Aircraft Maintenance Jobs

[Pilotdom]

Just heard from my current place of work (non aviation) that they are making redundancies and things looking decidedly dodgy.

Im a Mechanical engineer in my current job and currently learning to fly with a view to going commercial.

What are the routes available to me into aircraft maintenace? Anybody any advice?

Thanks in Advance

Dom

[N1 Vibes]

PD

at Cathay they offer a few places a month/year to people, under 31 I think it is, and take them from no PPL right through to commercial and on into the Cathay ranks. We had a guy who was a line-engineer and he swapped sides to the flying community.

I would suggest if you want to end up as a commercial pilot then put all of your efforts into this, getting on an airline scheme like Cathay's. Take the opportunity that a redundancy package gives you and go for the flying....

Good Luck,

N1 Vibes

[FHA]

Hello Dom,
I take it you have an Engineering degree? If it's aircraft engineering you're thinking about, then there are a few ways in. What's your background?

[Pilotdom]

Hi FHA,

Nope I dont have a degree, But I have qualifications to a level where the next stage would be onto a degree.

I left school at 16 and went straight into the Printing Industry. I apprentice trained as a mechanical engineer and have been doing that ever since. My work involves Maintenance and repair of large scale Printing presses ( the stuff your Broadsheets are printed on) Stripping Gearboxes, Machining parts, working to tight tolerances etc. Fault finding. I have a sound base knowledge of engineering principles aswell.

Obviously I know I wouldnt be able to step straight into a job and would be willing to start back at the bottom of the ladder. Im only 23 so I dont mind doing that. At the minute I work shifts so fitting something around that would also be an option but I dont know if its possible.

Commercial Pilot is a dream but working on Aircraft is also a dream aswell!

[vs69]

Two possible routes for you the way I see it,first you could go to college,study for your part 66 aircraft engineers licence (I think Northbrook at Shoreham airport run a course or failing that try oxford-2 years - ish excluding work experience,another two years)as I think you are probably older than the pre requisite for most apprenticeships,then afterwards try and find a job as a fresh faced guy outta college OR
Take the gamble and go down the professional flight training route,not my domain really but probably similair time scale and certainly more potential for higher earnings(once you find a job whilst sitting on 60k debt) and less chance of getting cold and wet at un social hours! Dont get me wrong I love the job but when some people moan about it that is one of the salient points that gets repeated ad nauseum! Just to keep it vague I think you're in an ideal position for either,with your mechanical background and the fact you are learning to fly,good luck whatever you decide.

[Kulwin Park]

Down Under

**** load of maintenance and pilot jobs going here in south Oz if you ever wanted to try your luck here?!

Not enough engineers (pay is good and bad - depends where you go), and pilots are shortage. Many companies are knocking back hours to only 500 TT to get into airlines.

Myself, I'm a engineer with a pilots license. Always offered work, and some of the regional GA airports are screaming for people.

Cheers, KP

[TURIN]

KP, are those jobs in GA or major airlines?

Last time I looked the majors were shedding jobs.

What Gives?

Cheers,

[vs69]

Not trying to escape the UK are you TURIN?

[boshank]

i may be trying to escape though, the way things are going in the uk for guys who have their modules but limited EXP. i am finding it very hard to get in anywhere