Whats involved to become an AME?

[iflyforpie]

6.5 Maintenance Tasks Completed While Attending School

Tasks performed by a student enrolled in a full time training program may be counted towards the skill requirement provided the tasks were not performed as part of, or during, the training program. Such tasks must be documented in accordance with requirements of STD 566 and this MSI.

[Heliian]

Why so negative Pat? A quick check on this website's job postings reveals lots of jobs in many different fields. The economy is picking back up slowly but surely and operators are looking for employees, no panic, just business. Some jobs are seasonal and they'll tell you that up front. Not like the glorious airlines where you could be here one day and have your job contracted out to the third world the next.

[Fox 3]

Just note that you can't log time or tasks done at a job while you're in school...sucks big time, but TC won't let you double dip.

Actually, you can log Tasks, but you can't double dip on time.

See T/C's MSI 18 Appendix A Para 6.5- Maintenance Tasks Completed while attending School.

You're already getting the "time" credit while attending school at a Max of 150 hours/month so you can't get additional time credit for working while you are going to school.

Without looking at the reference you quoted, I can still say that isn't right. All tasks have to be signed by the person performing the maintenance release. Last time I checked (at least at Con College) none of those airplanes were having any sort of maintenance release entered into any logbook, therefore, no dice. So many people have no idea on the basics of logbook tasks it doesn't surprise me to see what you've posted. One of my very first AME's I worked under said one very good piece of advice..."if you intend on making it past the grease monkey stage in this field, read the regs and know them. If not you will always be just a grease monkey who doesn't know shit."

[Fox 3]

6.5 Maintenance Tasks Completed While Attending School

Tasks performed by a student enrolled in a full time training program may be counted towards the skill requirement provided the tasks were not performed as part of, or during, the training program. Such tasks must be documented in accordance with requirements of STD 566 and this MSI.

Nailed it, nicely done

I love when people quote regs but don't read them first.

[Fox 3]

I've been over this with a past employer and apparently companies running in a "continuous operation" do not apply to that labor code. I'll try to find the reference, I was shown the official section at the time.

~FOX~

Continuous Operations fall under hour averaging. Rather than being limited to 40 hours each week, work hours are averaged over a period of time (typically one year). Thus, one week you might work 60 hours and the next 20 hours, which averages out to 40 hours. Anything over the averaged total, is overtime. Thus for a year, the averaged total is 2080 hours (52 weeks X 40 hours) minus statutory holidays and vacation time. There are 9 federal stats and if you get two weeks (10 working days) holidays, the year's average will be 1928 hours (2080-(9x8)-(10x8). Even still, you can't work more than an averaged 48 hour work week.

Yep, that sounds about right, thanks for posting the info. The only thing I still wonder about is "you can't work more than an averaged 48 hour work week" because I haven't seen that written anywhere...not to say it doesn't exist. If that is the case than no government body actually bothers to check for compliance, I've worked for two companies where a 50 work week was standard and you weren't a "team player" if you suggested otherwise. I feel this is something Transport should audit as they do with duty times for pilots, just because they didn't create the labor law doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to check for compliance. Just my opinion.

[Pat Richard]

Why so negative Pat? A quick check on this website's job postings reveals lots of jobs in many different fields. The economy is picking back up slowly but surely and operators are looking for employees, no panic, just business. Some jobs are seasonal and they'll tell you that up front. Not like the glorious airlines where you could be here one day and have your job contracted out to the third world the next.

This time of year is usually when heli operators tend to do their looking for employees(contract or "fulltime"), but that list seems larger than usual, with, like you said, several openings. From what I've seen, that ain't normal, as it looks more like they are trying to fill voids that they vacated since the slowdown started. So where is everyone who should be chomping at the bit to get back in? My point is that these positions should be selling themselves if they were anywhere near a desirable as you and your cohorts on here make it out to be.

Agree with the airline bit to an extent, but heli guys are in the same boat with regards to work instability, at least in Canada. As soon as fire season ends many get laid off or have to settle for low paying hangar duty until next summer. Seismic was a little better, but companies had to be spending on exploration, and it generally was as volatile.

As for me being negative, don't hate the player, hate the game.

It is what it is.

