Training For A Career As A Certified Aircraft Maintenance Technician

By Author: William Hauselberg
Total Articles: 816
Comment this article

Aircraft maintenance school, while a greater challenge to complete than other routine maintenance occupations, can be done without resorting to the costs and length of a four-year university program when interested students enroll in a junior or career college.

Role of an Aircraft Maintenance Technician

Aircraft maintenance school focuses on teaching the repair and inspection of aircraft components and the systems they are built upon. As such, the work is regulated by the FAA in the US and requires someone authorized by the national airworthiness authority to sign off on all completed work on the job. This can be a FAA certified aircraft maintenance technician themselves, or a certified maintenance engineer that they work for.

Aircraft Maintenance Educational Programs

Certification is specific to the area of a technician's duties, and can be in either power plant or airframe maintenance, or both. Specialty programs at an airplane maintenance school can also include study in the fields of metallurgy, physics, computer programming, avionics etc.

Airplane maintenance school programs exist in over ...
... 30 US states, and run at over 170 institutions today. The programs have a maximum length of 24 months, and can often be completed in half the time. The FAA requires mechanics to complete a minimum of 1,900 class hours before being certified.

Uncertified mechanics can still work on aircraft however, if they are under the direct supervision of one that is certified. Though the FAA requires mechanics to have at least 18 months of work experience before applying for either an airframe or power plant certificate, 30 months of experience are required to get a combined A&P certification.

Completion of the educational program at a FAA licensed aircraft maintenance school is acceptable as a substitute for this work experience requirement.

Occupational Outlook for Certified Aircraft Maintenance Technicians

Job growth for the field is expected to be average as compared to all occupations per the 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook, with the most openings appearing at small, regional airports. The best pay and benefits for technicians exist at national airlines, about 40% of the total.

As of 2008, the median wage for an aircraft technician was $24.71 per hour. Graduates of an airplane maintenance school earn more on average than those who received their education on the job, or through training in the Armed Forces. About 87% of aircraft technicians are mechanics, with the rest being trained as avionics technicians. Almost 3 out of 10 have the benefit of being part of a union.

Aircraft maintenance school is the best place to look for if you need to get into challenging careers. As mentioned in the article, the Airplane maintenance school programs exist in over 30 US states.