Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

AMT - Airframe VI (Face-to-Face)

AMTA 1600-01

Course: AMTA 1600-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: AVTN
CRN: 10205

Course Description

The Federal Aviation Administration-approved Aircraft Maintenance Technician program (14 CFR 147) requires the successful completion of a minimum of 1,900 hours of study (43 university credit hours at SUU) divided into three subject areas (General, Airframe, and Powerplant) and the successful completion of three FAA written, oral, and practical exams (General, Airframe, and Powerplant). This course is one of a group of six courses that are designed to meet the regulatory and content requirements of Federal Aviation Regulation 14 CFR 147 for the General portion of the A&P license. Content: aircraft environmental systems, oxygen, pressurization, air conditioning, heating, ice and rain protection, anti-ice and de-ice, wing ice control, propeller ice control, fire protection systems, fire detection systems, extinguishing agents, aircraft fire extinguishing systems. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): AMTG 1200 and AMTG 1300 and AMTG 1400 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C

Instructor Information

  • Instructor: Brian Barnes
  • Teacher’s Assistant: TBD
  • Office: 2460 W 400 North Suite 100 Room 119
  • Office Hours: 8:30AM – 4:30PM (I'm often at other locations teaching so if I'm not in the office just message me)
  • Office Phone: 435-865-8316
  • E-mail: brianbarnes@suu.edu

Required Texts


Required Text(s):

FAA References (can be downloaded free of charge from the link listed or purchased in print form from the SUU bookstore, Amazon.com, or other commercial sources)

Recommended Text(s):

  • Handbook:  Crane, D., & Anderson, K. (2022). Aviation mechanic handbook. Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-64425-227-7
  • Workbook: ATECH Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics, Airframe Workbook, ISBN 9780983865481;https://www.actechbooks.com/0011-ATB-B.html
    Links to an external site.
  • Study Guide: Aviation Supplies & Academics. (2023). Airframe Mechanic 2024 Test Guide, Study and prepare for your aviation mechanic FAA knowledge exam.  ISBN:  978-1-64425-317-5

Learning Outcomes

Students will gain an understanding of:

  • Cabin Environmental systems
    • Cabin pressurization systems
    • Air-cycle air conditioning
    • Cabin heaters
    • Vapor-cycle air conditioning system (Freon)
    • Oxygen systems.
  • Ice protection and rain protection
  • Fire Protection systems
    • Fire protection basics
    • Fire detection systems
    • Fire extinguishing systems
    • Fire prevention and protection
  • Aircraft Water and Waste Systems

Course Requirements


Final grades assigned for this course will be based on the percentage of total points earned and are assigned as follows:

Assignment Group | Percentage of Final Grade
  • Quizzes | 30%
  • Labs | 30%
  • Midterm & Final | 30%
  • Attendance | 10%

**NOTE: You will be required to take the FAA Airframe Written Test as your Final Exam, information concerning scheduling will be given in class.

Letter Grade | Percentage | Performance
  • A | 90-100% | Excellent Work
  • B | 80-89% | Good Work
  • C | 70-79% | Average Work
  • D | 60-69% | Poor Work
  • F | 0-59% | Failing Work

Course Outline

Week 1: Environmental Systems (Oxygen Systems)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: types of oxygen systems and/or oxygen system component(s) operation (e.g. chemical generator, pressure cylinder), oxygen system maintenance procedures.
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: hazards associated with oxygen system maintenance, failure to observe safety precautions when handling, or performing maintenance on, chemical oxygen generating systems, failure to observe safety precautions associated with the storage, handling, and use of compressed gas cylinder and high-pressure systems.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 2: Environmental Systems (Oxygen Systems) Continued 
  • Demonstrates ability to: Inspect an oxygen system, purge an oxygen system prior to servicing, service an oxygen system, clean and inspect a pilot emergency oxygen mask and supply hoses, inspect an oxygen system pressure regulator, inspect an oxygen system cylinder serviceability, inspect a chemical oxygen generator for serviceability and safe handling.        
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 3: Environmental Control Systems (Cabin Pressurization)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: pressurization systems, cabin pressurization and/or system component(s) operation and/or inspection procedures.
  • Demonstrates ability to: locate troubleshooting procedures for a pressurization system.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 4: Environmental Control Systems (Pressurization Controls) 
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Cabin pressurization and/or system component(s) operation and/or inspection procedure
  • Demonstrates ability to: Clean and inspect an outflow valve for a pressurization system.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 5: Environmental Control Systems (Air Cycle Cooling Sys) 
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Air-cycle system and/or system component(s) operation and/or inspection procedures, aircraft instrument cooling.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Locate the troubleshooting procedures for an air-cycle system and troubleshoot an air-cycle air conditioning system.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 6: Environmental Control Systems (Vapor Cycle Cooling Sys)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Vapor-cycle system and/or system component(s) operation, servicing and/or inspection procedures.
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Failure to observe environmental precautions for recovery of vapor-cycle refrigerant, failure to observe manufacturer’s recommended servicing procedures, including refrigerant types.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Locate the procedures for servicing a refrigerant (vapor-cycle) system, locate the servicing procedures and correctly attach service equipment for a vapor-cycle air conditioning system.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 7: Environmental Control Systems (Aircraft Heating Sys)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Bleed air heating, exhaust heat exchanger and/or system components function, operation, and/or inspection procedures, combustion heater and/or system component(s) function, operation, and/or inspection procedures.
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Hazards associated with maintenance of combustion heaters.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Troubleshoot an ignition system for a combustion heater, inspect a combustion heater fuel system for leaks, inspect a cabin heater system equipped with an exhaust heat exchanger for cracks.      
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 8: Mid-term Exam  
  • Review of Weeks 1-7             
  • Midterm exam

