Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) is continuously looking for ways to meet the airline industry’s need for trained airline mechanics. The latest technique is the introduction of the Aviation Maintenance Technical Engineer program. This 100-week certificate program offered at the Indianapolis campus, adds the electronics portion, the school’s Avionics Technician program to the school’s current Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) curriculum. This hybrid program takes students from the basics of flight through the latest technological advances in the world of aviation.
“Adding the avionics portion to our already successful AMT program, is a result of our Program Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings. They requested that more advanced electrical system training be offered in order to keep up with the demands in the field,” states Andrew Duncan, Regional Director. The PAC meetings are held on a quarterly basis and consist of aviation professionals, educators and the school’s staff. They discuss what market demands are and the ability of the school’s programs to meet those demands.
Father’s Day weekend marked the annual Gathering of Eagles GREAT WAR FLY-IN in Gardner, Kansas and once again the students from Aviation Institute of Maintenance wanted to show their progress on their WWI replica aircraft, the Morane Saulnier AI. This is the Morane’s second trip to the fly-in and the project plane has really progressed since its last showing at the event.
The Morane in 2008.
The Morane today.
Last year, the recently completed fuselage was displayed with its covering newly installed and painted with a silver finish that resists ultraviolet rays and increases life of the cloth covering. This year, however, the fuselage was showing the camouflage design was originally adorned when flown by pilot Sergeant Rufus Rand over the skies of France in 1918. This year, the engine and propeller were installed and nearly ready to run. Next year maybe they will be able to actually fly in to the event.
This airplane project began with the first piece of tubing being cut to signify the beginning of the construction, on March 1, 2007. The work is being accomplished by students of the Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Kansas City campus with help from their coach and a World War I aircraft specialist, Marvin Story. The instructional staff has been involved in supervision and has contributed hands on time also. Students also get hands-on experience building an aircraft from the ground up.
Eight of the nine AIM schools are in the process of building accurate World War I replica aircrafts. This effort provides an opportunity for students to work on an aircraft that will actually be flown, and one that will end up being displayed as part of the Great War Aircraft collection at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia. More information and photos of the aircraft under construction can be found at www.aimschool.com
Three of your fellow students here at AIM – Atlanta have taken advantage of scholarship opportunities available and have received funds. They inquired, they applied and they received. We are very happy for each of them and hope that more students take advantage of the FREE money available through scholarship and grant opportunities. The winners of the competitive scholarship awards were students you know. They are:
Kenneth Hammond – The Kei Takemoto Memorial Scholarship – $500
Tyesha Cuttino – The James Villnave Memorial Scholarship – $600
Clinton Hemmingway – The Aircraft Electricians Association – $1000
Take time to say congratulations to these outstanding students and then inquire, apply and win for yourselves.
The Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Orlando was privileged to participate in the 35th Annual Sun’n Fun event. This is the country’s 2nd largest fly-in and brings in spectators from all over the world. The event was held April 21—April 26, 2009.
This event averages 160,000 visitors during the six day event and brings in an estimated $27 million to the Polk County economy.
AMO had 6 students volunteer at the event collecting parking fees and directing traffic on the grounds. They worked 4 hour shifts in the heat and dirt, but found it to be a valuable experience dealing with people. In exchange, the student were given free passes to the event.
The students encountered vendors from all over the world. They were allowed to see the “hands on workshops” that were available for all to use. The students got to talk with potential employers in the industry. There were various types of aircraft on display ranging from the futuristic “flying car” model to experiment planes to old B24’s to modern day jets. There were demonstrations on the usage of jet engines in other industries such as racing and high tech trucking.
This event allowed the students involved to get a better appreciation for the importance of the mechanics learned in the aviation field and it’s impact on other industries.
A great time was had by all who attended the event. We hope to be able to provide even more volunteers for next year’s event.
Since the middle of January 2009 the office of Student Services Coordinator has been actively engaged in making scholarship opportunities available to the student population. We have had remarkable success. Three different students have now been awarded funds from a variety of providers. These funds are available to each of you and it would be our great honor to assist you in making application and receiving your ward. The process is very simple. It requires an effort but it is quit easy. How easy is it? Take the time to provide the information needed. If you do, you have a chance of winning one of the competitive scholarships available. If you do not take the time to make application for the award you will not win. It really comes down to the effort.
Please find a road map for making yourself available by following the simple steps described in the new AIMatlanta post titled Scholarship Application Requirements. We will be happy to assist you in preparing your essay and making sure all documentation is complete and in the hands of the provider on time.
When considering whether or not to make an application for funds please remember one of my favorite personal paradigms. It is this, if there is little to lose by trying and a great deal to gain if successful, by all means try. It really is that simple. Take a shot, if you don’t you will never hit your target.
Jerry White
Student Services Coordinator
Scholarship Application Requirements
Essay –
350 to 500 word essay (as long as you need it to be to tell your story) on when you became interested in aviation and when you knew aviation was the career avenue for you. Also, How did you find your way into a curriculum of study for Aviation Maintenance as a career – how did you find your way to AIM – Atlanta? How will you make the industry better by being a part of the Aviation Maintenance Technician community?
The reason for this component of the requirements is the providers of the scholarships want to know if you are a worthy recipient of the funds that are available. They don’t want to provide funds for someone who is not committed to their aviation maintenance craft or their career.
Letters of Recommendation –
You need at least three (3) letters of recommendation from past instructors here at AIM-The reason for the 3 letters here is to provide evidence that an instructor of your institution feels you are a good student and a worthy recipient of funds. They do not want to provide funds to someone who is going to drop out a month later or makes poor use of the funds awarded.
