Call to Action: Demand Part 147 Reform

Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 147 governs aviation maintenance technician schools and mandates what our technical programs teach aspiring aviators. The regulation was originally established in 1962 and has not been significantly revised since. For over a decade, the council has actively advocated for a new part 147, imploring the Federal Aviation Administration to promulgate a regulation that would release schools from unnecessary restrictions and allow the community to properly prepare future aviators for their aspiring careers.

With no relief in sight, the community asked Congress for help. In a bipartisan effort, House and Senate leaders introduced The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act (S.3043/H.R.5427), legislation that, if signed into law, would direct the FAA to reform the out-dated regulation and promulgate a community-drafted rule that would allow schools to innovate while removing unnecessary restraints with no impact on aviation safety.

The inflexibility of the current rule is especially acute in the COVID-impacted environment. Under the current regulatory framework, schools must obtain FAA approval before providing aviation technical program content online. The restriction is yet another example of unnecessary regulatory interference that ultimately deprives students of their ability to complete their course of study. ATEC is therefore doubling down on its efforts to generate support for the Act, and asking that Congress consider including it in any must-pass legislation this Congress.

The PARTT 147 Act would adopt a performance-based approach, whereby the FAA would defer to Department of Education oversight for all matters concerning quality of education, and give schools the freedom to create curriculum based on competencies and industry needs. Community leaders are encouraged to take the following steps to solicit congressional support for the PARTT 147 Act:

1. Get briefed. Get a summary on the issue from ATEC Legislative Chair Jared Britt, or tune in to a previously-recorded webinar. Watch here!
2. Read the PARTT 147 Act. For  more background information, see the Part 147 Issue Page and ATEC's Part 147 Policy Brief.
3. Identify and call your federal elected leaders, request the transportation staffer's email. See also the map of AMTS by congressional district.
4. Draft and send an email, request that the representative sign on as co-sponsor. Download the email template, attach the issue one-pager, coalition letter, and Policy Brief.