The ticking time bomb in regional aviation
As the end of my apprenticeship with QF loomed large in mid-2013, I was on the lookout for jobs outside of Q, in case I wasn't offered anything with the company. In my hunt, I found a rather disappointing theme: almost every operator from the airlines to the regional operators and even down to the bug-smashing GA operators, want LAMEs, not AMEs. And to a degree, I can see why too. Why pay an AME for the 5+ years of non-certifying work it may take him to gain a license (and, of course, paying a LAME to certify that work at the same time), when you can just hire a LAME and he'll both do the work AND certify it? (Yes that's a simplistic kind of statement, but you get the idea)
It seems to me that CASA has created a "top heavy" system, in which so much rides on the LAMEs that the AMEs are considered by many to be expendable. Or worse, a waste of time and money. But if the industry as a whole, from the flight levels to GA and ag operators don't pull their collective heads out of the sand, they're setting their own trap. If you believe the numbers, the average age of LAMEs in Australia is in the mid-50s and increasing. Which means we can expect to see roughly 50% of the LAME workforce in Australia retire over the next 10-15 years. 10-15 years that young AMEs like myself could spend working, studying and gaining experience on the tools and, most likely, gain a license in that timeframe. If the industry at large recognized that today's AMEs are tomorrow's LAMEs, then chances are there'd be plenty of jobs out there for young up-and-coming AMEs to step into and continue their careers.
My take on it (and it's a somewhat cynical view, I admit) is that no one in the industry seems twilling to take the monetary hit that's required to provide an AME with the workplace and experience to gain a license. At a ballpark figure of $50-60,000 per year wages and say an average of 5 years to gain a license, that makes the average AME cost between $150-300,000 to become a LAME (to say nothing of paying a LAME perhaps one and a half to twice that to certify during that same period).
What doesn't seem to be recognized is that, once at that level, that LAME will put that much and more back into the industry, including the inestimable value of the human lives who travel on the aircraft he maintains. It seems obvious from the deafening silence from CASA on the issues of licensing that they have their rose-coloured glasses pretty firmly fastened, as well as a pair of ear-muffs that any ramp worker would be proud to own!
Seeing as any actual help to individuals and operators seems to not be forthcoming from the government or the regulators, I believe it is, once again, up to the industry to help itself. It is my belief that ultimately, if every operator across the broad spectrum that is Australian aviation takes a small hit for the future of aviation, it will spread the load and lessen that monetary hit accordingly.
And just think: the cost of the industry NOT doing something now could be catastrophic. In 10 years, it will already be too late.
I welcome your thoughts.
Cheers,
John