5th Annual PAMA Maintenance Competition Underway at Aviation Industry Week

By ANN Senior Correspondent Kevin "Hognose" O'Brien

It's an Olympiad that promises no steroid scandals, no scowling security men, and no bizarre decisions from the French judge. Just like in those other events that the Greeks cooked up millennia ago, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) will bring the best of the best together to compete in a variety of tests of skill, intellect and precision, but you might not have heard the names of these events:

• hardware identification
• safety wiring
• hydraulic line fabrication
• rigging
• avionics/electronics
• data research
• troubleshooting

  

If that sounds like a varied day in your local Part 145 Repair Station, you have the idea. Speed counts, but so does accuracy, and adherence to established standards. Being done first doesn't count unless the work is done properly. Or as PAMA puts it: "Please note: Any willful use of non-acceptable methods, techniques, and/or practices (IAW AC 43.13-1B/2A) will be cause for immediate disqualification and removal from the Olympics competition." See, just like those other Olympics, you can get tossed out on your ear if you break the rules; it's a test of professionalism, among other things.

The test is already underway; it goes on for four days, and both individuals and teams compete. The teams come from heavy hitters in the aviation maintenance world: Bombardier Aerospace, Dassault Falcon Jet, JetBlue, Midcoast Aviation, and Southwest Airlines. The winners of the team Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be announced on Thursday morning at PAMA Annual Awards Breakfast (unfortunately Aero-News will have already departed, so we'll be waiting for the PAMA press release to tell you who won). The winning team not only gets the gold medals, but take home the PAMO traveling trophy for the year, and have their names inscribed thereon. The trophy is an impressive wooden structure surmounted by a carved wooden globe held in acrylic buttresses; it's taller than some of the participants.

The top individual awards are TechnAthlete of the Year and Troubleshooter of the Year. The three competitions for the individuals are Data Research, Safety Wiring, and Troubleshooting.

The details of the competitions:

• Hardware Identification (team)
  This often-overlooked skill is key to making sure that the proper "strength, metallic alloy, and size hardware is used in the correct location." Given a piece of hardware and the "usual" reference manuals, and with the clock running, the contestants must ID the item.

  

• Safety Wiring (team)
  The contestant has a set series of items requiring safety wiring, mounted on a board. Tools are provided on a tool board. Speed counts, but so does safety. One of the "problems," a turnbuckle, has two "solutions" -- safety wiring or clips. Either is passing, but do the safety wiring and get a bonus.

  

• Hydraulic Line Fabrication (team)
  The organizers thought that this event, in which contestants duplicate and replace a rigid hydraulic line, was too easy so they raised the bar this year: any of seven different lines may be assigned to a team.

  

• Data Research (team and individual)
  the contestants must answer questions on official data (FARs, ADs, etc.) quickly and accurately. The contestant might know the answer, but will probably have to look it up.
• Rigging (team)
  In this event, contestants compete to rig a mock-up of a control surface. The system replicates the complexity found in modern aircraft; success means that the control surface is in the right neutral position, and that control surface travels are correct.

  

• Avionics/Electrical (team)
  If you've ever had avionics hassles, you'll appreciate this one: using s special unit developed for the PAMA Maintenance Olympics, contestants test and verify cables, including their BNC or circular connectors.

  

• Systems Troubleshooting (Individual)
  FlightSafety international has come up with a clever computer-based simulation that they use for troubleshooting training. That's what's used here to provide a fair and consistent challenge for contestants. It simulates real aircraft system problems and the contestants have to diagnose them properly.

  

A big event like the maintenance Olympics can't be put on without help, and PAMA has sponsors that are a who's who of the industry. Snap-On Tools backs the program with a lot of support including a toolbox raffle that drew lots of attention from this tool-proud crowd. Other sponsors include "Underwriters" Aircraft Technical Publishers, Bombardier Aerospace, Dassault Falcon Jet, FlightSafety International, and Midcoast Aviation, and "Benefactors" Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Rockwell Collins, and Standard Aero.

FMI: www.pama.org/content.asp?contentid=60