Second guest speaker was Dr. Peter Barrington of Kingston University.
He introduced a program for a possible University degree path for Aircraft Engineers to get a higher education. Dr. Barrington presented the history of the University and took the audience through the possibilities his organisation provides, like; a possibility is to get a Foundation Degree or an Honours Degree (top op).
A new route into Higher Education is offered. Depending of Essentially Previous Learning or education.
They also offer 147 Part 66 A, B1 and B2, C license education.

Third guest speaker was Mr. Evangelos Demosthenous, presenting Aviation Safety Management System which: Enhances airlines’ ability to operate safely, breaks down barriers between employer and employee, and it leads to shared values on acceptable levels of risk

The most important issues during congress relates to the different reports within the AEI Technical Committee.

The affiliates learned from the AEI representative in EASA Advisory Board, after attending 4 meetings this year that it became more and more reality that EASA can turn into a toothless tiger. It may roar at you but it seems there is no fear for being bitten since most of the audits by EASA have resulted in findings reported to the EU transport committee, but there has not been taken up any reaction on those findings by the EU for serious follow up. AEI and sometimes ITF or ETF are most critical about EASA’s behaviour and operation. There has been a lot of writing between AEI, EAB and EASA and the EU, but this is a clearly administrative burden with low visible result.

The Technical Committee report covered information from AEI representatives in various EASA working groups within; Safety Standard Consultative Committee, Type training WG, License renewal WG, Multiple/Single CRS WG and the coming up B1/B2 dividing line WG.
AEI’s Human Factors Co-ordinator, presented the latest news from Human Factors Steering Group (HFstG). The issue of JAA disappears, and in the coming half year it will be faced out. The HFstG tried to get under the umbrella of EASA, since we considered stopping this activity would be a loss for aviation and safety.
So far it is not really been taken care off, but we will continue to work very hard on having this changeover done.

The main goal for all the AEI representatives are to improve, promote and when necessary to “defend” the interests of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAME) and at the same time to maintain and increase, whenever possible, the highest level of aviation safety.

And at this moment AEI has reached a status where it is accepted by industry as well as major authorities as a valuable partner in the process of development of aviation
regulations.