A&P

[Clever Bloke]

What's the best way to go about getting an A&P ticket?

[aeroguru]

Firstly,you'll need the necessary experience and training per F.A.R. and a letter from your company ststing the reason they wish you to have it.I.E. They are an F.A.A. repair station,or they have a contract with U.S. airline.

[spannersatcx]

You'll also need a letter from the CAA regarding qualifications/experience, you'll probably have to pay for that as well.
Then you have to do written (multi choice) then oral and practical exams, multi guess you can do somewhere in the UK near Twickenham the rest in the good old US of A

[LME (GOD)]

Aeroguru, If you work for an FAA reqpair station then the Feds will not let sit for an A&P. This is because you don't need one as you sign using the company approval system.

------------------
It flew in, it'll fly out

[Flying Banana]

Clever Bloke, you wouldn't like the beer out there anyway, bit like making love in a canoe....it's f***ing close to water.

Anyway what would the wife say?? :) :)

[Clever Bloke]

Same as usual I suppose!

I have a cunning plan........................

Move!

[Multi-X]

A&P requirements below. The hardest part is getting a letter from your employer who must need you to maintain a N reg aircraft as well as a letter from the US owner.
Unless the aircraft is based outside the US, you will not be able to get the letter from the US owner because of immigration issues.

As previously stated if you work for a repair station then they won't give an A&P as you can certify onder that authorisation.

The old " Comes with a Cornflake packet" theory has gone out of the window.

If you can get the letters, you pay the FAA @ LHR $120 to sign the application forms (3 off), get the self study books & sit exams at an approved school. Once you have the 3 test results find somewhere to do the practical.

Be careful when doing the practical exam, some mechanics in the US recently got caught out. The DME having charged them $450 for the exam, was not a DME & they had been certifing illegally on their temporary certificates. Email me if you want details of a good DME in IL.

International Field Office
Sipson Court
595 Sipson Road
Sipson
West Drayton
Middlesex UB7 0JD

April 22, 1999 Tel: 0181-754-8819
Fax: 0181-754-8826


AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC TEST INFORMATION HANDOUT

Dear Applicant:

This is in reference to your request for information regarding eligibility and procedures for acquiring authorization to test for a FAA Aviation Mechanic certificate.

You must make an appointment with a FAA Airworthiness Inspector at a FAA Flight Standards District Office or an International Field Office, to present documentary evidence that you meet the requirements of Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 65.77.

An applicant for a FAA Aviation Mechanic certificate who is not a United States citizen or resident alien must comply with FAR 65.3.

Appointments should not be made with the FAA unless you feel confident that you meet the requirements and have the documentation to support the requested authorization. If all eligibility requirements are met, and the required fee is paid, a written test authorization will be issued. The written test can be administered by a Designated Written Test Examiner or at a computerized testing center. Only after you have successfully completed the written test(s) will you be authorized for the oral and practical examinations to be administered. A list of designated examiners will be provided when test authorizations are issued. Once the oral and practical examinations have been successfully completed, you will be issued a mechanic’s certificate by the examiner.

The following pages contain information that should answer questions you may have. If you have any further questions concerning this matter please contact this office.

Yours sincerely


Dawn R H Veatch
Office Manager

AIRFRAME & POWERPLANT CERTIFICATE "INFO"

EXCERPTS FROM PART 65 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS (FAR)
SUBPARTS A & D

FAR 65.3 A person who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a resident alien is issued a certificate under Subpart D of this part, outside the United States, only when the Administrator finds that the certificate is needed for the operation or continued airworthiness of a U.S. registered civil aircraft.

FAR 65.11 (b) An applicant who meets the requirements of this part is entitled to an appropriate certificate and rating.

FAR 65.12 Prohibits issuance of a certificate to any person convicted of a drug related offense within the previous 12 months.

FAR 65.17 (a) Written test authorizations are given at any Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office in the USA. The written tests are given only by DESIGNATED WRITTEN TEST EXAMINERS.

FAR 65.19 An applicant who fails a written, oral or practical test for a certificate or rating, or for an additional rating, under this part, may apply for retesting after 30 days from the date the applicant fails the test; or signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating sought by the applicant, certifying that the airman has given the applicant additional instruction in each of the subjects failed and that the airman considers the applicant ready for retesting.

FAR 65.20 FALSIFICATION, FRAUDULENT REPRODUCTION, OR ALTERATION OF DOCUMENTS. Persons who falsify, fraudulently reproduce, or alter certificates or other documents required to support the issuance of a certificate are subject to suspension or revocation of any airman certificate held.

FAR 65.71(a)To be eligible for a mechanic certificate and associated ratings, a person must:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age.

(2) Be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language, or in the case of an applicant who does not meet this requirement and who is employed outside of the United States by a U.S. Air Carrier, have his certificate endorsed, "Valid only outside the United States".

(3) Have passed all of the prescribed tests within a period of 24 months: and

(b) A certificated mechanic who applies for an additional rating, must meet the requirements of paragraph 65.77 and, within a period of 24 months, pass the tests prescribed by paragraphs 65.75 and 65.79 for the additional rating sought.

FAR 65.73 (a) The following ratings are issued under this subpart:

(1)Airframe (2) Powerplant

FAR 65.75 (a) Each applicant for a mechanic certificate or rating must pass a written test covering the construction and maintenance of aircraft appropriate to the rating he seeks, the regulations in this subpart, and the applicable provisions of Part 43 and 91. The basic principles covering the installation and maintenance of propellers are included in the powerplant test.

(b)The applicant must pass each section of the test before applying for the oral and practical test prescribed in paragraph 65.79.

