Troubleshooting practice for Part 147 programs
Squawk Talk gives your students as many faults as they're willing to work, in a browser, between lab sessions. Every job ends with a debrief that shows how they worked it: predictions, readings, parts swapped and the write-up.
Where it fits in your program
Your curriculum follows the ACS
Since the 2022 rule, § 147.17 asks a school's curriculum to align with the mechanic ACS down to the knowledge and skill elements. Every job here is mapped to those elements, so you can see where it fits a course.
Simulation is an accepted aid
AC 147-3C lists interactive software among instructional aids and allows virtual simulation when the school confirms the learning objectives are met. That call stays with you.
It adds reps, not projects
Students still perform practical projects for the evaluator. Use it for the repetitions between lab sessions, and for oral prep. It doesn't count toward mechanic experience under 14 CFR 65.77.
The cost next to hardware
One college paid about $13,945 per hardware trainer in 2021. A license for up to 150 students is $5,000 a year.
ACS coverage
Mapped to FAA-S-ACS-1, Aviation Mechanic ACS (November 2021). This is our own alignment, not an FAA approval, and it doesn't satisfy any skill element by itself.
| What students practice | Mapped to | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Opens, shorts, high resistance, voltage drop | AM.I.A.S1–S4, S8, S10–S12 | Direct |
| Switches, relays, fuses and breakers | AM.I.A.K18, K19, S5, S6 | Direct |
| Reading a schematic and troubleshooting from it | AM.I.A.S7; AM.II.K.S4, S6; AM.III.F.S12 | Direct |
| Shorts to ground and to other conductors | AM.II.K.S18, S19, S20 | Direct |
| Twin charging systems: regulators, paralleling, overvolt | AM.II.K.K5, S11, S16; AM.III.F.K8, S5 | Direct |
| Coax and antenna inspection | AM.II.I.K3, S6, S13 | Direct (locate and inspect) |
| Splices, connectors and terminals | AM.II.K.K15 | Partial (diagnosis only) |
| Intermittent faults | AM.II.K.K13; AM.I.A.S8 | Partial |
| BITE pages | AM.II.H.K15 | Knowledge only |
| ARINC 429, scope, VSWR and TDR | Not in the ACS | Avionics depth beyond the A&P |
Founding-school pilot
Free for one class, up to 25 students, for one term. If you continue afterward, the first three schools get 50% off their first year.
No cost and no obligation. Either side can end the pilot with an email.
How a pilot runs
Kickoff
A walkthrough with the instructor. Where practical, we line the jobs up with the term's topics.
Students work jobs
In a browser. No accounts, no student names or emails. Results stay on the student's device unless they share a debrief.
Two check-ins
Short calls during the term to hear what's working and what isn't.
Summary
An end-of-pilot summary of how students worked the jobs. Then you decide.
There's no instructor dashboard yet. I'm building one, and pilot schools will shape what it shows. All I ask in return is honest feedback, and permission to say your school took part. I'll quote anyone only with written permission.
School pricing
An annual site license by program size. Includes unlimited instructor accounts, scenarios aligned to your curriculum, the ACS mapping and onboarding. The instructor view is included when it ships.
| Program size | Per year | Per student, about |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 students | $2,500 | $50 |
| Up to 150 students | $5,000 | $33 |
| Up to 400 students | $9,000 | $23 |
| Multi-campus or 400+ | Quote | – |
Tight budget? A per-student course fee the school passes through, like a textbook access code: $39–49 per student per year, with a $999 school minimum.
Writing a grant? I can give you a grant-ready quote and a one-page budget justification for an FAA workforce development application.
Ask about a pilot or a quote
Tell me about your program and the term you have in mind. I answer these myself.
Or email squawktalkadm@gmail.com