[Cyclenut]

Just note that you can't log time or tasks done at a job while you're in school...sucks big time, but TC won't let you double dip.

Actually, you can log Tasks, but you can't double dip on time.

See T/C's MSI 18 Appendix A Para 6.5- Maintenance Tasks Completed while attending School.

You're already getting the "time" credit while attending school at a Max of 150 hours/month so you can't get additional time credit for working while you are going to school.

Without looking at the reference you quoted, I can still say that isn't right. All tasks have to be signed by the person performing the maintenance release. Last time I checked (at least at Con College) none of those airplanes were having any sort of maintenance release entered into any logbook, therefore, no dice. So many people have no idea on the basics of logbook tasks it doesn't surprise me to see what you've posted. One of my very first AME's I worked under said one very good piece of advice..."if you intend on making it past the grease monkey stage in this field, read the regs and know them. If not you will always be just a grease monkey who doesn't know shit."

ATO's aircraft don't (generally) have valid C of A's and no maintenance releases get entered therefore these are not 'eligible' tasks. I think we agree on that part.

My post states that you CAN count tasks completed WHILE you are attending school. T/C's own instructions say that. (MSI 18 Appendix A Para 6.5) You just can't count tasks done on the school's aircraft. Maybe you are working part time somewhere WHILE you are attending school. In this example, you can count THOSE tasks providing maintenance releases have been made, but you can't double dip on TIME, even though you are working beyond just going to school. i.e. the time credit Max's out at 150 hours/month. All the normal requirements for a tasks 'eligibility' still apply.

If you took the time to look at the reference I quoted, you would see this is allowed. I stand by my post. The information's accurate.

[The Weasel]

I know you were trying to paint a super positive image for the industry, but you forgot emphasize that most of those positions will be done come the fall, if not earlier. They are what you call seasonal.

Frankly, you remind me of a spoiled 11 year old girl. You complain about poor job prospects and then you complain when companies are actually hiring. What do you want? Actually, I know what you want. You want to suck people into your little world of misery because you can't stand the thought of someone being happy and standing up for themselves. Sorry Pat, but I have generally been treated well and fairly (and the odd time I wasn't, I stood up for myself or let my feet do the talking), I get paid well with benifits and pension, and have had the good fortune of working for a company that puts money back into its aircraft.

If you knew anything about helicopters you'd know that many of the companies on the list are reputable and don't play the winter lay-off game. In fact, I've known very few companies (in my experience anyways) that have played that game (although there are some out there), but I can't say the same about pilots. They get jerked around much more than AMEs.

I don't paint a super positive image of the industry. I have never ignored nor denied any of the bad or difficult aspects of the industry. Aviation is not always fun or easy, but there are good, stable, well-paid yet hard-working jobs out there for those who want them. But frankly, this is life. Every line of work has ups and downs, good and bad. I choose to see the good, and have been lucky enough to find it (coincidence or not).

I won't get into the great locales and conditions many of the listed would require you to work from in the field. But I know, you make a gazillion dollars right, so it's worth it.

What did you expect? It's what helicopters were designed to do: land in remote/inaccesible ares. And yes, we do make a gazillion dollars to make up for it. The only year I didn't make a gazillion dollars was my first year licenced.

[Cyclenut]

The issue of "Time" with respect to qualifying for an AME licence is fairly clear in the Regs:

AWM 566.03(4)(d)
ii) Experience requirements expressed in months are predicated upon full time employment of 1800 working hours per year. Applicants with part time experience acquired at a lower rate than this may convert their actual working hours to months at the rate of one month for each 150 working hours, but in no case can a higher rate of work be used to obtain more than one month’s credit for each actual calendar month worked.

The Labour Code has nothing to do with qualifying for the Experience Requirement under CAR's.

[Fox 3]

Cyclenut, I owe you an apology. I did exactly what I was flaming you for, I made a huge assumption instead of carefully reading the paragraph and I'm really sorry.

~FOX~

[Cyclenut]

Cyclenut, I owe you an apology. I did exactly what I was flaming you for, I made a huge assumption instead of carefully reading the paragraph and I'm really sorry.

~FOX~

Hey, man. No Biggie.
Nice to see someone take the time and acknowledge it.

[Schimunga]

The Weasel--Excellent post.