Training to become a plane technician is a rigorous process. It is a position that requires determination and dedication. For starters, Atlas Aircraft Center Inc., which provides all maintenance for the entire PlaneSense® fractional fleet, (AAC) technicians must have the following:
- 18 months of practical experience with power plants or airframes or 30 months working on both at the same time.
- A certificate from an FAA-Approved aviation maintenance technician school, demonstrating successful completion of 2,000 hours of training.
The technician must also pass FAA required written, oral, and practical tests to demonstrate their knowledge of general, airframe, and power plant concepts.
Additionally, AAC, the Pilatus approved, fleet service and support center for the PlaneSense® fractional fleet, requires that newly hired plane technicians receive extensive initial training to become familiar with both AAC and the PlaneSense® program. Technicians attend factory training with Pilatus, and engine training with Pratt & Whitney and Williams. AAC trains its technicians using tours, classroom lectures, manual familiarization, self-study, shadowing, and substantial on-the-job training. To maintain AAC’s high standards, a plane technician is required to complete a minimum of 12 hours of recurrent training every year. In all, the technicians who service the fractional fleet have participated in more than 18,000 hours of training since 2014.
As a result of their determination and commitment to excellence, our aircraft mechanics have consistently earned the “Diamond Award for Excellence” from the FAA every year since 2002. Atlas Aircraft Center has also earned the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) “Training Excellence Award” every year since 2002. As a result of this unparalleled training regime, PlaneSense® fractional share owners can rest easy knowing they are flying on aircraft maintained by the highest of standards.