FAR 65.77 Each applicant for mechanic certificate or rating must present to an FAA Airworthiness inspector, either an appropriate graduation certificate or certificate of completion from a FAA certificated aviation maintenance technician school or documentary evidence, satisfactory to the administrator, of:

(a)At least 18 months of practical experience with the procedures, practices, materials, tools, altering airframes, or powerplants appropriate to the rating sought; or

(b)At least 30 months of practical experience concurrently performing the duties appropriate to both the airframe and powerplant ratings.

**NOTE: All applicants claiming civil and/or military experience, as a basis for qualification, must have their experience evaluated and certified by an FAA Airworthiness Inspector or advisor before taking the required test.

Additional Information

(a)If U.S. Military experience is used to qualify for Airframe and/or Powerplant ratings, the applicant must present the following documentation to the FAA:

(1)Personnel records indicating length of service active in MOS/AFSC Codes. (DD 214, Air Force Forms 2096/623, Army Form 2-A, Navy NAV-PER 601-5, Marine Corps Military Record Book etc).

(2)Maintenance Training Records.

(3)Applicant must have documentary evidence verifying that the experience requirements of FAR Sec. 65.77 for the rating(s) sought are met. Organizations need not bear original signatures but must be accompanied by a transmittal letter which does, and states the attachment(s) are copies of the original(s). All other records must bear original signatures.

(4)A letter from the applicant's executive officer, maintenance officer, or classification officer that certifies the applicant's length of military service, the amount of time the applicant worked in each MOS/AFSC, the make and model of aircraft and/or engine on which the applicant acquired the practical experience, and where the experience was obtained.

(5)Training records showing the type of aviation schools the applicant attended and/or a record of on-the-job training. Active duty Air Force, selective guard and reserve are eligible for a transcript.

(6)Time spent in training or in a MOS for supervision/inspection will not be counted toward the 18 or 30 months of practical experience required in FAR 65.77. Only actual hands-on experience is acceptable.

(b)A foreign applicant is required to meet the following additional requirements:

(1)Proof that certification is needed for the maintenance and continued airworthiness of U.S. registered aircraft. (Letter from employer and the owner/operator of U.S. registered aircraft to be maintained. Include aircraft make, model and U.S. registration).

(2)Positive identification.

(3)A signed and detailed statement from their employer substantiating the specific type of maintenance performed and duration of each and that employment will be on a full-time basis, and

(4)A detailed statement obtained from a foreign airworthiness authority of the country in which the experience was gained or from an advisor of the International Civil Aviation Organization that will validate the applicant's experience as required.

(5)Records presented by foreign nationals must be originals and must be verified by the appropriate foreign air authority, in writing. Foreign nationals must also present personal identification of a type recognized internationally.

(6)Special attention - foreign applicants who work full time at an FAA certified repair station do not qualify for airframe or powerplant rating as they are not needed to perform their duties. (FAR 145.75(b)).

FAR 65.79 Each applicant for a mechanic certificate or rating must pass an oral and a practical test on the rating he seeks. The tests cover the applicant's basic skill in performing practical projects on the subjects covered by the written test for that rating. An applicant for a powerplant rating must show the ability to make satisfactory minor repairs to, and minor alterations of, propellers.

Written Examinations

The written examinations are the multiple choice type in which several possible answers are given. The entire Airframe examination or Powerplant examination must be taken at one sitting. However, the applicant need retake only the section or sections of the examination he failed.

PART I GENERAL 2 hours allowed
PART II AIRFRAME (2 sections) 4 hours allowed
PART III POWERPLANT (2 sections) 4 hours allowed

An applicant for an Airframe or Powerplant mechanic written test is not required to take the general section of the test, if he has:

(a) A mechanic certificate with the alternate ratings.

(b) A written test report of grade for the alternate rating that shows unexpired passing credit for the general section; oral or practical part of the mechanic rating if he can show he has previously passed it.

(c) Taken the test for the alternate rating but has not received the report of grade.

(d) An applicant is not required to take the general section of the oral.

Practical Examinations

The oral and practical test is given by a Designated Mechanic Examiner. A reasonable fee may be charged. A mutual understanding and agreement of total fee to be charged should be reached before tests are begun.

The following publications are excellent reference and study material for preparation to take the written and oral tests for mechanic certification.

Advisory Circulars Titles

43.13-1A Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices - Aircraft
Inspection and Repair.

43.13-2A Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices - Aircraft
Alterations.

65-2D Airframe and Powerplant Certification Guide.

65-9A Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics - General
Handbook.

65-11A Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics - Certification
Information.

65-12A Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics - Powerplant
Handbook

65.15A Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics - Airframe
Handbook

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

FAA-T-8080-10B Aviation Mechanic - General Question Book

FAA-T-8080-11B Aviation Mechanic - Powerplant Question Book

FAA-T-8080-12B Aviation Mechanic - Airframe Question Book

[gaterbait]

LME, i got my A&P the best part of 20 yrs ago while i was working for an faa repair stn, & 2 or 3 yrs back the faa rep stn i currently work for ran classes for mechs [mostly mil]to get their certs. while i haven't kept up with the latest regs, i think you may be mixing up the A&P with the IA regs as far as the feds not allowing you to sit the A&P exam if you work for an faa rep stn gb

[JetFixer]

I did my A&P at NAIA in South Carolina, a 2 week course designed for experienced mechanics. All of the revision was on a one to one basis with the instructor, so you only brush up what you need too (eg in my case piston engines and FARs). You sit the exams on the second week and do your Oral and Prctical with the DME on the last two days. You still need all of the documents for the FAA. They have a website. NAIASC.net.