Choose Aerospace is excited to announce a new milestone for participating programs and their students—the official launch of the General Aviation Maintenance Credential, developed in partnership with the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). The industry-recognized credential is available exclusively to graduates of the Choose Aerospace program.

The credential provides formal recognition of a student’s knowledge in the general subject areas set forth in the FAA Mechanic Airman Certification Standards. Students earn the credential by completing the Choose Aerospace curriculum and passing a proctored written exam with a score of 75% or higher.

This credential gives students:

• A competitive edge when applying for entry-level aviation jobs, especially non-certificated technician positions.
• A head start toward FAA mechanic certification by demonstrating mastery of general subject areas.
• Opportunities to earn credit for prior learning at FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician schools.

For your program, the credential offers a powerful new tool to demonstrate student learning outcomes and strengthen your alignment with industry and FAA expectations.

Credential exams are offered at pre-scheduled times throughout the year. Click below to view the schedule and register students. If scheduled exam times do not align with your school calendar, custom proctoring can be arranged—just contact us directly to set it up.

The credential exam fee is $75. An ASA Prepware account is also required for exam access and may be purchased at the discounted rate of $35 per account. Prepware accounts are valid for up to two years, allowing plenty of time for students to prepare alongside their coursework.
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For more information and to schedule your student exams, visit: https://www.atec-amt.org/atec-credential.

A big thank you to all the Choose Aerospace programs that have already submitted their applications for the 2025-26 school year! Your early action helps us better prepare for next year and estimate how many students we will have the privilege of serving. 

For those who haven't yet, we encourage you to complete your application as soon as possible. We know it’s a busy time of year, but early submissions are critical to helping us plan resources, secure funding, and make sure every student has the best possible start next fall. 

We are counting on your partnership and leadership to keep growing the impact of Choose Aerospace. Let’s keep the momentum going--submit your application today! Please reach out to Kelly Filgo with questions: [email protected] 
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Applications can be submitted here: https://www.chooseaerospace.org/curriculum-application.html ​

Current and former CA students recently had the experience of a lifetime competing at recent Aviation Maintenance Council competitions. Four CA students from the Amplifi after-school program in Marion, Illinois competed at Verticon conference in Dallas and two former CA students, now attending Western Michigan University, competed at MRO Americas in Atlanta. 

The Amplifi program draws students from around the Marion, Illinois area to meet at a Part 145 repair station to study together after school three days a week. The WMU TechOps students graduated last year from the West Michigan Aviation Academy CA program in Grand Rapids. At both events, the students joined professional aviation maintenance technicians, industry teams, and other students to compete in 27 technical challenges. Events ranged from antenna replacement to the removal of turbine blades from a jet engine — offering real-world experiences few students get to tackle before launching their careers. 

While neither team achieved top placement, they came away with something even more valuable: inspiration, knowledge, and a glimpse into their professional futures. Highlights of the trip for the Amplifi team included a tour of Southwest Airlines' world-class maintenance facility in Dallas, offering students a firsthand look at what their careers could look like in just a few short years. “We saw every single part of the maintenance operations at Southwest Airlines,” team coach Carol Valentino-Barry said. “We got to interview different mechanics and their specialties. They were kind of coaching the students through the different processes and procedures and learning as they’re working.” 

The students from WMU shared with us that their high school’s CA program prepared them well for their college experience and that they are sailing through their first year of college. They mentioned that at every new topic in their classes, they see familiar material and enjoy showing their professors how much they already know. Their former high school teacher, Clayton Melby, agrees, saying, “I believe that using Choose Aerospace was greatly beneficial for them prior to college... General is not easy... and it's way less exciting than Airframe or Powerplant but it is arguably more important. It doesn't surprise me that they have a 'leg-up' on their peers."

Special thanks go to Amplifi teacher Carol Valentino-Barry for her dedication to her students, to Southwest Airlines for sponsoring the team’s travel, to AMC for their hospitality, and to Verticon for hosting an unforgettable experience. Also, many thanks to Western Michigan University for recognizing the importance of sending students to compete and making it happen for them. 

Competition teams demonstrate the incredible power of hands-on learning and professional exposure for young aviation maintenance students. Choose Aerospace is proud to celebrate these efforts and looks forward to seeing where skill and inspiration will take these students next. 

If your Choose Aerospace program wants to know more about starting an Aviation Maintenance Council competition team or if your company wants to sponsor a team, reach out to Kelly Filgo today. [email protected]