Pilot earning an A&P
 

I am a student pilot with a strong mechanical aptitude and nearly 10+ yrs automotive experience and want to fly commercially and earn an A&P. Shelling out for the flight training is substantial enough. My question is what avenues might I try if I want to earn an A&P working under another A&P. I'd much rather work into a position working under a licensed A&P than go for another $10k+ to earn an A&P in a classroom.

Kevin

65.77 list your options. I know New York is expensive but the local community college program here is under 4 grand. If you go the apprentice route, you'll need to document 4,800 hours of experience. It used to be enough to say you worked for ol Joe for a year and Sam for two years but now the FAA wants to see it's been full time work.

It doesn't have to be full-time work (part-time is OK) but all the work has to be documented (i.e., in a log) and signed off by the supervising A&P and/or notarized by the employing company.

Minimum 18 months = 2,880 documented work hours for either the Airframe OR Powerplant rating.

Minimum 30 months = 4,800 documented work hours to be eligible for both ratings.

The work experience must cover at least 50% of the subject areas listed in Part 147.

Obviously if you don't do it full time (either through work or school), then it will take many many years to get the required experience.

I went the long route, military 4 years Navy Aviation Machinist Mate, flight school while working for part 91 and part 121 operators. The main question is what are your objectives? Do you want to work on aircraft or fly them? What type of flying do you want to do? What income range are you expecting to earn? I have worked with a lot of folks with an A&P and commercial license that wrench to pay for flight time to get enough hours that the local Part 121 operator will hire them. Personally I would do the classroom time , A&P license in hand, ready to make money.


Hope this gives areas for thought.
Good luckhttp://www.pprune.org/images/infopop/icons/icon7.gif

"Full time" may not have been the best choice of words. The FAA needs to change their reg from 18 or 30 months to 2880 or 4800 hours experience.

The ideal situation would be to go to a community college AMT program at night while getting the hands on training during the day.

1. A community college program is much less than a private tech college. When I got my A&P I paid around 4 grand, while the guys on the other side of the airport at the private college paid $40k. Private colleges take some of that $40k and make really good commericals to snag the next sucker. Community colleges don't have the budget to market so nobody thinks to go to them, but the curriculum and the certificates are the same.

2. A structured program is good for getting a good technical foundation, ie. electricity, physics, shop math, etc. The hands on stuff gives you real world experience. In class you will do things per the FAA's requirements like rivet a perfect skin patch, or use every correct tool to remove cylinder. In the field you'll cut the B.S. and get right down to a functional repair. Both ways, the textbook way and the real world way, are good to know.

3. If you end up crossing the IA you're apprenticing under and they decide you ain't ready/don't want to sign you off to take your A&P tests, you're screwed and I've seen it happen. If you do a parellel community college program, you're sure to be able to take the written and O&P.

4. After you have your A&P, you can trade maintenance for flight time. I got through my instrument and commercial this way.

So if possible this would be the best way to go about it, in my humble opinion of course.

American Flyers used to have a program for A&P's becoming pilots. Might e worth looking into. Something like work as an A&P. and get flight training ad part of your compensation. No idea if they still do it.

Community College
 

If there is a C.C.-based A&P program in your area, it is likely the least cost method. Visit the college for full details...:ok: