graduated AMT school

[DARKSCOPE001]

Hey guys i just graduated amt school and Am trying to figue out what to do next. I know that many of our fellow members are also a&p mechanics and was wondering if anybody could give me a point in the right direction and some advice. How hard is the written test? how long shold I study for it and is the oral hard? the practical im not real worried about but I suppose it doesent hurt to ask. did your dme ask you to do anything that stumped you or did you mess up?

THANKS
Sean Scott

 

[A_Pmech]

Did you school offer any kind of test prep help?

My advice would be to get the latest Jeppesen study guides and go though them. They use the actual test questions IIRC.

The oral is not difficult if you got a reasonable amount of practical experience during your schooling and understand the content in AC43-13, AC65-12, AC65-9 and AC65-15, along with the appropriate FAR's.

Edit: It is my recollection that the oral is also an open-book test. "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer. "I can find out" is. The examiner is as human as you are and knows that none of us can remember every little detail of every regulation, etc. Bring your books. If you can competently find the answer to his questions in your materials (when you need to look) you'll pass the oral fine.

 

[Daves69]

My advice is to take the test and run as fast as you can away from aviation. The pay scales are too low compared with the amount of liability you are responsible for. Hope you like living like a Gypsy following the job from one place to another only to have to start all over again.
Sorry to sound bitter here but over 20 years of chasing the job takes its toll. Good luck to you, and maybe the industry will change for the better.

Dave

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

cool thanks no we had avotec not jeppesen. but during my graduating quarter we could purchess flash drives that were loaded with all the possible test questions from the oral section (i beleive to be from the jeppesen books) in each section of general, airframe, and powerplant. also I have asa wich to my understanding is more or less a carbon coppy of the faa written test. also I have the avotech far book which I need to study up on because I was always really bad at pubs and regs. Thanks again A_Pmech

THANKS
Sean Scott

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

My advice is to take the test and run as fast as you can away from aviation. The pay scales are too low compared with the amount of liability you are responsible for. Hope you like living like a Gypsy following the job from one place to another only to have to start all over again.
Sorry to sound bitter here but over 20 years of chasing the job takes its toll. Good luck to you, and maybe the industry will change for the better.

Dave

yea I know that many aviation jobs require you to move from place to place but right now there is a few openings looking good for begining A&P mechanics and is local. Republic airlines based out of columbus ohio they do mostly heavy C checks on emerair 145 and 175 aircraft but that being said I would not say no to another line of work eg. auto mech. if the pay is good im not going to argue. But for right now I still need my A&P rating because all I have right now is a certificate in aviation maintinance and im going one last quarter to get my degree in aviation maintinance (long story) but any advice you guys can give me is much appreciated

THANKS
Sean Scott

 

[Kevski]

Sean, the written exams are easy. Take the question book, and study every question that you don't know the answer to immediately. I think I did that for a month and got at least 95% on all three. The higher you score, the easier your DME will go on you.

As for career advice... don't plan on staying anywhere too long. I strongly recommend going into non-destructive inspection... better money and more stability.

 

[jeffk14]

My advice is to take the test and run as fast as you can away from aviation. The pay scales are too low compared with the amount of liability you are responsible for. Hope you like living like a Gypsy following the job from one place to another only to have to start all over again.
Sorry to sound bitter here but over 20 years of chasing the job takes its toll. Good luck to you, and maybe the industry will change for the better.

Dave

lol, you've been there, huh? I'd have to pretty much agree with your advice, although I got my tickets in Dec of '82, went to work in Jan of '83 and have been continuously employed as an A&P ever since.

That said, I have moved all over the country, worked odd hours/shifts and days off, missed a lot of my kids growing up and most recently, had my pension pilfered by corporate crooks.

IMHO, you can do a lot worse than becoming an aircraft mechanic, but you can do a lot better too.