You need one (1) letter from a past or current employer-The reason for the letter from a past or current employer is to assess your dependability on the job. Are you a good candidate in the eyes of someone you are accountable to as an employee.
You need one (1) additional letter from a professional person (doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.) outside of our campus setting-They can not be affiliated with the school in any way. In other words, “Who Do You Know” who is a credible servant of the public’s good or, more importantly, “Who Knows You?”
The November start was a new experience for us at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Orlando campus. The explosive growth in Orlando, coupled with the addition of needed equipment to fit the number of students that we have, showed the need for more space to effectively accommodate our student body.
After months of looking for a facility to fit our needs, we settled on another hangar across the adjacent ramp at the Orlando Executive Airport. The facility comprises 7500 square footage of hangar space, along with two class rooms, a break room, and an instructor office totaling 9000 square feet total.
As with all things, there were some hang-ups… We were supposed to have two weeks between the old occupants moving out and us moving in, but due to unforeseen events (the need for additional lighting, moving a wall and adding doors, relocating the water heater, running electrical and adding outlets, as well as numerous repairs to the facility) we only had three days to get things in working order before the FAA came to inspect. Our P.M.I. Joe Gramzinski didn’t think that all of this was possible, but thanks to the diligence shown by our instructional staff, all of the equipment was moved in one day. A special thanks goes out to our equipment suppliers for the prompt delivery of our new equipment (Sears, Grainger, and Harbor Freight).
“You guys have come a long way since the last time I was here. I didn’t think you could do what you said you were going to do in this short time.” said Joe Gramzinski of the FAA as he was inspecting, and as we were finishing up the details of the move. The hangar is dedicated to the Powerplant portion of our curriculum and the students, as well as the instructors, seem to enjoy the new set up.
The AIM Indianapolis campus hangar was bustling with activity today as several members of James Jackson’s class worked in the Turbine Engine area. The class was divided into groups of 3 or 4 per engine and worked through overhaul and inspection tasks as teams.
We took some pictures of the class in action and even a couple videos. We hope you enjoy:
The AIM Indianapolis campus encourages all of our current and future students to learn about and apply for as many scholarships as possible. There are countless sources of information and scholarships listings available online. And, the Financial Aid & Student Services Offices are always available to help.
Recently, we became aware of a scholarship specifically offered to aviation maintenance students. The William M. Fanning Maintenance Scholarship is offered by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
From the NBAA website:
This scholarship is named in honor of retired NBAA Staff member William M. Fanning, who was active in maintenance issues during his nearly 20-year tenure at the Association.
NBAA annually awards $5,000 to two applicants pursuing careers as maintenance technicians. One award will benefit a student who currently is enrolled in an accredited airframe & powerplant (A&P) program at an approved FAR Part 147 school. The second award will benefit an individual who currently is not enrolled but has been accepted for enrollment in an A&P program.
A completed and signed application form must be accompanied by an essay, official transcript or acceptance letter, resume and letter of recommendation. See application form for details.
Applications must be received by NBAA on or before July 31, 2009. Direct all questions about this application to NBAA at (202) 783-9250 or info@nbaa.org.
The scholarship application is very manageable and should be easily completed by anyone interested in applying. If you need assistance, please feel free to stop by the Student Services or Financial Aid offices for help.
Don’t hesitate to complete your application.
Our latest graduation ceremony was a great success! The AIM Indianapolis Spring 2009 Graduating Class was sent off in style by the staff, faculty, family and friends in attendance for the ceremonies.
Everyone was beaming with pride and a sense of accomplishment was in the air as our graduates walked across stage to receive their diplomas from the Director of Education, Mark Holloway and School Director, Carlos Irizarry. And, we all had a chance to hear some wonderful words of encouragement and gratitude from our Student Speaker, Amber Lutz.
On top of all that, one of our graduates had the opportunity for further blushing of cheeks when he was called back on stage to be recognized with an individual award.
AIM Indianapolis awarded David Coers as the Outstanding Graduate in recognition of his continued commitment to academic excellence throughout his career at AIM.
DALLAS, TX (4/14/09) – With the unemployment at an unbelievable rate, many people are finding themselves going back to school to re-tool for a new career. A major concern when making the choice to get additional training is how to pay for it. Along with traditional ways of financing their education through financial aid and personal loans, many current students are finding themselves applying for scholarships throughout their time as a student, opposed to just at the beginning. Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s Dallas campus is proud to announce that two of their students are on the receiving end of this scholarship quest.
Darriel Callahan recently received a $500 scholarship from EAA SportAir Workshops. Mr. Mark Forss, EAA SportAir Workshops Coordinator states, “There were many good submissions for the scholarship, which made it difficult to choose.” Callahan’s essay was selected out of 25 entries submitted and was awarded to her at a ceremony on March 14th.
Shane Cox was awarded a $1000 from the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Johnny Davis Memorial Scholarship. Cox submitted his application and essay for the award as part of AIM’s Scholarship Day back in November. He was notified by letter in March and his name will be announced at the annual AEA Meeting in April. The Johnny Davis Memorial Scholarship is named in memory of Johnny Davis, president of Dallas Avionics, Dallas, Texas, who supported general aviation for more than 30 years and served as an AEA Associate board member. This scholarship is available to high school seniors and/or college students who plan to or are attending an accredited school in an avionics or aircraft repair program.
Both students are taking an active role in their education and future and the effort shows, by the receipt of these scholarships.
Indianapolis | centuranews | 
July 1, 2009 1:38 pm | 
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