How to get into line maintenace
 

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone could help me here? I’ve just finished University gaining a 2:1 BEng Aeronautical Engineering honours degree, previous to that I did a BTEC national diploma in aerospace engineering.

I went off to University after 9/11 as there were little to no engineering apprenticeship schemes out there, but now I cannot see anyway into the line maintenance industry!! Any apprenticeship schemes all have age limits that I am way above being 23; and all jobs advising the positions all require you to have a licence! So my question is how would I get into the industry, where can I train for my licence and do airlines even take on people like me?

Any help or advice you can give me would be greatly received! Many thanks Martyfly

i'm in a simularish situation
 

I'm 23 but have no Degree, so really not to simular. However i am looking at enginering places, Like you say all the big airlines are gonna say your to old, however some inderpendant aircraft maintenace companies might be intrested, try Lasham, type it to google on a uk only search, good luck

Most line stations want licensed guys, usually at the very least an A License, or better with a B1/2 license.

There are mechanics positions out there, but not many. Do a search on here or on AirMech.co.uk and find out about becoming licensed, which if you want a career in line maintenance, you will really need. Two routes, an approved 147 training course, or self study module by module.

See if you can't get some work experiance with a line maintenance organisation, you'll see if you like the work, and the guys will fill you in on what you should be doing in the way of licenses.

Once upon a time, when I were a lad, you got into Line Maintenance by getting kicked out of the workshops. I managed to get on The Line by systematically failing to get a single generator to pass the armature insulation resistance test in six weeks. (For the record, when cleaning an armature with unleaded petrol you can air blast the resulting carbon sludge well into the windings then crank the drying oven up to max temp. to bake it into a solid 300 ohm crust. ;) )

Today, as PhilM says, you need at least an 'A' licence to be welcome out in the cold.

I'm intrigued about someone with an upper second wishing to work on the Line - it takes all sorts, I suppose. Its probably best not to mention the degree when trying for a job as an unlicensed mechanic. Once you've got into an airline or general aviation, do the practical experience and the theory exams to get the licence.

Yes, airlines do hire gaduate engineers, but usually in the Tech Support Services area.

how to get into line, I normally take the bus, unless I'm late then I'll get a cab.
Look around at what's going on in the area you wish to work and try and find out about the company, apply and ask questions. Also mybe an agencey may have a position going.
Look at www.airmech.co.uk as these questions being asked there all the time.

I'm in pretty similar situation as you are. See thread below :-

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=208324

I've applied to quite a few places & had no luck whatsoever. Giving serious consideration to saving up a bit of cash and starting the EASA approved course at Kingston University this September if possible. (if anyone's done this could they drop me a PM?).

To the people who are a bit bemused why graduates are wanting practical work, for me it's because i'm completely disillusioned with office based engineering work. All the petty politics, constant e-mails full of bollo*ks, Microsoft Access, Project & Excel nonsense & meetings are bringing me down. I really want a chance to work on aircraft & I think I'd be really good at it.

Dont worry you are not the only one. I did an Engineering Degree, and ended up on the line. Luckily I chose the right place to work. I was in BA and got my licences there, but now Im at work 0500 out in the cold (-14 today) doing daily checks. I moved to the line when I was 28 after 5 years in offices and don't regret it.

Thank you
 

Hi all

First of all thank you to everyone who has replied to my post, all the information has been a great help to me! Just a quick question to Swedish Steve, how did you apply for the position with BA? was it through a graduate entry scheme or did you just apply for advertised jobs?

Many thanks

Martyfly

am I the only aero degree holder to stay in the office? When I first graduated I had to earn peanuts and work my way up through maintenance checks in microfiche readers, planning jobs, tech support etc. etc etc
Now I am engineering manager for a maintenance facility and to be honest my technical skills are used for less than 50% of the job, as most of the time is logistic, HR, training, planning, international travel, sometimes not being the most popular person but university prepares you for that. In my experience university graduates are not the best working directly in the aircraft. They are not "hard" enough. The best guys worked their way up the appi route and have been "hands on" (I hope I got the message across correctly because I have probably offened somebody there, but that is not the intention)
Register with flightinternational.com automated email system for jobs and click on admin. Even if you just get you foot in the door in the records department, you become more employable and get contacts.
Much as the industry moans about not enough mechanics, the mechanics are not paid enough and treated to appalling conditions. As is often noted, car mechanics can pull more money, work in better facilities, with modern equipment and basically not have to take the rap if their workmanship is not up to scratch, but once you put your stamp against an aircraft job, its a legal responsibility. So think carefully before you set your mind on working on the line (3am Sunday morning, raining, cold and dark, being blown around on a "cherry picker" and all you got is a coat, torch and a spanner to fix a snag before the aircraft departs at 6)
but hey I am sticking to this cut throat avaition industry... I am to dumn to do anything else.