 

[ourkid2000]

Mr. Scott.....I advise you to stay away from airlines. Stay far away. Airlines in the USA have sent most of their maintenance down south to Mexico, South America, etc and will more than likely keep doing this. This just keeps wages down and gives you no job security.

I'm a Canadian and even we hear about what US airlines have been doing. I believe Nissan Crawler mentioned Republic Airlines wages in a previous thread and it was pitiful to say the least.

I've never seen an industry like aviation.....they require so much initial training (much of it quite expensive and lengthy) and certifications (type courses, systems training) only to pay wages that would make most trades-persons laugh. If I was to do it all over again and still remain in aviation, I would have joined the military or went rotary wing (seems to be a little more stable).

 

[pipsters]

First congats

Second I know a few pilots at my company are A&P's, flew with an FO that did it for a few years in HI. Had a blast out there. Another FO worked for jetBlue while on furlough from my company.

If you ever need a job my company is hiring continuously for PHL

https://www3.ultirecruit.com/air1002/jobBoard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*ACD282C159A41DF9

I know we have mx in ORF (Norfolk, VA) as well but that seems to be pretty senior. Just dropped an a/c off at the hanger the other day if you want I can ask around.

Not sure what the pay scales are but my guess is probably higher than Republic. Republic pays lower overall in the regional industry.

 

[Daves69]

lol, you've been there, huh? I'd have to pretty much agree with your advice, although I got my tickets in Dec of '82, went to work in Jan of '83 and have been continuously employed as an A&P ever since.

That said, I have moved all over the country, worked odd hours/shifts and days off, missed a lot of my kids growing up and most recently, had my pension pilfered by corporate crooks.

IMHO, you can do a lot worse than becoming an aircraft mechanic, but you can do a lot better too.

Got my tickets in '83 started in '84 as an A&P finally gave it up 5 years ago. My new supervisor is pleased at how thorough I am.

I miss aviation but not the B/S.

Anyone that has worked for the airlines knows about the shifts and odd days off. This really causes lots of turmoil in a family. Most people call it A.I.D.S. " Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome"

 

[jeffk14]

Got my tickets in '83 started in '84 as an A&P finally gave it up 5 years ago. My new supervisor is pleased at how thorough I am.

I miss aviation but not the B/S.

Anyone that has worked for the airlines knows about the shifts and odd days off. This really causes lots of turmoil in a family. Most people call it A.I.D.S. " Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome"

If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing now? I'm really tired of the BS myself.

 

[ZRX61]

Best thing to do with an A&P licence is get a job at Magic Mountain on the maint crew.

 

[tatra]

never worked in the field myself or had direct contact with those that have, but others have told me they [ those trained in aviation ] are organized neat and meticulous, albeit slower than desired.............what employers outside of aviation don't understand or appreciate is that level of competency takes time to tailor to the next career an av tech goes into...........what h/d and auto mech. bosses seem to like is organized chaos...........

 

[mikemolzahn]

Come to these forums for advice about aviation maintenance.

http://forums.amtonline.com/

http://www.aircraftmechanic.org/index.php

http://www.forums.amtcentral.com/index.php

These are places where you can find the answers you are looking for.


Aviation is a passion, without it you won't be happy no matter the pay.

Join in and Be Heard,
Mike
A&P Technician

 

[Simplespeed]

I agree Aviation is a Passion. This is why after i finished AMT school, i went right back into automotive. Wasted a lot of time and money that i could have used to further myself in an auto career. All the friends i made in AMT school found great jobs right out of school but are all currently unemployeed or are working away from their families and not making nearly enough. So, they are trying to break into automotive. The problem iv experienced with that is that most auto employers dont give a rats *** about aviation training.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

alright thanks everyone for the advice. I think the plan for now is to get my A&P and then play it by ear. I would not say no to a job in like auto or working on busses, trains, heavy equipment or diesel. But obviuosly my first love is aircraft but as long as Im turning wrenches im pretty happy. i would perfer not chasing a job all over a country or having a job with low pay just because its stable. but i will definately join those forums.

