6 answers
Henry
Student
Capitol Heights, Maryland
5
Questions
Asked
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How can i get in to being a aviation maintenance technician?
i want to be a aviation maintenance technician after highschool is that possible?
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6 answers
Wayne Johnson
Maintenance Programs at Alaska Airlines
78
Answers
Auburn, Washington
Updated
Wayne’s Answer
Henry - there are a couple of ways to do this:
There are 2 ways to get your Mechanics License's (A&P).
A. Attend a "School" certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) this will be a Part 147 Certified School. The course usually takes about 2 years (24 months) to complete.
1. Some High Schools have programs where the students go to a Community College. The High School would pay for the College Classes. They could start in their Junior Year of High School, attend the Community College for 3 hours a day. The High School would pay for the college class and they got college credits and high school credits. They would qualify for their Airframe License at the end of their Senior year of high school. Then they would only have to do another 9 months, (3 quarters) to be able to take the Powerplant Test. If your High School doesn't offer this maybe your counselor knows of a high school in your area that you could transfer. As a note this is what I was hired to do by the Community College. I did this for about 3 years.
B. Get OJT (On the Job Training).
(1) Find a job where you can be an Apprentice and work on airplanes for pay. This will take a minimum of 30 months of work at basically 8 hours a day to qualify to take the written exams.
(2) Join the Military and get into aviation to get your 30 months experience, (this is what I did). Once I got out of the military I had the 30 months experience, went down to the FAA showed them my training and they signed-off for me to take the written exam.
If you go the OJT Route:
The most important thing is document ALL of your Training and experience, which you will present to the FAA. Usually a Letter from a Maintenance Officer or a Division Chief (if you go into the Navy) with a list of your duties, aircraft worked on, duration of your employment, etc. Keep your records of schools attended, etc.
Some airlines have a "Development Program for Aircraft Technicians, where they will give you a Stipend. Alaska airlines has this program.
https://careers.alaskaair.com/career-opportunities/maintenance-and-engineering/aircraft-mechanic-development-program/
Other airlines may have a similar program.
It was a great career for me.
Wayne
There are 2 ways to get your Mechanics License's (A&P).
A. Attend a "School" certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) this will be a Part 147 Certified School. The course usually takes about 2 years (24 months) to complete.
1. Some High Schools have programs where the students go to a Community College. The High School would pay for the College Classes. They could start in their Junior Year of High School, attend the Community College for 3 hours a day. The High School would pay for the college class and they got college credits and high school credits. They would qualify for their Airframe License at the end of their Senior year of high school. Then they would only have to do another 9 months, (3 quarters) to be able to take the Powerplant Test. If your High School doesn't offer this maybe your counselor knows of a high school in your area that you could transfer. As a note this is what I was hired to do by the Community College. I did this for about 3 years.
B. Get OJT (On the Job Training).
(1) Find a job where you can be an Apprentice and work on airplanes for pay. This will take a minimum of 30 months of work at basically 8 hours a day to qualify to take the written exams.
(2) Join the Military and get into aviation to get your 30 months experience, (this is what I did). Once I got out of the military I had the 30 months experience, went down to the FAA showed them my training and they signed-off for me to take the written exam.
If you go the OJT Route:
The most important thing is document ALL of your Training and experience, which you will present to the FAA. Usually a Letter from a Maintenance Officer or a Division Chief (if you go into the Navy) with a list of your duties, aircraft worked on, duration of your employment, etc. Keep your records of schools attended, etc.
Some airlines have a "Development Program for Aircraft Technicians, where they will give you a Stipend. Alaska airlines has this program.
https://careers.alaskaair.com/career-opportunities/maintenance-and-engineering/aircraft-mechanic-development-program/
Other airlines may have a similar program.
It was a great career for me.
Wayne
Your advice was so helpful!
Henry
Terry Mills
A&P Mechanic
1
Answer
Hazel Green, Alabama
Updated
Terry’s Answer
Henry, I echo what Flora Frangoudis said in her response to you. All excellent guidence. Now as for becoming an Aviation Maintenance Technician, or as most know it, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, (A&P Mechanic). I am assuming your goal is to be certificated by the FAA. There are several ways to achieve this, first, go to the Faa website, https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become, and read through the information there. Take some time and check out the site in general, there is a lot of information there that can be useful and will point you in the right direction. By the way, the FAA is the Federal Authority that governs AMTs, (A&Ps) so it would be wise to bookmark the site for future reference. All right, some ways to get started in this demanding and rewarding field. A lot of A&P Mechanics get their start in the Armed Forces, whether it be in the National Guard, Reserves, or Active Duty. If this is something you may be interested in, I suggest speaking with a Recruiter from the Branch you are interested in. Though I am a little biased towards the Army, (with 21 years as an Aircraft Mechanic), the Air Force has the best program for their Service Members to obtain their A&P certification, followed by the Army then the Navy/Marine Corp. Next, if Military Service is not your thing, local Community Colleges, there are several across the country that offer Technical courses in Aviation Maintenance. Some offer degree programs along with the A&P Certification. There are private Aviation Maintenance Schools that specialize in A&P courses and Certification. Then you have Aviation Universities, the most well-known being Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. They have a robust degree program for about any course of study concerning Aviation and Aerospace. Check them out at https://erau.edu/. All approved schools are listed on the FAA website I mentioned earlier, again the FAA is the authority governing Aviation and its training requirements. Last, but not least, working directly for an A&P that will teach and guide you through becoming an A&P. This can be the longest, in terms of time, way to get your A&P certificate. No course of study for becoming an A&P,(AMT), is quick. It requires dedication and commitment for 2 to 4 years just to get to where you are competent enough to sit for the exams. I hope I have been able to give you a good starting point on your way to becoming an Aviation Maintenance Technician. It won't always be an easy path, there is a lot to learn, but it is very rewarding in both personal accomplishment and compensation. Check with your local MROs, mainly at Airports, and ask them about local salary ranges, while you're there, see if they have a non-certificated position open where you can get your foot in the door and begin learning about aircraft maintenance. Good luck with obtaining your AMT Certification and future career path. Always strive to learn more and never think you know it all. Feel free to reach out with any other questions you may have.
I will use this advice as I prepare for my career.
Henry
Flora Frangoudis, NJ CPA
Accounting
30
Answers
Morristown, New Jersey
Updated
Flora’s Answer
Henry, it's fantastic you're beginning to shape your future career path and asking all these different questions about each profession. I am not expert in any of those fields but I could offer some advice to help you along the way. Identifying the precise career, you wish to chase can be challenging, especially when you're young. But don't let this deter you. Begin by understanding the prerequisites for your desired profession in the state you live then evaluate your own skills and knowledge. Question yourself, "Why I like this specific profession and do I have the skills or willing to get the required education?" It's quite normal fascinating with aviation or mechanical work as a pastime, but transforming it into a profession is a completely different scenario.
To truly understand the nature of the job, think about spending some time observing or interning at businesses in the various fields you have a desire to follow. Even if it's a volunteer role or unpaid internship, the practical experience will provide you with a firm understanding of the job's challenges and gratifications.
Learn from the experts, consider the advantages and disadvantages, and then form your own perspective. Regarding education, some careers may necessitate formal education and licensing, depending on your State and the profession you will choose. Numerous Vocational Schools or Community colleges offer mechanic programs. Did you consider attending some classes?
One piece of wisdom I'd like to impart is to focus beyond the monetary aspect. If you're passionate about what you're doing and invest effort in establishing a robust career base, the financial gains will naturally follow.
I hope you'll evolve into a successful individual who motivates others to chase their career aspirations.
To truly understand the nature of the job, think about spending some time observing or interning at businesses in the various fields you have a desire to follow. Even if it's a volunteer role or unpaid internship, the practical experience will provide you with a firm understanding of the job's challenges and gratifications.
Learn from the experts, consider the advantages and disadvantages, and then form your own perspective. Regarding education, some careers may necessitate formal education and licensing, depending on your State and the profession you will choose. Numerous Vocational Schools or Community colleges offer mechanic programs. Did you consider attending some classes?
One piece of wisdom I'd like to impart is to focus beyond the monetary aspect. If you're passionate about what you're doing and invest effort in establishing a robust career base, the financial gains will naturally follow.
I hope you'll evolve into a successful individual who motivates others to chase their career aspirations.
Thank you for the advice.
Henry
Tristan Pedrotti
Aviation Mechanic
1
Answer
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Updated
Tristan’s Answer
If you are looking to get into aviation after high-school without an A&P you have two options (three if you want to go to school).
