If I manually run the installer (no AAMEE involved), everything installs correctly (with AIR included, since I was hand installing, and thus, logged in.) It's the package that fails (either by hand or via ARD). I've tried it both ways for conflicts, to stop or not.
I recently remembered that another difference between AAMEE and not-AAMEE is that updates are packed into the "package" as well, so I tried one without updates...it stalls the same way. Something is wrong with the AAMEE pkg.
The installer and the pkg were passed through a server, but they are Apple servers and should not be causing trouble. Other packages transfer correctly.
I'm wondering if it has to do with 10.8?