Week 9: Ice and Rain Control (Anti-ice)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Aircraft icing causes/effects, ice detection systems, aircraft and powerplant anti-ice systems and components, anti-icing system maintenance, and environmental conditions.
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Hazards associated with system testing or maintenance.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Inspect and operationally check pitot-static anti-ice system, troubleshoot an electrically-heated pitot system, inspect thermal anti-ice systems.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 10: Ice and Rain Control (De-ice)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: De-ice systems and components, de-icing system maintenance, and environmental conditions.
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Hazards associated with system testing or maintenance, improper storage and handling of deicing fluids.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Inspect and/or operationally check deicer boot, clean a pneumatic deicer boot.         
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 11: Ice and Rain Control (Windshield Ice, Rain & Frost Mitigation)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Wiper blade, chemical, and pneumatic bleed air rain control systems.
    Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Improper selection and/or misuse of appropriate cleaning materials for heated windshields.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Inspect and operationally check an electrically-heated windshield, inspect an electrically-operated windshield wiper system, replace blades on a windshield wiper system, and inspect a pneumatic rain removal system.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 12: Aircraft Fire Protection (Fire, Smoke & Overheat Detection)
  • Demonstrates understanding of: Types of fires and aircraft fire zones, overheat and fire detection and warning systems, overheat and fire detection system maintenance and inspection, smoke and carbon monoxide detection systems, fire extinguishing agents, types of fire extinguishing systems, fire extinguishing system maintenance and inspection requirements.
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Failure to use precautions when performing maintenance on circuits associated with fire bottle squibs, inappropriate use of PPE when working on or testing fire extinguishing systems, and hazards associated with fire extinguishing agents.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Troubleshoot an aircraft fire detection or extinguishing system, identify maintenance procedures for fire detection and/or system component(s), inspect a smoke and/or toxic gas detection system, inspect a carbon monoxide detector, locate the procedures for checking a smoke detection system, locate the procedures for inspecting an overheat detection system, determine proper container pressure for an installed fire extinguisher system, identify maintenance procedures for extinguishing system(s) and/or system component(s), inspect fire protection system cylinders and check for hydrostatic test date, inspect fire detection/protection systems, perform operational check of fire detection/protection system, inspect fire extinguishing agent bottle discharge cartridge, and inspect fire extinguishing agent bottle discharge cartridge.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 13: Water & Waste Systems  
  • Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks, encompassing: Servicing lavatory waste systems, including the use of safety equipment.
  • Demonstrates ability to: Locate and explain the procedures for servicing a lavatory waste system, Locate and explain the procedures for servicing a potable water system.
  • Lab/Quiz

Week 14: Finals Week      
  • Review
  • Final Exam (FAA Airframe Written Exam)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work


ALL COURSE WORK MUST BE COMPLETED
.

Late assignments are VERY STRONGLY DISCOURAGED AND MUST BE MADE UP. Please contact your instructor to arrange make-up labs and assignments.

Assignments submitted late will have grades automatically reduced by 1% per day (up to 30% deduction).

Attendance Policy

To satisfy FAA requirements, students are expected to be present for all course lectures and labs. Students are allowed three absences per course.  Students must make-up all missed instruction and/or lab time prior to the end of the semester to receive credit for the course. Students that exceed the three absences allowed or students who don’t make-up missed instruction must retake the course in order to receive credit.  All assignments must be submitted in order to receive credit for the class. A student cannot receive credit for a class to which they have missing assignments.

Airman Certification Standards

ACS:

ACS Codes for Exams:
  •   Each written exam question is associated with an ACS code.
  •   Missed questions on the FAA written test will be listed on your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR).
  •   The AKTR list will generate all but (4) of your oral questions
  •   Utilize those codes to cross reference to the ACS and study those specific areas.

Understanding ACS:
  •   ACS codes are categorized by subject, and sub-categorized by the following groupings.
    • Knowledge: Demonstrate the understanding of.
    • Risk management: Demonstrate the ability to mitigate risk.
    • Skill: Demonstrate the ability to.
  •   Students should review the codes and descriptions.

Course Fees

Course fees have been set for this semester. You'll be notified in advance if the fees need to be adjusted.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.