GA to Commercial maintenance

[bozbyron87]

hey guys

I am currently completing a pre apprenticeship course in aircraft maintenance and starting to think of where id like to go. I really want to get into commercial but jobs come up very rarely in aus. I'm also interested in GA but that usually means going rural areas. Should i take the first job I'm offered wether it be GA or commercial or hold out and wait in hope for what i want to do?

Is it difficult to change from GA to commercial later down the track and what would i need to do to make it easier?

any advice will greatly be appreciated

[emergency000]

First a few clarifying questions: where in Aus are you located? What's your eventual career goal?

If you're wanting an apprenticeship in the airlines, you've got pretty much two possibilities: Qantas Sydney and Qantas Brisbane. If you don't live in either of those cities, you'll need to be prepared to move as Qantas is pretty much the only commercial operator offering apprenticeships.

Which ever way you go, GA or airlines, once qualified as an AME, you're qualified to work on anything from a Cessna 150 to an Airbus A380. It may be a bit more difficult to get a job in the airlines if all your experience is on piston-engined, single-prop bug smashers, but you'll likely find that a good attitude is just as important, if not more so, than which aircraft you did your apprenticeship on.

Given the continuing downward trend of maintenance in the airlines, I'd suggest getting with a GA operator if you know of any taking on apprentices. That being said, apprenticeships in GA are almost rarer than in the airlines. If you're not able or willing to relocate and aren't in either Sydney or Brisbane (or Tamworth), GA is really about your only option.

Whatever path you choose, as soon as you've completed your Cert IV, enroll in and complete the Diploma ASAP as that's your ticket to getting licensed and makes you a LOT more employable, in both the airline and GA worlds.

Best of luck and keep in touch.
Cheers,
John

[bozbyron87]

Hey John thanks for the reply. I am in Brisbane at the moment while studying. I'm pretty open to move anywhere for work. I'm not set on a end career goal but would like to work overseas on bigger commercial aircraft or even get into business jets.

I missed out on getting an interview with qantas this year. its either wait another year and hope or move onto to something else. qantas was my main goal for many years.

thanks for the advice. i have read before that completing diploma asap is a good idea. i like flying aswell so maybe GA will be a better fit for me to start off.

[emergency000]

Both commercial aircraft and biz jets are type-rated aircraft, meaning that sooner or later, you'll need to log some experience on them. However, doing an apprenticeship in GA will still get you your Cert IV and trade certificate.

As a qualified avionics AME, I can tell you that you'd be a hell of a lot better off going the mechanical stream, as the Part 66 licensing system makes it relatively simple to become a B1/B2 LAME when you start as a B1, whereas no one seems to have considered whether B2 LAMEs might want to get their B1 endorsement...

So yes, there's some (more) food for thought.

[bozbyron87]

thanks for the tips. I'm doing mechanical stream

[Aviater]

I did a GA apprenticeship and got my GA engineers licenses, a pilots license and then moved into the airlines to pick up some RPT type ratings.

I work with some guys at my current job (an airline) that are up to 52 years old and have never used a rivet gun or a guillotine. They will often pick tools out of my box and ask what it does.

Working in both sectors of the industry will give you better exposure and more option when the industry shifts and moves. One is not better than the other, but having a good skillset in both with be a life long asset.

My advice would be to start out in GA. The money isn't very good to start with but if you start out in the airlines and start making shift penalties, it'd be hard to go to GA and lose the extra income.

FYI. The GA lifestyle is awesome.