How to obtain an A&P license?

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There are several ways to get the license. All of them involve an oral and practical test that's administered by a Designated Maintenance Examiner.

You can go to a school of varying length. There are even several that are also part of a college, allowing you to leave with a degree in Aviation Maintenance. If you choose to take that route, remember that you get what you pay for. (I was burned by a school.)

You can join the military and work on their aircraft for a sufficient amount of time to qualify to take the oral and practical test and become a "military sign off."

A military sign off is someone who had just enough experience to be dangerous. I met an A&P, when I was in school, who'd never worked on anything but ejection seats and was at school to learn how to do the job when nobody would hire him. The airlines don't employ ejection seats.

A third option, that pays better than the military, is to get a job as a mechanic's apprentice at a fight school. It takes longer than going to school, with a minimum requirement of 36 months before you can take your test, but it's a means of hands on training. You also pay a little more attention to repairs if you're actually going to go up in the aircraft you've just repaired for a test flight.

I recall a couple of hair raising test flights.

Spend money by going to school, live on food stamps and have to be retrained later, or buck rivets and actually have something that resembles income and scares the snot out of you all at the same time. Kind of frightening, huh?

Given a license, getting into the field without actual experience is good. Getting into it without a license is a little more difficult.

Excepting military experience, I've done some of both; all launched by taking some flying lessons a dozen or so years ago.

Corporate flight departments are better than regular FBO's for a chance to get into maintenance and earn 36 months.

It's an interesting, frequently challenging, and sometimes unpleasant field; playing in the blue water isn't much fun.

But it can be rewarding and satisfying to see something you've fixed leave the ground and fly away is always sort nice.

A corporate flight department I worked for emptied out to watch the maiden flight after a long overhaul of one of our jets. It was comical in that everyone from the line guys to mechanics, inspectors, interiors guys, the general manager, and secretary all sort of managed to slip away from their work stations to watch the plane take off. It's kind of hard not to get busted when everyone comes back from their various hiding places all at the same time.

A wise investment is an 18 volt, cordless drill and a stout lock for your tool box before the drill disappears.

Good luck,
JT...Show more

Get the real information about earning an A&P license from this FAA web site...
http://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become/

Yes, you will have to buy your own tools for school and for the job. Most schools will have a required minimum tools list, which includes basic hand tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, etc. You should be able to put together a basic tool set for less than $500. If you can afford it, buy a big roll-around tool box, as you will need it once you start working.

You don't need to buy the most expensive tools you can find, but do buy good quality tools that will last. Craftsman tools will turn screws and nuts just as well as Snap-On....Show more

The easiest route is to got to A&P school which someone stated 18 - 24 months. The 24 month one is better due to the fact you get a associates degree which can be credited to other fields if you decide to change challenges. The other route apprentice and military takes alot longer due to your hour credits . Alot of times they still neeed to go to school for something. Which leads it to becoming alot longer than 24 months to get your A&P. I`ve seen it many times that you can get your P but still got to go to school for your A. Job wise , I have just started with another major airline due to the fact the other one didn`t think the needed our expierence and in the classroom there is about 30% that are straight out of A&P school . Those indidvidals are going to the hanger so they can learn the game. Tools, All you need is the basics for now. They will give you a list and you will build of that....Show more

A And P License...Show more

You can't get an A&P license with military training. There are too many FARs involved that the military doesn't have to worry about. There are tons of schools around and many places will hire you with little experience. I hire mechanics for our corporate flight department and the primary guys need to be experienced on our aircraft type but we always have one or two right out of school. The key is to be a decent wrench turner before you go to school. I could attend the best school in the world and would still make a lousy mechanic. I can watch the good ones work and they look more like they're performing a ballet than working on a car or an airplane. You will need your own tools but not to go to school. They'll let you know what you need. Good luck....Show more