A&P rating

[Johnny_L.A]

What’s involved in earning an A&P rating?

[cornflakes]

About a five and a dime.

(Seriously, I think it involves an Associates and a follow-up test.)

[Johnny_L.A]

A&P = Airframe and Powerplant.

[Berkut]

Certification of aircraft mechanics is covered under FAR part 65.71. I assume you are interested in the experience requirements rather than the whole “read, write, speak, and understand English” part.

There are basically two ways to do it:

1. You can accumulate 30 months of practical experience with the procedures, practices, materials, tools, machine tools, and equipment generally used in constructing, maintaining, or altering airframes and powerplants. This usually means you get a job in a shop and work under the supervision of a certified mechanic for that amount of time, or you can count military maintenance time. After you accumulate enough work time, the certified mechanic who watched over you can sign you off on the experience requirement.

2. You can attend a Part 147 aviation maintenance school. Here you will probably have to take a lot of non-aviation classes. My school required algebra, physics, electronics/electricity, and drafting/sketching in addition to the aviation classes. The policies on your class attendence and grades will be set by the FAA. After you have completed your training, the 147 director will sign off on your experience. The school I attended was very, very, strict on class attendance and grades. Expect it to take 2-4 years, I think some may do it in less (but not much less).

After you get your practical experience, you have to take the General, Airframe, and Powerplant FAA written exams and score at least a 70 on each. Then, you have to take the Oral and Practical exams, which are very similar to a checkride for pilots except you demonstrate your maintenance skills and knowlege to a designated maintenance examiner. He may have you do things like look up AD’s, perform a conformity check on an aircraft system, file a nick out of a propeller, weld up a crack, etc. It’s not unusual for the O&P to take two days to complete. After you have managed to convince the DME that you are competent, he will issue you your A&P certificates.

After using your A&P for three years, you can try for your Inspection Authorization (IA).

I like (and did) the 147 school route myself. It has a few advantages that I can go into if you’re interested.

[Cisco]

My dad has it and he should be in town in a day or two. I can ask him anything if you still have any questions then Johnny.

[Johnny_L.A]

Thanks, Berkut.

Here you will probably have to take a lot of non-aviation classes. My school required algebra, physics, electronics/electricity, and drafting/sketching in addition to the aviation classes.

I currently work for a company that makes and installs automated gates and video surveillance systems. I had to dig back to my high school geometry and algebra classes the other day to figure out the length of the curved upper surface of a gate I was designing. (Measure the angle of the ends of the arc and the radius of it, calculate the circumference, get the percentage of the circumference the arc covers, find the length. The boss said he would have just estimated it. :p) I’ve always been interested in physics, though I haven’t taken any classes in it. I can work a multimeter, which is a start on the electronics thing, and I spend half of my time drawing with a CAD program. I’ll have to see if our fabricator will show me the basics of welding steel and aluminum. Could be fun. Of course, I’d have to postpone the biology classes I’ve been wanting to take.

[Berkut]

There is also one big advantage to getting your A&P at an approved school rather than through work experience/military.

If you look at FAR part 65.81, which outlines your privileges and limitations as a mechanic, it states

However, he may not supervise the maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration of, or approve and return to service, any aircraft or appliance, or part thereof, for which he is rated unless he has satisfactorily performed the work concerned at an earlier date. If he has not so performed that work at an earlier date, he may show his ability to do it by performing it to the satisfaction of the Administrator or under the direct supervision of a certificated and appropriately rated mechanic, or a certificated repairman, who has had previous experience in the specific operation concerned.

This is a pretty hefty limitation. Just because you have an A&P certificate doesn’t mean you can go repair any old aircraft system you want. You have to have done it before, or have someone who has supervise you. The advantage of a 147 school is that you will have done almost any type of repair imaginable by the time you get your certificates, so you will be ready for almost any repair/alteration that may come along.

If you want a demonstration of why that reg is a good idea, find an A&P who has done nothing but turbine work, and ask him/her under which three situations you have to submit a Form 337 for a recip engine overhaul*. Watch his/her eyes glaze over.

*1. When repairing a structural engine component. 2. When splitting the case on an engine equipped with an integral mechanical supercharger. 3. When splitting the case of an engine equipped with a gear reduction drive other than a spur-type.