How to get A&P License?

Question

Does it take long to get your A&P license?? What exactly do you have to do?

4 years experince in the military

Answer 1

Starting from scratch, you need to be able to certify 1,900 classroom hours of training, pass three written exams (General, Airframe and Powerplant) and an oral exam to get your certificate. Most people go to a formal school for some or all of this training, however, if you have documented military experience you may be able to get credit for some of the training you have already received.

Check out this Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) web page to find more information about becoming an A&P Mechanic...

Answer 2

If you're a veteran, you need to check very carefully as to how the local FAA FSDO office is about granting certificates based on military experience. Some offices are more liberal than others, and some are just plain obstinate about it.

My brother had 5 years experience as an aircraft electrician in the Army, and had formally cross-trained (and had a secondary MOS) as a sheetmetal mechanic. When he got out, I figured they'd give him the 'A' license (airframe, for those following along that might not know what 'A&P' means), but probably not the 'P' (powerplant) license.

They didn't award him anything. However, a friend of his from his last unit who was also an aircraft electrician, but without the sheetmetal secondary MOS, did get an airframe license from his local FSDO.

Other than that, if you can't get anything, the name of the school you go to doesn't really matter all that much; the quality of instruction is fairly uniform (the FAA makes sure of that) and there's no 'Harvard' or 'MIT' equivalents that are going to stand out on a resume. Spartan's a good school, don't get me wrong; I know a number of guys who went there, and they're pretty good mechanics, but the cost of the school is pretty high compared to publicly-funded schools. What matters is getting some experience. If you have military experience, that's good, but getting some civilian experience in the meantime is going to be at least equally good.

I'd check with your state department of education, or vocational-technical education if your state has one; they should be able to tell you. What you're looking for is a Part 147 certified aircraft maintenance technician school.

Most of these are 18 months long; some are associated with various community or junior colleges, and will want to get you to take some general education courses so you'll graduate in 24 months with an associates degree and the sign-offs to take your tests. Either way it's OK. I'm about 99% positive that all Part 147 certified schools are eligible for the GI Bill.

The FAA makes sure that you attend practically every minute of instruction; you're only allowed to miss a very few days, and then you have to make up every minute of those days you do miss, or you cannot pass the course. It's not quite to the point where they require you to make up time missed for 'potty breaks', but they're not too far off from that.

If you go to a private school like Spartan, you may need some student loans or to work part-time while in school; I'm not sure about their cost. Most publicly-funded schools are going to be cheap enough that just the GI Bill (even without any 'kicker' like the Army College Fund) should be sufficient to cover your costs of attending school.

Right now, sheetmetal mechanics are in very high demand, and regular A&Ps a little less so. Long term, training and experience in composites is going to pay off big time. A lot of piston-engined airplanes are made of composites, and even the newest airliners, like the Boeing 787, are going to nearly all-composite construction.

Having said all that, there is still the old 'back door' method: get a job as an aircraft mechanic without a license, work for at least 18 months getting experience, and then you can take the tests for either the airframe or the powerplant license; if you want to take both, that requires 30 months experience. Of course, the real problem is getting hired without a license, which can be pretty tough. If you have some extensive military experience you might be able to go to work as a contractor, get the experience required and then take the tests. If you want to pursue this avenue there are a number of agencies, and I've listed some of their websites below. The advantage of this is that you get out there earning money faster, but the disadvantages are that you're not going to make as much without a license, and you won't have as 'well-rounded' an education as a mechanic that went to a school (the real payoff with that is when it comes to troubleshooting).

Anyway, all the requirements are in FAR Part 65 Subpart D, and the last link below is to the FAA's website where they post the regulations.

Answer 3

First, Spartan is NOT the best.

Check out the FAR's, first of all. A&P's are certificated under 14 CFR 65.

The FAA has a page on becoming a mechanic.

Basically, it takes up to 30 months to do on the job or however long to do it through a 147 mechanic school. Do you have a degree? If not, I would highly suggest you find a university that offers a degree AND an A&P, otherwise you'll be stuck wrenching for the rest of your life.

Answer 4

I don't want to discourage you but A&P mechanics make less than most ASE Certified Auto Technicians. Its a fact. However if you do want to pursue this career you should visit your local FAA FSDO ( Flight Standards District Office ). They can guide you and give you alot of advice as to what schools to attend. Generally it takes a few years to get your license. Some shops will hire non licensed people to gain experience and have documented training.

Answer 5

There are a number of excellent schools, depending where you live and how much you can afford to spend. There is even a junior college in the Los Angeles area, (Glendale Junior College) that trains A&P mechanics fairly inexpesnivelly, if you are a California resident.

Answer 6

total four years aviation experience but if you join a ame training school then about 31/2 yrs.

Answer 7

got to spartan in tulsa oklahoma best in the nation