Flying and getting A&P
 

Hi everyone, I'm a flight instructor with CFI/CFII/MEI looking to get my a&p. I have done aircraft maintenance in the past, but it wasn't signed off by an a&p. I was wondering if it would be more beneficial to go to a technical school? Or find a employer that's willing to allow me to work and sign me off for the tests. However I would still like to fly in the mean time.

Thanks.

What are your ultimate goals? If it's airlines, just focus on flying until you're at your career destination airline at which time you'll the time and money for whatever hobbies you want to pursue (including A&P).

If you're more interested in part 91/135 flying, or bush flying, then an A&P may be an enabler of your flying career.

I would like to get my a&p before I go to a "real job". I would ultimately like to end up at the airlines.

There is a benefit to both: the school option is structured with a good foundation in general knowledge. Apprenticing is great because obviously you learn the real world way of doing things. However, you're at the mercy of the employer, so if you have a falling out, that can ruin your plans(seen it happen).

Ideally you could do both- enroll in school and wrench on the side. But if there is no school near, and you can wrench at the place you teach, then maybe that is a better option.

If there is a school near and you can manage the time commitment then go for it. HOWEVER, DON'T PAY FOR A PRIVATE TECH SCHOOL. ONLY GO TO A CITY/JUNIOR COLLEGE PROGRAM. Private tech schools cost like $40k for the same A&P that you get from a junior college program that costs 3-4k total. Don't fall into that trap!

You should be aware that the FAA requirement for experience as an A&P is 18 months for the airframe, or 18 months for the powerplant, or 30 combined months work experience for both; that experience is defined as a 40 hour work week doing aircraft maintenance.

If you ultimately want to end up at a Part 121 airline, I'd suggest skipping A&P and just doing flight training/flight instruction.

Maintenance training and experience is never wrong. It's useful to you even if you never intend to go to work as a mechanic.

That said, what's taught in a school is very basic, indeed even lacking, as there's a lot more to learn in practice. Likewise, if you go to work at a single facility working on a limited type of aircraft or few aircraft and a narrow scope operation, you'll miss out on a great deal of what a mechanic should know. Bottom line is that the real schooling doesn't come quickly and doesn't come in school.

True, but I've got plenty of technical, engineering, and mx knowledge and experience and it helps with the job, but it never moved my career ahead any faster. Liberal arts majors who stayed focused on punching flying tickets are senior to me.

I suggest skipping it period. I went to an A&P school and felt like I wasted a lot of time. The training is nothing more than a 50s era government vo-tech program aimed squarely at high school drop outs. The certificate has very little to offer since ANYONE can work on an airplane and NO ONE ever got in trouble for doing it without an A&P! A PPL allows you to perform most common maintenance should you feel the need to get dirty. If thats not enough, find pilot/A&P buddy to vouch for your experience and go take the test. Then you can proudly sign the logbook after replacing a cylinder on your Bonanza! LOL.

I suggest skipping it period. I went to an A&P school and felt like I wasted a lot of time. The training is nothing more than a 50s era government vo-tech program aimed squarely at high school drop outs. The certificate has very little to offer since ANYONE can work on an airplane and NO ONE ever got in trouble for doing it without an A&P! Once you are a pilot, find another pilot/A&P to vouch for your experience and go take the test. Then you can proudly sign the logbook after replacing a cylinder on your Bonanza! Your PPL allows you to perform most common maintenance anyway.

Here's another potential pathway. Become a ELSA Repairman and Inspector on your own ELSA aircraft in a three week course. Work on your aircraft and make money inspecting other ELSA aircraft. According to the website, you have a "pathway" to the full unrestricted A&P.

https://rainbowaviation.com/?page_id=3619

Sport Aviation Specialties- Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft (ELSA) Repairman Courses

https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/...seListings.pdf

There are many pathways to an A&P. One extreme is spending 40K and two years of your life. The other is by saying "hey buddy, can you sign this for me". You get the same certificate either way and nobody will know the difference! The FAA needs to raise standards and require people to get class time before experience counts like every other decent line of work.

Perhaps. The fact is, you could open up a vehicle Inspection, Emission, lube and oil shop and make much more money without all the headache. I'm not sure aircraft mechanic has the same appeal anymore. Have the heavy mx goes overseas anyhow.

I've got plenty of technical, maintenance knowledge and experience too, and it moved my career forward, and provided me employment on the side, full time, concurrently, seasonally, and opened numerous doors, to say nothing of giving me significant advantage when doing studies for new aircraft in which systems were easier to understand.

Maintenance qualification got me my first flying job, my first large airplane job, my first jet job, and numerous other jobs along the way.

Maintenance experience put me in single engine jobs that paid six figures, employed me when I needed it (furloughs, etc), and helped qualify for a degree. Nothing to sneeze at, really.

Once upon a time. Unfortunately it has no value today.

Not sure if I agree with the sentiment of it having no value. But I def would not pay big $ for it. If you want it - do it. Doesn't look bad on a resume. My daughter went to a 1-year community college-based program for reasonable $. Got a decent paying job right out of school. A few months later was offered a job for 2X as much.