# Presentation: 667699

##  PAMA AND THE FAA    SAFETY PROGRAM

- <date/time>

** ****PAMA AND THE FAA ****   SAFETY PROGRAM**

**      ****IS PROUD TO PRESENT**

##      ACE RECOMMENDED        CREDITS for A&P

- <date/time>

-      **ACE RECOMMENDED****        CREDITS for A&P**

**This program tells you how to apply for 67 undergraduate college credits based on your A&P certificate.**

## DEFINITIONS:

**ACE is shorthand for the American Council on Education.**
**ACE ADDRESS: **
**       ****ACE**
**       ****One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 250**
**       ****Washington, DC 20036-1193**
**ACE Telephone is:  202-939 9434**

## DEFINITIONS:

_**Credit recommendation:**_** means that ACE has formally reviewed the  9 exams for the FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate and has recommended that 67 undergraduate credits be assigned to the A&P.  **
**ACE recommended credits are honored at 1200 colleges and universities.**

## HOW MANY MECHANICS ARE    AFFECTED BY ACE?

**ACE recommended credit is only for mechanic certificates issued after August 1, 1989.----(ACE  imposed the 10-year limit)**
**FAA Airman Registry records have identified over 172,000 mechanics who are eligible.**

## WHAT IS INVOLVED:

**The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association(PAMA) picked up the $10,000 fee for the  ACE review (4 Ph.D’s did the review)**
**FAA supplied over 4 1/2 feet of documentation to ACE for the content review.**

## IMPORTANT NOTICE

**ACE credit recommendations is not a guarantee that the college of your choice will accept all 67 credits.**
**Other variables such as whether it is a 2 year or 4 year degree and/or the degree field of study will affect the number of credits you are given.**

## IMPORTANT NOTICE

**ACE recommended credits are for the A&P ratings only.  **
**A  FAA mechanic certificate with only an airframe or only a powerplant rating can not be accepted.**

## HOW DOES IT WORK?

**Send in your application  directly to ACE (ACE will not send you a postcard)**
**ACE reviews the application against an FAA provided data base, and if approved, assigns full credit.**

## HOW DOES IT WORK?

**Mechanics take the ACE transcript to the college or university of their choice and “negotiates” what  ACE recommended credits will be applied towards the degree desired.**

## WHAT KIND OF DEGREES IS ACE CREDITS GOOD FOR?

**ASSOCIATE---2-YEAR DEGREES (**AVERAGE 60 TO 65 COLLEGE CREDITS**)**
**BACHELOR---4-YEAR DEGREES** (AVERAGE 120 TO 130 COLLEGE CREDITS)

## HOW WERE THE CREDITS     ASSIGNED?

**Lower division, undergraduate**
**FAA general exam--14 hours in aviation science.**
**FAA powerplant exam--28 hours in aviation science.**
**FAA airframe exam---25 semester hours in aviation science.**

## HOW LONG DID THIS    PROCESS TAKE?

**Two mechanics met in Orlando airport in April 1998 and decided to get college credits for the A&P certificate.**
**ACE review began August 1999.**
**ACE recommendations was given to PAMA in January 2001.**

##    WHAT ACE CREDITS        ARE NOT

**You are not assured that 67 credits will be accepted by every college.**
**Credit depends on the degree you want.**
**If you want a 2-year degree, the number of ACE credits accepted will be less.**

## WHAT ACE DOES FOR YOU

**Formal recognition of the level of training needed to earn the A&P.**
**Depending on the degree program ACE recommended credits may shorten a 4-year college degree by 2 years or shorten a 2-year degree by 1 year.**

## WHAT ACE DOES FOR YOU

**Establishes a lifelong transcript service that tracks your credits.**
**Cuts down the negotiating time with Directors of Admissions.**

## HOW MUCH IS ACE’s TRANSCRIPT GOING TO COST ME?

**$30.00 FEE AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO SEND A LETTER TO ACE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:**

## ACE NEEDS THE FOLLOWING   INFORMATION:

**A letter asking ACE for recommended credits for  your mechanic certificate with A&P ratings.**
**A statement that the A&P was issued after August 1, 1989.**

## ACE NEEDS THE FOLLOWING   INFORMATION:

**First, middle and last name**
**Date of birth**
**Social security number**
**FAA mechanic’s certificate number**
**Current address and telephone number**

## ACE NEEDS THE FOLLOWING   INFORMATION:

**Notarized true copy of your A&P certificate**
**A $30.00 check made out to ACE**
**The address where you want the transcript sent---your home or to a college.  Additional transcripts for other colleges are $5.00 each.**

## SEND THE INFORMATION TO:

**ACE A&P Credit**
**AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION**
**One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 250**
**Washington, DC 20036-1193**

## WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

**ACE reviews the applicant’s documents and checks his or her name against the FAA-supplied data base.**
**If the documentation matches the FAA data base, the credits are assigned and a transcript prepared.**

## WHAT DO YOU GET FROM ACE?

**A confirmation letter stating your eligibility status and recommended credits available.**
**A transcript listing 67 ACE recommended credits which is sent either to you or the college of your choice.**

## WHAT DO YOU GET FROM ACE?

**Additional transcripts will cost you $5.00 each.**
**If you take additional ACE approved courses (technical or college level) those credits will be added to your transcript.**

## NOW WHAT?

**FAA and PAMA have provided the incentive.**
**Each individual mechanic must provide the effort to find a local college or a college that provides distant learning.**

##  NOW WHAT?

**You must NEGOTIATE with several colleges to get the maximum number of ACE credits assigned.**
**Remember, each college is a business.  They are providing a service for a fee---don’t be shy!**

##  NOW WHAT?

**Remind them that over 172,000 aviation mechanics are now potential college students.**
**Tell them that the FAA certificates approximately 5,000 plus new A&P mechanics a year. So we, as future customers, are not going away.**

## PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

**Each quarter the FAA will send a new data base of mechanics to ACE.**
**If an A&P has moved and not updated his address as required by FAR 65.21, ACE will not approve the credits if the addresses do not match.**

## PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

**If you moved or changed your sex or did not get another rating or medical, you have to notify the FAA. **
**Send into OKC FAA form 8060-55 change of address form. (check your FSDO or go to www.faa.gov for the form)**

## PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

**No---the FAA will not send you a nasty letter because you forgot to update your address.**
**No---FAA will not send you a new certificate with your new address unless you request it and send in $2.00.**

## PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED!

**Figure it will take 5 weeks to change your record in OKC. **
**But it could be up to 90 days before ACE is notified again because you missed being updated in the last quarter.**

## NOTICE

**FAA Headquarters, local FSDO, PAMA, or ACE cannot make Airmen Registry office in OKC speed up the process to get your new address in the data base to meet a semester deadline.**

## NOTICE

**So please do not call, visit or write letters to your congressman to correct a problem that you alone are responsible for.**

## WHY A COLLEGE DEGREE IS     IMPORTANT!

**Recognition**
**Career enhancement**
**Personal satisfaction**
**Show your kids what the old man is capable of**
**Mark of a professional       **

## REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD  “NOT” GO TO COLLEGE

**Too old**
**Can’t compete with young kids**
**Not smart enough**
**Afraid you would flunk out**
**No time **
**No money**
**Scared-- but won’t admit it.**

## REBUTTAL 

_**Too old:**_** You are too old when they snap the lid to your coffin-- shut.**
_**Can’t compete:**_** You have at least a 10-year advantage in the common sense department plus your hormones are no longer raging so concentration is no longer a problem.**

## REBUTTAL

_**Not smart:**_** If you are not smart, why do people let you sign off million dollar aircraft?**
_**Flunk out:**_** Thousands of students flunk out of college courses every year----you won’t be alone.**

## REBUTTAL

_**No time**_**-----cut out 2 days a week sitting in front of your television.**
_**No money**_**---apply for a student loan or maybe your company will pay.**
_**No courage**_**----We can’t help you**

## A REQUEST

**There is no way we can research 1200 colleges nation-wide and find out who is offering the maximum credits awarded for ACE transcript or lowest cost for a degree.**
**So we need a little help:**

## A REQUEST

**If you find a college that is mechanic friendly, please send that name, address and telephone number via e-mail to william.o’brien@faa.gov and a list will be created and put on the FAA Safety Program web site.**

## A SECOND REQUEST

**We realize that not everyone will go for the college degree. We understand this is a personal/economic decision.**
** **
**We only ask that you support those who make the decision to earn a degree.**

## A SECOND REQUEST

**For they have chosen the harder road and in time they will change the public perception of “all” aviation mechanics from a semi-skilled worker to that of a career professional.**

## Closing Comments

**We realize that mechanics certificated before August 1989 are left out of the ACE program.**
**FAA and PAMA are working with individual colleges who presently offer distance learning. This is not an easy task, please be patient.**

## Closing Comments

**It is our hope that we can convince at least 10 colleges to accept the ACE A&P credits for the pre-1989 mechanics and to design a degree program that is mechanic friendly both in time to earn the degree and in cost.**** **

## Closing Comments

**This is a giant step for our profession to gain “public” recognition of an aviation mechanic as a career professional.**
**It will take time, money, and sweat, but it is doable and we mechanics can make it happen.**

## Thanks for listening

- <date/time>

**Thanks for listening**