In October, CAMC’s Board of Directors held its 86th meeting in Halifax, in con-junction with the annual Forum. Despite difficult economic times, the AGM/Forum was well attended. The panel and presentation topics were both timely and relevant. The speakers were excellent. Many delegates commented that it was possibly the best Forum to date. Presentations have been posted at www.camc.ca/en/116.html.

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Recent focus groups for the Human Resource Study of the Commercial Pilot in Canada clearly identified that people in the aviation industry, especially the flight training and general air services operators, are worried about SMS implementation. Larger operators have requested assistance with Quality Assurance and Control.

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Since 1995, CAMC’s Aviation Maintenance Orientation Program (AMOP) has provided high-school students with academic grounding and work-based experience in aviation maintenance and technology. AMOP introduces students to the basics of aviation maintenance while demonstrating the use of applied math and science. The curriculum can be enhanced according to a teacher’s specialties and available facilities, and by partnerships with local industry.

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Accreditation is a quality assurance process that evaluates how well aviation and aerospace training organizations and the programs they deliver conform to the accreditation requirements established by industry and stated in the Requirements for Accreditation and the particular occupation’s National Training Standard (Instructor Guide/Curriculum).

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Transport Canada stipulates that “pursuant to subsection 573.06(1) of the CARs, an AMO certificate holder shall ensure that all staff with technical responsibilities are provided appropriate training in technical, regulatory and human factors issues related to the work for which they are responsible.” The training must include four components: Initial Training; Update Training; Additional Training; and Procedures to ensure staff awareness.

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by Bill Zuk

”You didn’t learn to fly in the usual way. They taught you to fly up the field, take off in the field — and land in the field again. The first trip I made, I was feeling pretty cocky. I was in the air at last! I took it into my head that I’d like to show them some fancy flying. I performed the figure eight in the ether, strictly contrary to the accepted letter of instructions, and succeeded in landing in an adjoining field right side up — much to the astonishment of my instructor, who figured we should have both been killed.” — Canadian bush pilot “Wop” May on his first training flight, c. 1916

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by Peter Pigott

“Education in aviation is never ending,” says Bruce Dwyer, administrator of aviation program at Ottawa’s Algonquin College. “It’s a lifelong learning career because, whether you’re a pilot or a mechanic, you’ll never stop learning. Whether working on an airplane or flying one, you’ll always be learning a new type of aircraft or a new system, getting a new checkout, or doing a new installation on something that’s never been done before.” In 2000, the aviation industry in Canada began to realize that a significant percentage of its skilled maintenance work force was due to disappear when “baby-boomers” came of retirement age. That realization has spurred the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to investigate the problem.

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by Roger Beebe

If you look at job-competition posters at private and public institutions these days, you will find an increase in the number of jobs that require a university degree. This is very noticeable at Transport Canada and other federal departments, and should send a strong signal to aviation personnel about the direction of Canadian cultural values. Many countries, including Canada, have now made higher education a requirement for government positions. A key question is how much more pervasive will this requirement become? It is very easy to see a split developing in society between those who have university education and those who do not. So how does this affect aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) and engineers (AMEs)?

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“WorldSkills International President Tjerk (Jack) Dusseldorp declared the Calgary Competition an overwhelming success. ‘I am very pleased to offer you my judgment that this has been the best Competition ever,’ he said. The week-long celebration and showcase of skill brought together the finest young professionals in trades and technologies from 51 member countries/regions. More than 900 Competitors in 45 skills, ranging from fashion technology to mobile robotics, vied for the gold medals and awards over four days of intense, often highly stressful competition. Total attendance for the event, including opening and closing ceremonies, was 151,589. … Team Canada Competitors took home eight medals, topping their previous record of six medals in 2007 in Shizuoka, Japan.”

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CAMC held its 18th annual Forum & AGM in Halifax from October 21 to 23, 2009 at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax. This fine hotel, now completely renovated and expanded, was originally built by the Canadian National Railway and opened in June 1930 as the final part of the South End Terminal Project, which had seen the new Halifax Railway Station moved from the North End to the south end of Hollis Street1. Traces of its historic origins can still be seen in the generous proportions of the ballrooms, their elegant windows and ceilings, and in the ornamental details on the facade.

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In Fiscal Year 2009/2010, the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering will graduate approximately 350 Aviation Systems Technicians, 150 Avionics Systems Technicians, 60 Aircraft Structures Technicians, 20 Imagery Technicians, 45 Aerospace Engineers and 700 additional students from a variety of specialty courses.

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Helping to ease entry into post-secondary education is the fundamental benefit of ‘articulation’ agreements between schools. That’s the appeal of Georges Vanier Secondary School in north Toronto linking with Centennial College, one of Canada’s most respected aviation technician training centres.

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Citing a need for aviation maintenance training in the National Capital Region, Ottawa’s Algonquin College inked a memorandum of understanding with Centennial College’s Aerospace department in April 2008 to deliver the Toronto-based college’s first-year Aviation Technician curriculum at Algonquin’s Woodroffe Campus. The training began this fall with a class of 40 enthusiastic students.

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by Debbie Bridge, Project Leader, Learning Innovation and Development, Canadore College

This past summer, 60 air cadets from across Canada were selected to participate in a course entitled Advanced Aviation Technology — Aircraft Maintenance. The course was delivered in July and August at Canadore College’s state-of-the-art Aviation Campus in North Bay, Ontario. The cadets had the opportunity to learn from the best as they attended classes taught by the highly experienced professors who usually teach post-secondary aviation programs at Canadore. A wide variety of practical projects also allowed them to experience first-hand the thrill of torquing a propeller or taxiing an aircraft.

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