Firstly, what I did was join the military. This is not necessarily the best option nor is it the worst. I started as an Avionics Technician and when I got out didn’t have my A&P but was able to work through government contracts and am still working these contracts but now as a mechanic. You can apply to those through a website like jsfirm.com or find a worker position on indeed; it will state whether you need to have your A&P. Keep in mind there are accelerated programs for your A&P. But, even a tool room attendant can get you in and work towards promoting to a mechanic/technician position if school is not an option or the military doesn’t suit you.
Your second option is to immediately apply to these jobs to get on the job training. Same process just skipping the military. Once you have the experience you can opt out of the school portion and jump into taking the test. You should definitely prep for this as the questions will not align entirely with your job. There will be curveballs and things you have never worked on or seen.
I wish you the best of luck on this journey. Keep your options open and really think about the route you want to take. You’re making a great start and asking the right questions!
Firstly, what I did was join the military. This is not necessarily the best option nor is it the worst. I started as an Avionics Technician and when I got out didn’t have my A&P but was able to work through government contracts and am still working these contracts but now as a mechanic. You can apply to those through a website like jsfirm.com or find a worker position on indeed; it will state whether you need to have your A&P. Keep in mind there are accelerated programs for your A&P. But, even a tool room attendant can get you in and work towards promoting to a mechanic/technician position if school is not an option or the military doesn’t suit you.
Your second option is to immediately apply to these jobs to get on the job training. Same process just skipping the military. Once you have the experience you can opt out of the school portion and jump into taking the test. You should definitely prep for this as the questions will not align entirely with your job. There will be curveballs and things you have never worked on or seen.
I wish you the best of luck on this journey. Keep your options open and really think about the route you want to take. You’re making a great start and asking the right questions!
Steven Boyce
Director of Maintenance
23
Answers
Wenatchee, Washington
Updated
Steven’s Answer
Henry, you are looking at a career path with a high demand right now. If you have the love for aircraft and working on them, then full speed ahead. As others have indicated there are several paths you can take to get into the field. Your choice will be based on how you want to approach it. If you have the time and desire and want to go through the school route, you can find a school with an FAA Part 147 aircraft maintenance program and get yourself enrolled. That is typically a two year process and you should come out of it with your A&P license and most likely an associates degree. If you want to get right to work, I would start looking at your local airports. What aircraft maintenance businesses are located there. Contact the shop managers. Are they hiring? Are they bringing on apprentices to work with them (and get paid) and you can learn as you go? That path you learn, grow, and still get a paycheck. Then after you have the requisite amount of experience you can get them to write you a letter and take it to the FAA so you can take your test. You can also take the military route. Gain experience in the service, get to travel, and then when you have completed your time and want to get out take your experience to those facilities looking for mechanics. Depending on how long you stay in and where you are based you can get your A&P while you are still in the service, or get it after you get out. A few things to consider are what types of aircraft you want to work on, where you want to live, what is available near that location, and the type of work you want to do. Some folks want to just do avionics, other structures, yet others want to be well rounded all purpose mechanics. It is up to you how you want to shape your career. Make sure as you are moving forward in you endeavor that you are working on building your tool set. Some of the very large shops may have standard tool sets that all mechanics on that team work out of, but most places are going to expect you to have your own tools when you come to work. Start with the basics, but over time it will just continue to grow as you decide what you want on hand to make things easier. Good luck. It is a wide open market right now.
Matthew Springett
Airframe and power plant mechanic
1
Answer
Helena, Montana
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
I find this career very rewarding. However, there are a few caveats. In my opinion it does depend on which area of maintenance technician you want to be. If you want to work in a ga shop I would highly recommend seeing if you can Shadow someone first. Pick their brain and what not. I have found in the almost 8 months that I've worked in general aviation that there are a number of extraordinarily frustrating aspects of working on certain models of aircraft. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to dissuade you. It is a very rewarding thing to be able to keep planes flying. If you're wanting to work in a place like Boeing than there are other aspects to consider being an assembler. It all depends on where you want to work and I would highly recommend going to a place similar to what you want to do and asking questions and talking to the mechanics there. It is certainly possible and I highly recommend that you find an affordable A&P School to be able to get trained properly to get your certificate. When I was working on helicopters in the military I did find it rewarding but also tedious. It was regular work and I did a lot of the same stuff over and over so I got good at it. I would do your research and try to figure out where you want to specialize to be able to make sure that you don't get into the career field and end up having regrets. If you do go through an A&P School, you will certainly get a lot of great training that can carry over into multiple careers but it can certainly give you a leg up on someone that doesn't have A&P School in their background.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Henry