By Bethany Narvaez

NW Campus’ aviation department will host the Southwest Regional Professional Aviation Maintenance Association Olympics at 8 a.m. Feb. 25.

The competition is in its eighth year and focuses on skills aviation mechanic students learn while attending school.

TCC students will compete against schools such as AIM Irving, Tulsa Tech and MetroTech.

The PAMA Olympics allows students to demonstrate their mechanical aviation skills in a competitive environment. Events in the competition include laboratory projects such as torque procedures, hardware identification and sheet metal installation.

“Each team has five olympians, and all five olympians do all the skills tests,” said aviation technology adjunct instructor Curt Landrum. “They do them all, and at the end of the day, there’s an awards program.”

An overall first, second and third place are awarded both to individuals and to schools. Winners for the PAMA Olympics are picked based on accuracy and speed for each event.

The competition offers opportunities that participants can use after graduation.

“The olympics provide networking and job opportunities and resume material,” Landrum said. “They also get to come out and see how students from other schools are doing compared to themselves.”

Participants can meet potential employers through the Aviall Super Seminar held at the same time as the competition.

The event is sponsored by international companies such as American Airlines.

“We’ve actually had students come out of there with job offers before,” Landrum said.

For more information on the PAMA Olympics, contact Landrum at curtis.landrum@tccd.edu.