Any jobs going? ;-)

just took on three final year students from the local university two weeks ago (last two we trained up got poached, after three years with us, by another local carrier)

T'was worth a shot I suppose!

No harm in asking

If you need any trainees or tech services staff in the future, you know where to find (a potential) one!

Number one is to make sure that whatever company you want to work for considers line to be a career position.

From my experiences, signature flight support surely blew it at dulles when the line guys realized that signature does not consider it a career positon and bailed leaving unqualified guys to work a busy ramp.

There is not much incentive to grow and advance when the positions are not considered "career".

Who you work for is as important as what you choose to do.

My condolences to any 604 challenger pilot who rolls up to Signature Dulles a few times a week an never gets the same fueler twice because it's not a career position.

Not recognizing someone on the ground crew at a place you stop many times a week does not inspire confidence in the hearts of the flight crew.

Chances of a grad going into a line maintenance position are virtually zero, and so they should be. Consider this, the average guy in line maintenance has served a 3 or 4 year apprenticeship, has several years post apprenticeship experience and at least an A licence. For a certifying B licence holder, chances are he has spent about 7 years + getting to a position where he is competant to do the job. Also a "liney" is not just a liney. Many have spent time in hangars doing A checks C checks and majors etc. Compare that to your average ppruners time spent in training. Don't get me wrong the skill that most graduates have are very usefull in the industry, but not in line maintenance.

Having recently reviewed CVs for my company looking for techs and LAEs there is very little out there experience wise that could fill the role. In fact most company's now will only employ people with several years experience on wide body, 737 or whatever. The traditional route is a school/college leaver is to go the apprentice route. If this was not possible then many joined the armed forces to get the training. At 23 and a graduate you are too old to just switch to be an engineer without putting in the slog for the next 7 years.

Get real guys - do the several years hands on starting at the bottom on crap wages, when you have enough experience and hands on to know how aircraft work then take your licenses. Not the arse about face way it is done now, college - licence and then look for a job at £45K a year and bleat when no one wants you.

Call me old fashioned but keep graduates where they belong - in the offices. Most hands on engineers knew what they wanted to do when they were 10, never mind 23 !!

True. Very true!

But when you've turned fifty, the eyes can't focus on anything closer than eight feet, your back complains every time you stand up and your knees only bend 75 degrees instead of the 120 they managed easily when you were only forty, then its time to head for the office. The old degree is very handy if you can dust it off, polish the C.V. a bit and scrounge a job in a nice warm office. (or a nice cool one depending on where you live) Otherwise you might find yourself at the top of a cherry picker in a brisk sub-zero north-easterly blowing freezing rain down your neck at 2 a.m. and wondering what the f*ck you were thinking about when you went into line maintenance... :ugh:

Cheers for the handy advice, but I doubt very much that the majority of people on here knew that they wanted to become a skilled engineer by such a young age. I reckon that that was one of the only available routes back then. These days, there is so much more choice.

I always wanted to be an engineer, but it’s so hard to pinpoint EXACTLY what aspect you want to get in to when it’s time to decide whether you want to go to university (18 is quite young, you know). Today’s academic system almost forces you to go into higher education. It hardly Blair’s Britain when you can’t focus on something else after uni!

The general jist is - when you’re 17 you can do it, when you’re 6 six years older than that there’s no chance. Also, where did anyone bleat for £45K?? I’d work for peanuts for a few years to get the experience.

It all just seems a bit discriminatory against graduates in a sort of “you can’t hack the skilled life”. Which, to me, sounds like a load of pompous old balls.

No wonder the planet is crying out for skilled, certified engineers with attitudes like this! There are plenty of young engineers who would relish the chance & put 100% into it but, alas, everyone wants to keep it institutionalised.

Why should graduates stay in the office??

first....
 

First...you have to learn how to make the tea.....

Thanks for that condescending insight.

In case the message isn't clear, that's what I would you like to learn.