According to the Department of Labor, the FAA requires at least 1.5 years of work experience for certification. In addition, most aircraft mechanics have earned a 2 or 4-year degree from an FAA-certified school. Read More...
Airframe and Powerplant Schools & Training Programs
For many, working in aviation is a childhood dream, a distant possibility, like being an astronaut or a major league baseball player. But of all the dream jobs, aviation ones are surprisingly attainable.
In fact, if you have a high school degree, all you need is about a year and a half at a FAA licensed aviation school and you can join an industry that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts will only expand in the foreseeable future.
Airframe and Powerplant Schools - Specialties
Aviation maintenance is often broken down into specialties. Powerplant mechanics are authorized to work on engines and do limited work on propellers. Airframe mechanics are authorized to work on any part of the aircraft except the instruments, powerplants, and propellers. These specific disciplines are taught at airframe and powerplant schools.
The FAA requires at least 18 months of work experience for an airframe or powerplant, mechanic's certificate. Any airframe and powerplant schools should therefore offer that experience as part of their curriculum. According to the FAA, there are about 200 aviation schools, which would all function as airframe and powerplant schools as well.
For a combined A & P certificate, at least 30 months of experience working with both engines and airframes is required. Completion of a program at an FAA-certified mechanic school can substitute for the work experience requirement.
Applicants for certification must pass written and oral tests and demonstrate that they can do the work authorized by the certificate.
Training Offered at Airframe and Powerplant Schools
Most airframe and powerplant schools will also offer courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics, computer science, and mechanical drawing as they all demonstrate many of the principles involved in the operation of aircraft, and knowledge of these principles is often necessary to make repairs.
If aviation has always been your dream, airframe and powerplant school is a good way to get in the heart of the business.