You Can't Fly Without Us

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association's annual conference is underway here in Washington--and so far there are a couple of things you should know about.

First, John Hickey, FAA's deputy associate administrator for aviation safety, briefed ARSA members on FAA's progress on implementing a risk-based decision making program that should decrease the number of audits that repair stations undergo. The Safety Assurance System has the potential to really decrease the number of audits, which would save FAA and MROs time and money--without decreasing safety.

Another point: check out this portal AVMRO.arsa.org, which contains industry resources and figures, such as a new ARSA video that explains what MROs do, economic impact data for the industry and results of a workforce development study. For instance, did you know more certificated mechanics work for independent repair stations than airlines in the U.S.?