Delta Tech Ops AMT Requirements

A spokesperson for Delta Tech Ops, the MRO division of Delta Air Lines, headquartered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, provided these responses to CAT.

CAT: What general qualifications must an aircraft maintenance technician (AMT)?
DTO: An individual must be an A&P mechanic to be hired by Delta.

CAT: How has AMT training changed in the past decade?
DTO: Line damage assessment training is added to our aircraft initial training repertoire for front-line personnel for highly composite aircraft such as the A350. The course concentrates on damage detection, hands-on instruction in the use of damage assessment tooling and familiarity with the applicable structural repair manuals and repair procedures.

To ensure our high standards of maintenance reliability of advanced avionics systems in use today, all AMTs attend a five-day Electrical Systems & Aircraft Troubleshooting course where proficiency is gained in the use of test equipment such as multimeters, TDRs and other digital testing devices. Proficiency in the understanding and use of wiring diagrams and schematics is emphasized and labs provide practice troubleshooting actual wiring faults. In addition to this training, AMTs are selected by their managers to attend an in-depth, six-week of instructor-led avionics training that covers all facets of communication and navigation systems, digital electronic theory, and hands-on practice repairing aircraft wiring and connectors.

CAT: Do newly minted AMTs start off at Delta’s regional airlines, then move up to mainline? Or are they hired by mainline and provided additional training?
DTO: We have used a blend over the years of starting new AMTs with our regional partners, onboarding directly to Delta and tapping the valuable resources and talent available in our military.

CAT: How will pending FAA regulations impact training of AMTs?
DTO: We are excited by the changes recently passed in Congress regarding FAA Part 147 Schools. The new law will allow schools more flexibility and opportunity to mold their curriculums to better align with current technology and industry practices. Delta partners with trade organizations that lobbied to that end, for the modernization of the A&P school curriculum. We work with established A&P schools, and start-ups, to enhance their training curriculum and navigate their way through the start-up process. The new regulations will provide industry with candidates familiar with current technology and better prepared for the rigors and responsibilities inherent to the aviation maintenance profession.

CAT: Are there any new AMT training devices that Delta uses?
DTO: For our fleet of A350, A330 and A320 aircraft we utilize the ACT Training Suite provided by Airbus with its virtual aircraft and real-world troubleshooting simulations.

For other fleet types we have designed and implemented virtual reality training devices for cockpit/aircraft familiarization and taxi training. We have training modules available for AMTs on any mobile devices as well as a vast library of “how-to” reference videos to reinforce training concepts on aircraft after the course has finished.

CAT: Any new AMT-related news Delta Tech Ops could share with CAT readers?
DTO: Some good news. We are actively pursuing the next generation of AMTs to fill the void left by early retirements and voluntary departures that resulted from the Covid-19 crisis. The demand for qualified technicians remains high and we are growing TechOps currently.

CAT: Does Delta have any partnerships with colleges or independent training houses on educating and training AMTs?
DTO: Delta TechOps partners with 50 A&P schools, colleges and universities across the United States. We donate testing equipment, aircraft components, lab equipment, training material, instructor expertise and, most important, an introduction to the Delta culture. These efforts are twofold. One, to enhance the caliber of graduates entering the AMT workforce and two, allow Delta access to the best and brightest graduates from our partner schools.

CAT: Does Delta Tech Ops train AMTs working for other airlines?
DTO: Delta TechOps Training is an EASA-certified training organization and as such, we teach courses to a wide range of students of diverse backgrounds and airlines. We are also contracted by the US Air Force and the US Navy to provide training on the Air Force 757 and Navy C-40A programs.