Maintenance Training Conference
WATS is entirely dedicated to airline simulation and training, allowing you to discover the latest innovative training solutions for airline maintenance technicians. Supported by the training industry and subject matter experts, the WATS 2025 Maintenance Training Conference will provide practical solutions for those day to day challenges and offer key insights into the future of the industry.
Maintenance Conference Moderator:
Buck Gaines, Manager, Tech Ops Training, Alaska Airlines / Chair, A4A Maintenance Training Network
Day 1 – Tuesday 8th April 2025
0900-1030 Session 1 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentations (all streams)
1) Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
2) TBD
3) Jean-Michel Bigarré, President & Founder, AMFTA
AMFTA Panel Discussion
1030-1115 Coffee Break
1115-1245 Session 2 – EXPO TIME
1245-1415 Lunch
1415-1545 Session 3 – Industry Panel
Failure to Follow Instructions
1545-1630 Coffee Break
1630-1800 Session 4 – Round Table Discussion
Failure to Follow Instructions
1800-1900 Networking Reception in Exhibition Hall
Day 2 – Wednesday 9th April 2025
0900-1030 Session 5
1) Buck Gaines, Chair, A4A Maintenance Training Network
A4A Maintenance Training Network Updates
2) Jay Hiles, Group Manager, Aircraft Maintenance Division, Federal Aviation Administration
Regulatory Update
3) Gemma Aiuto, CEO / COO, Crosby Aviation Training / T-C-Alliance & Ronald Macintyre, Chief Learning Officer, T-C- Alliance
Rethinking Initial Training to Attract & Retain the Next Generation
1030-1115 Coffee Break
1115-1245 Session 6 – CBTA in Maintenance
1) Jason Stanelle, Associate Technical Fellow, Chief of Design, Commercial Maintenance Training, Boeing
Assessing Maintainer Performance in Competency-Based Training Programs
2) Tim Welch, Program Manager of Competency Solutions, Eduworks Corporation
Training Needs Analysis Needs a Modern Data Approach
3) Paco Laja, Airbus
1245-1415 Lunch
1415-1545 Session 7 – Emerging Technology
1) Peter Betz, Business Development Manager, ProDIGIQ, Inc.
Designing an Intelligent Tech Stack to Leverage AI and ML
2) Lee Lacy, Program Manager, Soar Technology (SoarTech) & Kevin Jones, Program Manager, US Navy’s Natal Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD)
Developing Training Using Generative AI
3) Dre Fournier, Vice President of Growth, HTX Labs
Leveraging Human Performance Data & AI to Enable Competency Based Training
1545-1630 Coffee Break
1630-1800 Session 8 – Training Insights
1) Alex Davis, Tech Ops Instructor, Spirit Airlines
The Competency Conundrum: Teaching the Mechanic That’s in Front of You
2) Ryan Thomas, Ground Instructor, Leonardo Helicopter
The Evolution of Live Training
3) Richard Scarbrough, Fellow, T-C-Alliance
Maintenance Technician Training: Using Storytelling to Spark Engagement
Day 3 – Thursday 10th April 2025
0900-1030 Session 9 – Panel Discussion
New Hire Conundrum
1030-1115 Coffee Break
1115-1245 Session 10 – Emerging Technology (all streams)
1) Nigel Sargent, Director Flight Simulator Operations, Alaska Airlines
Additional Capabilities of FTDs
2) Fabi Riesen, CEO & Founder, Loft Dynamics
Faster, Safer Pilots
3) Samuel Chandra, Managing Director, Deepsky
Using Agentic AI to Personalise Theory Delivery
1245 Closing Remarks
