A bright idea for training airport airfield lighting personnel

The Airport Certified Employee (ACE) – Airfield Lighting Maintenance programme was the second of four certification programmes introduced by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) in 2004. This was the first comprehensive, professional certification programme concentrating on airfield lighting maintenance for airport personnel. The curriculum is based on standards and regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the US military.

AAAE offers this course in three formats based on the needs of the airport client or individual member. For the individual, AAAE offers the option of self-study. This format is for the certification candidate who wishes to study at his or her own pace before taking the exam. The course material is sent from AAAE headquarters, after which the candidate has up to three years to study the content and complete the proctored certification exam.

The following was written by an airfield electrician who completed the ACE – Airfield Lighting Maintenance self-study programme.

“I found the (ACE – Airfield Lighting Maintenance) self-study programme to be the most informative training I have received in my 18 years of airfield maintenance. Finding information for electrical airfield maintenance is very hard to come by, but your programme was exactly what I have been hunting for. It was not long after taking the test that I was able to put some of the new skills I learned to good use. An open circuit on a looped sign circuit can be difficult to find, due to not having a return wire to check for continuity and the distance between signs. With the training I received from the ACE programme, I was able to narrow the problem area quickly and, within an hour, make the required repairs. I also feel the training helped me understand the importance of the FAR-139 inspection (process) and the requirements necessary for a safe facility.

In closing, I would like to thank the ACE crew for putting together the best training modules I have seen to date. I hope this is not the end and that more modules are in the near future.”
Robert Parrish, ACE, Airfield Electrical Supervisor, Tampa International Airport

The ACE course is also provided in an “On-Site” format. This allows an individual airport to offer the four and a half day course to its personnel in a classroom setting. Current ACE – Airfield Lighting Maintenance On-Site clients include Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. These courses were offered to as many as forty employees at a time and training was provided by two instructors with years of experience in airfield lighting and maintenance. Their combined experience gives the employees the experience of learning the material from both the airport and manufacturer perspectives.

The third and final format of course delivery is a review course. This format is usually a national meeting in a central location, or at AAAE Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Individuals from airports and companies participate in the four and a half day review of the course material with the option of sitting for the certification exam on the final day.

The ACE-Airfield Lighting certification programme is designed to provide a detailed electrical theory and proven maintenance techniques while educating and challenging airport personnel with airfield lighting maintenance responsibilities. This programme is open to individuals who are new to the airfield lighting profession, or those who have been working as experienced electricians with 10 to 20 years of experience. Certification candidates who have participated in this programme have worked for small, medium, and large hub and general aviation airports. Other participants have been associated with the military and companies that contract with airports to provide them with the airfield lighting and maintenance services needed to maintain airfield safety.

AAAE’s Business Development and Training Department joined with subject matter experts for the four ACE certification programmes. In the case of the Airfield Lighting Maintenance discipline, AAAE worked with Navaid Lighting Associates, Inc. (NAVAID), creating a programme that provides formal standardised training for airport lighting maintenance electricians on their trade. The partnership allows AAAE to provide certification candidates with first hand instruction and seminars experts in this field. AAAE contracts with two instructors, Seward Ford and David Rainey, who have both played a large part in the success of this programme.

Seward Ford has been associated with the airport lighting for 40 years. He has provided support and consulting services for the visual aids industry. Mr Ford also worked for Crouse-Hinds Airport Lighting products, where he held the positions of Manager of Engineering and Marketing Manager. Currently, Mr Ford can be found providing his services to Veracity Engineering, which is supporting projects for the FAA Surface Technology Assessment team, AND-520. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and is a Technical Advisor for the United States National Committee of IEC.

“The ACE training programme for airfield electricians is a basic course that covers the fundamentals of airfield lighting maintenance and is suitable for either the newcomer or the experienced airfield lighting electrician. Having both the inexperienced and experienced in the same class gives the perfect opportunity for each to learn from the other. New techniques and FAA/ICAO standards are being introduced on a regular basis and the training programme provides the opportunity to hear the latest. We have found that those new to airfield lighting can be adequately trained during this five day course and pass the certification exam. My associate instructor, Mr David Rainey, has a vast amount of practical experience and I have a manufacturing and design background. We combine these together for this course, which we feel helps provide a well rounded training course.”

Seward Ford, ACE Airfield Lighting Instructor, Navaid Lighting Associates, Inc., August 2007
David Rainey is the Vice President of Airfield Systems Development for Navaid Lighting Associates, Inc.,where he provides services in the areas of training and consulting to airports and the military. He is a licensed master electrician and has over 28 years experience in airfield lighting design, maintenance and installation. He has also served as Senior Airfield Electrician with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr Rainey was appointed to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 97 to serve as an airfield lighting expert to represent the United States, and is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society Aviation Lighting Committee.

“This training programme was developed at the request of the airport lighting maintenance electricians who have long been requesting a formal standardised training that will instruct them in the essentials of their trade. Airfield lighting systems are, by their nature, different from other types of electrical distribution and lighting systems. They involve the use of series circuits operating at up to 5000 volts and, therefore, require specialised knowledge and maintenance techniques to both keep the systems operating efficiently and effectively and ensure the safety of the personnel responsible for their upkeep. Proper operation of these lighting systems is imperative, especially for pilots landing in low visibility conditions. Therefore, comprehensive training in all aspects of Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL), including theory of operation, troubleshooting techniques, calibration, national and international standards, as well as safety and maintenance management, are essential to maintain a properly operating AGL system. During my 25 year tenure as the senior airfield electrician for Memphis International Airport, most of my training was through trial and error. My associate, Mr Seward Ford, and I had long recognised the need for a formal training programme for airfield electricians and were involved in the development of this course when we were approached by the AAAE to incorporate it into their Airport Certified Employee (ACE) programme. We saw the ACE programme as a way to add extra value to the course in that it provides an internationally recognised certification for the airfield electrician/engineer.”

David Rainey, ACE Airfield Lighting Instructor, Navaid Lighting Associates, Inc. August 2007
The topics covered in the ACE Airfield Lighting Maintenance programme material include, but are not limited to, Guidance Material that Defines Practices, Airport Lighting Series Circuit, Constant Current Regulators, Lighting Sources, Airport Runway and Taxiway Fixtures, Airfield Guidance Signs, Control Systems, Safety, Test Equipment and Measurements, Standby Power Systems and Maintenance Management.

The benefits of this certification programme, in addition to earning it from the world’s leading airport association, are that individuals can learn from aviation professionals with extensive experience in and knowledge of airfield lighting maintenance, while obtaining a thorough airfield lighting maintenance education. Certification candidates can use the knowledge gained to improve the safety and efficiency of airfields anywhere. The completion of this certification will provide individuals with the prestigious designation of ACE-Airfield Lighting Maintenance and allow an individual to become part of an elite group of aviation professionals, which increases opportunities for career advancement in the aviation field.

For more information about the Airport Certified Employee – Airfield Lighting Maintenance programme, please contact Dorn R. Sanders, AAAE, via e-mail at [email protected] or via telephone at +1 (703) 824-0500, ext. 151.

About the author

Dorn R. Sanders joined the American Association of Airport Executives’ Business Development & Training Department in 2003 after working for 2 years as a Customer Service Specialist in AAAE’s newly created Transportation Security Clearinghouse. She oversaw the administration of the four ACE programmes and was promoted to Manager of the ACE – Communications programme in 2005. Dorn has also worked as the Manager of Professional Credentialing Programmes for the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics, Inc. She returned to AAAE’s training department in June 2007 and now manages both the ACE – Airfield Lighting Maintenance and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Certification programmes.