By Jim Hanson
A&P Mechanic Shortage Future GA Threat
Aging Maintenance Personnel Bring Industry Change
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September 1, 2021
Photo Courtesy Lake Area Technical College
Lake Area Technical College is a public community college in Watertown, South Dakota that offers a 20-month Aviation Maintenance program. These students are working on a CFM56 engine donated by Southwest Airlines while others work on engines donated by the military.
In 59 years of flying, I've seen a LOT of "threats" to General Aviation. Government over-regulation, confiscatory taxes, fuel shortages, aircraft manufacturer bankruptcies, an 80% reduction in the number of FBOs, closed airports, pilot shortages, air traffic controller strikes-ALL were deemed a threat to General Aviation-yet the industry weathered them all. Here's another-a shortage of Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanics.
I like to think that by subscribing to multiple trade magazines, and "keeping my ear to the ground" in the industry, I would have anticipated this problem-but I didn't...
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