johnpaul44
Active Member
Review time
TL/DR: 10/10 just go!
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Lycoming factory authorized training class in Williamsport, PA and wanted to type up a quick review.
This class is a week long (monday to friday) 8am to 4pm or 5pm each day. The class is held at the local technical college in Williamsport, PA a few miles from Lycoming headquarters.The course gives an in-depth review of Lycoming power plants, history, theory of operations, etc. Each component is reviewed. Going into the workshop we tore down (in groups of 3 or 4) a Lycoming O-360 and then built it back up again over the course of the week. By the end of the week my confidence was hugely boosted and taking on an engine overhaul (with A+P supervision) does not seem like such a daunting task anymore.
The class was a mix of homebuilders, A+Ps, Commercial engine shop guys, and FAA/NTSB guys. Coming in as someone with none of these titles I was extremely happy to be able to absorb all the knowledge and tips/tricks from these other professionals. The learning doesn't stop when class ends either, this is a total immersion experience. We would wake up and talk about engines/airplanes, go to class and talk about it for 8 hours, hang around after class and talk more about it, then go out to dinner with the group and talk about it more. For me this was like being at Oshkosh and honestly felt like a vacation. I was happy to absorb all the knowledge that these professionals have to offer.
Thoughts about Williamsport:
The town itself is a small town feel, the pace of life seemed slow and relaxed and the food offerings were decent. I would love to fly in here someday in my own aircraft and spend a few days.
Thoughts about the college itself:
They are training A+P’s here so the college itself is busy with activity. I had the opportunity to wander around the building for several days and really liked the atmosphere.
Lycoming Headquarters:
We did receive a tour of the factory while we were there, it was very interesting but my only gripe I was we were not able to get up close to anything (whether this is for safety reasons, or other I don't know). Overall I did enjoy the tour but wished we were able to see the machines closer or maybe speak with some of the workers just to hear their stories and experience.
The Instructor: Mike Damiani
You are getting years of knowledge from someone who has built many Lycoming engines, was a Lycoming factory tech rep for several years, and is a genuine nice guy all around. Mike took the time to answer so many questions I had. I cannot emphasize this enough. There are so many opportunities to learn here. One day after class Mike showed us how to time a single hole dual mag in the workshop. This was not part of the course officially but he was more than happy to show us.
To sum it all up, if you're looking for a sunup to sundown Lycoming engine/aircraft education for a week you will absolutely love this course and consider it a vacation in a way. I enjoyed the course so much I want to go back in a few years just to take it again.
TL/DR: 10/10 just go!
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Lycoming factory authorized training class in Williamsport, PA and wanted to type up a quick review.
This class is a week long (monday to friday) 8am to 4pm or 5pm each day. The class is held at the local technical college in Williamsport, PA a few miles from Lycoming headquarters.The course gives an in-depth review of Lycoming power plants, history, theory of operations, etc. Each component is reviewed. Going into the workshop we tore down (in groups of 3 or 4) a Lycoming O-360 and then built it back up again over the course of the week. By the end of the week my confidence was hugely boosted and taking on an engine overhaul (with A+P supervision) does not seem like such a daunting task anymore.
The class was a mix of homebuilders, A+Ps, Commercial engine shop guys, and FAA/NTSB guys. Coming in as someone with none of these titles I was extremely happy to be able to absorb all the knowledge and tips/tricks from these other professionals. The learning doesn't stop when class ends either, this is a total immersion experience. We would wake up and talk about engines/airplanes, go to class and talk about it for 8 hours, hang around after class and talk more about it, then go out to dinner with the group and talk about it more. For me this was like being at Oshkosh and honestly felt like a vacation. I was happy to absorb all the knowledge that these professionals have to offer.
Thoughts about Williamsport:
The town itself is a small town feel, the pace of life seemed slow and relaxed and the food offerings were decent. I would love to fly in here someday in my own aircraft and spend a few days.
Thoughts about the college itself:
They are training A+P’s here so the college itself is busy with activity. I had the opportunity to wander around the building for several days and really liked the atmosphere.
Lycoming Headquarters:
We did receive a tour of the factory while we were there, it was very interesting but my only gripe I was we were not able to get up close to anything (whether this is for safety reasons, or other I don't know). Overall I did enjoy the tour but wished we were able to see the machines closer or maybe speak with some of the workers just to hear their stories and experience.
The Instructor: Mike Damiani
You are getting years of knowledge from someone who has built many Lycoming engines, was a Lycoming factory tech rep for several years, and is a genuine nice guy all around. Mike took the time to answer so many questions I had. I cannot emphasize this enough. There are so many opportunities to learn here. One day after class Mike showed us how to time a single hole dual mag in the workshop. This was not part of the course officially but he was more than happy to show us.
To sum it all up, if you're looking for a sunup to sundown Lycoming engine/aircraft education for a week you will absolutely love this course and consider it a vacation in a way. I enjoyed the course so much I want to go back in a few years just to take it again.
