With more than 40 years experience in the aviation industry, The Honorable John Goglia, was the first and only Airframe and Powerplant mechanic to receive a presidential appointment to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He served from August 1995 to June 2004.&nbsp; &nbsp;
As a Board Member, Mr. Goglia distinguished himself in numerous areas of transportation safety. In particular, he was instrumental in raising awareness of airport safety issues, including the importance of airport crash fire and rescue operations and the dangers of wildlife at airports. He played a key role in focusing international attention on the increasing significance of aircraft maintenance in aviation accidents. He pressed, successfully, for greater integration of civilian and military safety information, becoming a featured speaker at national aviation symposiums attended by military leaders and major defense contractors. He is a leading proponent of airplane child safety seats.
Prior to becoming a Board Member, Mr. Goglia held numerous positions in the airline industry. He started as a mechanic for United Airlines and eventually joined Allegheny, which became USAir. Additionally, he was involved for more than 20 years as a union flight safety representative on accident investigation teams. There, he developed a safety program for his union, the International Association of Machinists, and was its representative for NTSB investigations. For twelve years, he operated his own aircraft service company.
Numerous prestigious groups have recognized Mr. Goglia’s contributions to aviation safety.&nbsp; Aviation Week &amp; Space Technology awarded him a coveted 2004 Laurel for his outstanding service as an NTSB Board member.&nbsp; The Society of Automotive Engineers presented him with the Aerospace Chair Award for outstanding leadership in 2003 and the Marvin Whitlock Award for outstanding management accomplishment in 2002.

Writer

John Goglia

The age-60 rule for U.S. commercial pilots has been changed to age 65, which will allow the U.S. to be consistent with most of the aviation world. It will also help, in the short term, to mitigate the manpower problems facing commercial aviation. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy solution for the shortfall of certified maintenance personnel, as many of them already work past age 65. 
The blue ribbon panel on aviation predicted that there would be a shortage of mechanics several years ago, but the events of 9/11 changed that timetable. Since then aviation has made a slow and painful recovery. However, much of the technical talent that was let go as a result of the downturn has moved on to other industries and, based on what I have been told, not many of the technicians who have left the industry are returning. For many of these certified mechanics, the six years they have invested in the new company is enough to make them stay, rather than return to weathering the ups and downs of the commercial aviation business.
In the same time, business aviation has grown tremendously and some former airline employees have migrated to the sector; the manufacturers’ service centers are among their new roosts. These service centers are now feeling pain as they watch their employees return to the airlines for the higher pay there. 
In the past, mechanics were among the most stable of employees, but the ups and downs of aviation have changed that forever. I am also hearing more mechanics say that they are following the lead of their senior management: changing jobs every few years to clamber up the pay and position ladder. This path for self-improvement has always been in our industry to some extent, but it seems to be talked about much more frequently now. 
At the same time, business aviation can’t count on the services for a steady stream of mechanics because the military is also holding onto mechanics by offering them bonuses to stay. It is also sending to commercial facilities a substantial amount of repair work that competes with commercial aviation for space and qualified manpower.
There is a noticeable increase in opportunity available to anyone willing to shop around. Several months ago, at a conference for PMA parts suppliers, I was surprised by how many certified mechanics now work in that segment of our industry, providing reasonably priced spare parts and no longer turning wrenches. That is a career path that has opened in the last few years. 
Attracting New Talent These changes come at a time when the supply line for new certified mechanics is thin. The most recent numbers I have seen indicate that we have lost about 100 Part 147 A&amp;P schools over the last seven years or so. At one time we were producing 12,000 new A&amp;P mechanics a year. Last year that number was less than 6,000, according to figures announced at a recent FAA-sponsored meeting.
Over the past few years the industry and the FAA have launched some programs to boost the number of student starts in Part 147 certified schools. While small and regionally focused, these efforts have had some success. 
A recent meeting hosted by the FAA to expand and coordinate the efforts into something resembling a national program was well attended by almost every aviation organization. Notably missing, however, were any representatives from the airline industry, perhaps because the airlines, mindful of their past successes in luring talent away from the rest of aviation, don’t think they have a problem. 
During this meeting there was discussion about what should be included in the training syllabus; it was clear that each specialty of aviation wants the newly certified mechanic to be ready to enter that segment without any additional training. When I entered the aviation industry, I was told I would be required to receive additional training as long as I was working in aviation. I don’t see how the Part 147 schools will ever be able to meet that expectation fully.
I think the shortfall in producing enough certified mechanics will raise the pay of current technicians and change the way they are used within the workplace. We might well see a certified mechanic leading a group of task-trained people in accomplishing the required tasks. This process is used in some of the countries where heavy maintenance work is being performed on N-registered aircraft today. 
I will continue to report to you on the activities of this group, and I need you to continue to let me know your thoughts on this crucial topic. Send your comments to 
<link gogliaj><a href="mailto:gogliaj@yahoo.com">gogliaj@yahoo.com</a>.

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