Find a School — Check out the FAA's Maintenance Schools Search to find an FAA-certified AMT school in your area.
What would my job be like ?
You would work in hangars, out on the field on the "flight lines" where aircraft park, or in repair stations. You would use hand and power tools as well as sophisticated test equipment. Maintenance is performed around the clock, seven days a week. New mechanics and technicians should expect to work nights and weekends. The noise level both indoors and on the flight line could be very high. Sometimes your work would require physical activity, from climbing ladders to crawling under wings and lifting heavy equipment. Sometimes the work would be stressful, because you would have to meet a deadline to make sure an airplane was ready to fly a scheduled flight.
What requirements must I meet to become an aircraft mechanic ?
- You must be:
- at least 18 years old.
- able to read, write, speak, and understand English.
- You must get 18 months of practical experience with either power plants or airframes, or 30 months of practical
experience working on both at the same time. As an alternative to this experience requirement, you can graduate from an
FAA-Approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School.
- You must pass three types of tests:
- a written examination
- an oral test
- a practical test
Do I need a license to be an aircraft mechanic ?
Not necessarily. However, if you don't have a mechanic's certificate from FAA, you can work only when supervised by someone who does have a certificate. You could not approve equipment for return to service. Without a certificate, you are less likely to advance to the top of the career field. The
FAA issues mechanics and repairman certificates. Mechanics can get either an airframe certificate or a powerplant certificate—most mechanics get both. Repairmen get certificates to perform only one or two specific tasks, and they must be supervised by FAA-approved repair stations, commercial operators, or air carriers where these specific tasks are done
daily.
Do I need any experience to become a certified mechanic ?
Yes. You can get the required experience through civilian or military on-the-job training, or by attending a special school for aircraft mechanics.
Do I have to take any tests to become a certified mechanic ?
Yes, you must take oral and practical tests. There is a fee for the test. The oral and practical tests cover 43 technical subjects. Typically, tests for one certificate (airframe or powerplant) takes about 8 hours. |
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