse conditions to receive your military specialty code. With minimal training or re-training, you can pass these examinations.

The purpose of this survey is to 1) find out how sincere you actually are in becoming a certified AMT and 2) what Aviation Courses, Limited can do to prepare you to successfully pass the oral & practical examinations.

We can still guarantee with proper study using our material that you will pass the computer testing for the basic course. With proper study you should pass the oral portion of the oral & practical examination. We are concerned about your ability to successfully pass the Practical or Hands-on portion of the examination.

Remember, the practical examination is an “open book” examination. ALL FAA approved maintenance material is there for your use. (All AC’S, manufacturer’s maintenance manuals, whatever material as needed to do the various projects will be supplied by the DME testing you. You just have to know how to use the available material.

Please take the survey. Be honest with yourself. Your future is in YOUR hands.

Elliott “Skip” Davis

President/CEO

Aviation Courses, limited, LLC