The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association has found a symposium formula that works. After breaking away from AS3 only to cancel its August 2008 symposium
in Wichita for lack of interest, PAMA hit a home run last month with its 2009 Aviation Maintenance and Management Symposium in Dallas-Fort Worth.

“Welcome to the first wholly owned PAMA symposium in more than ten years,” said Clark Gordon, PAMA chairman, at the two-day event, which drew 40 exhibitors and presenters and 160 paid attendees.

He later told AIN, “Our professional development courses on Friday were a big success, with lots of positive remarks from the presenters and attendees. More than
110 signed up for IA renewal, and I was amazed at how many took more than ten courses.” He said the association is committed to “fulfilling an expressed industry need for nuts-and-bolts training for maintenance managers and those aviation maintenance professionals aspiring to be managers.”

PAMA president John Casker said he sees the management program as the future
of the organization and commented on what made the symposium successful. “When a national event is held in a given area it is important to recognize that the support of the local chapter and industry itself is critical to its success,” he said.

Gulfstream and Snap-On were PAMA main partners, and the aviation maintenance industry in the DFW area provided support by exhibiting, providing sponsorships and sending employees to the event.

The symposium also marked the relaunch of the PAMA Olympics. Members
of PAMA Dallas chapter and faculty from Tarrant County College developed the
six stations and judged the event. Twenty-five maintenance technicians participated. Southwest Airlines and Snap-On provided the awards for the first-, second- and
third-place winners.