Farmingdale Aviation students, parents/guardians and supporters :  Please sign this petition to restore in-house aircraft maintenance at Farmingdale State College (FSC) in NY.  If you wish to remain anonymous (recommended for FSC signers) on the public view version of this petition, then use your private non-farmingdale email address and uncheck the block that says "Display my name on this petition" before you sign. Then your name will only be seen by a trusted NYS official  when the petition is presented  after signatures are gathered.

To: Dr. Robert S. Prezant, President, Farmingdale State College 

Dear Dr. Prezant:

We, the undersigned Farmingdale State College Professional Pilot and Aviation Administration students, parents, guardians, tuition-paying stakeholders, and supporters respectfully and urgently request that Farmingdale State College restore in-house aircraft maintenance as the primary maintenance model for College-owned aircraft, utilizing Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) employed directly by the College.

For over 25 years, FSC Aviation has operated with an integrated aviation maintenance program staffed by College-employed AMTs. We believe this model has been an important part of the program's safety culture, educational mission, operational effectiveness, and reputation.

We are concerned that outsourcing of aircraft maintenance has compromised these important advantages.

Safety and maintenance quality

Aircraft operated for student flight training require the highest possible standards of maintenance, inspection, communication, and accountability.

Outsourcing unnecessarily increases risk of incident or accident since the outside work does not always meet the high standards of the FSC aviation maintenance department.

Aircraft returned to the FSC hangar following outsourced maintenance have been found to have maintenance discrepancies, including serious ones. Dangerous examples include missing aircraft access panels leaving critical flight control cables exposed during flight which probably fell off during the flight  from the outsourced maintenance location at an airport away from Republic Airport. There were also extensive missing, loose or incorrect attaching screws for access panels which, again, could fall off in flight and become a public safety hazard. Other dangers include a bent and damaged flap (an essential  flight control surface),  and critical  fuel and air filters installed incorrectly. Less serious but important discrepancies have also reportedly been identified that did not meet the maintenance standards historically expected by the FSC maintenance department.

We believe College-employed AMTs who work directly within the FSC aviation operation provide an additional level of continuity, oversight, communication, accountability and most importantly, safety for students and instructors.

FAA oversight and FSC's aviation reputation

FSC Aviation has historically maintained a strong reputation with the FAA for safety and operational excellence. The College's in-house maintenance operation has long been an important component of that reputation.

The FAA has increased surveillance of the FSC aviation program as a direct result of the decision to outsource. This is indicative of the increased risk and a decreased reputation.

We are concerned about the implications of changes to the maintenance model and increased FAA scrutiny of the aviation program. We believe FSC should preserve the maintenance practices and safety culture that have contributed to its longstanding reputation for excellence.

Impact on student training

Outsourced maintenance most often requires aircraft to leave the FSC Republic Airport campus and be serviced at outside facilities and airports. We understand that multiple airports (Brookhaven, Westchester etc.) away from the program home base at Republic  have been utilized for outsourced maintenance.

This can result in extended periods during which aircraft are unavailable for student training, especially since  the aircraft must be flown to and from these other airports.

For example, FSC's only College-owned multi-engine aircraft, N142LH, a particularly important and highly utilized training aircraft, was reportedly sent to an airport in Westchester County, New York, and was unavailable to students for over a month.

Aircraft availability is directly connected to student training opportunities, scheduling, academic progress, and the overall effectiveness of the Professional Pilot program.

FSC AMTs and the safety-management system

FSC's College-employed AMTs are integral participants in the aviation program's safety culture. They participate in the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI)-accredited Safety Management System (SMS), submit safety reports, identify hazards, and participate in FSC aviation safety meetings.

Their direct involvement creates an important connection among aircraft maintenance, flight operations, student training, and safety management. That connection is lost with outsourced maintenance.

We believe this integrated relationship should be preserved.

The educational value of FSC's AMTs

FSC AMTs are not simply maintenance providers. They are also educators and mentors.

Students have the opportunity to interact directly with College-employed AMTs, ask questions, observe maintenance activities, and learn about aircraft systems and maintenance practices. The knowledge and experience shared by these professionals contribute meaningfully to the education and development of FSC's future professional pilots.

That educational relationship is impossible to duplicate through an outside contractor.

Knowledge of FSC's aircraft

College-employed AMTs develop extensive familiarity with the specific aircraft they maintain. Their continuing involvement allows them to become familiar with an aircraft's maintenance history, recurring discrepancies, and individual characteristics.

This institutional knowledge can be particularly valuable in recognizing developing problems and maintaining safe aircraft consistently over time.

An important reason students choose FSC

In-house aircraft maintenance has historically been an important selling point for the FSC Aviation program.

Students and parents have identified the College's ability to maintain its aircraft with its own professional maintenance staff as an important factor in choosing FSC.

The presence of a College-employed maintenance department provides prospective students and their families with confidence that the people responsible for maintaining the aircraft are directly connected to the College and its aviation program.

Our request

We respectfully request that Farmingdale State College:

• Restore in-house aircraft maintenance  for FSC aircraft.
• Utilize College-employed FAA-certificated Aircraft Maintenance Technicians.
• Discontinue routine outsourcing of maintenance when the work can safely and properly be performed by FSC's own qualified maintenance personnel and facilities.
• Preserve the direct participation of FSC AMTs in the aviation Safety Management System and safety meetings and recognize them as true stakeholders in the program.
• Preserve the institutional knowledge, continuity, accountability, and educational relationships provided by College-employed AMTs.
• Maintain the high safety and operational standards that have historically distinguished FSC Aviation.

We recognize that specialized repairs, equipment requirements, facility limitations, or other circumstances may occasionally require the use of an outside maintenance provider. Our request is not that FSC never use outside maintenance providers. Rather, we ask that in-house maintenance once again be the standard practice for FSC-owned aircraft whenever qualified FSC personnel and facilities are capable of safely and properly performing the work.

For over 25 years, Farmingdale State College demonstrated the value of an integrated aviation program in which aircraft maintenance professionals were directly employed by, and fully integrated into, the College's aviation operation.

We respectfully ask that this proven model be restored.

We believe that doing so will strengthen student safety, training continuity, aircraft availability, aviation education, and the longstanding reputation of Farmingdale State College Aviation.

Respectfully submitted by the undersigned students, parents, guardians, tuition-paying stakeholders and supporters of Farmingdale State College Aviation.