Thanks guys
Sean Scott

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Amusement parks such as Disney World are well known for snapping up the best and high scoring of the graduates from A&P schools. They want people trained to think safety and proper practices when working on equipment that could kill someone if something goes wrong. Keep this in mind when job hunting.

Charles

 

[jeffk14]

alright thanks everyone for the advice. I think the plan for now is to get my A&P and then play it by ear. I would not say no to a job in like auto or working on busses, trains, heavy equipment or diesel. But obviuosly my first love is aircraft but as long as Im turning wrenches im pretty happy. i would perfer not chasing a job all over a country or having a job with low pay just because its stable. but i will definately join those forums.

Thanks guys
Sean Scott

Yeah, no matter what else you decide to do, DEFINITELY go ahead and get your A&P. You've already come this far and the school diploma isn't worth much without the licenses.

 

[K5blazer83]

I did 5 years in the Navy as an airframes mechanic working on the Boeing E-6 Mercury, Lockheed EP-3E ARIES II and the P-3C Orion. I just got offered a job by DynCorp with a guaranteed 40 hours/week and overtime if needed on top of a full benefits package and no travel working as an airframes mechanic on their 2 E-6 Mercury's making $35/hour.
Bottom line, there's money to be made you just gotta know where to look.

 

[2drx4]

If I was to do it all over again and still remain in aviation, I would have joined the military or went rotary wing (seems to be a little more stable).

Rotary is no more stable. It is stable in regards to that it is rather hard for them to outsource your job. However, if they decided they're going to work the machines in a different country you might be SOL. Bankruptcies are normal, along with sudden decisions to liquidate assets (it's great to be a 206 guru when they just sold all of the 206s). And the work is not steady as it is normally dependent on exploration, fires, or people having massive amounts of disposable income.

The last couple years we have been getting kicked. The economy tanks and causes a credit crunch, which handicapped all of the junior exploration companies' ability to get credit, so we didn't fly for them. It rains all summer, so there is no major fires, and forestry smells the blood and hires at low rates when they do hire. And the rich guys aren't feeling so rich, so the idea of heliskiing or helifishing doesn't sit high on their priority list. Oh, and lumber isn't worth anything so we aren't logging, and we haven't been for about 3 years now. Basically, all around bad. No income, no maintenance but the bare bones, and getting dicked around with your pay check.

I still like it. But I can't handle life getting too routine.

 

[vmo]

Been in the career field since 1972. Worked the military, non-skedders, passengers and finally freighter. I have worked midnights for over half of the almost 40 years. It has been an adventure. 2nd wife, 8th house, and about the 15th different home address. I finally make okay money (low 100s), but I am eligible to retire, and am planning to leave in 4 months. I feel that the industry is starting to skirt the edge on safety due to trying to achieve more with less. I wish I would have taken my training and skills and gone to a more "normal" industy where I could have made a little more and had a more normal home life. Working outside, heat/cold, noise, and chemicals have taken a toll.

Vmo

But I got some really cool tools, and a Corvette to work on in retirement!

 

[wornoutoldman]

Took my training back in 80 got out of school and went to work as Rolls Royce apprentice (automotive) never looked back. Get into a high end auto dealer. The customers spend money. The management respects your talent. The hours are normal. You'll make good money without wrenching on @#$% boxes.

 

[nightwing]

I've worked as an aircraft mechanic for 25 years now.23 as a licensed A&P.Worked commercial jets at a couple of different FBO'S and then got a job working on Navy trainers.Excellent pay and benefits,great job security.Military contractors such as L-3 or Sikorsky have vacancies worldwide.Highly recommended.

 

[pipsters]

Overseas gigs pay really well. Pilots and mechanics make upwards of $20k/month tax free in "far off" places. No taxes in certain situations, and in most you don't pay tax on the first $90k.

For A&P jobs check out www.jsfirm.com, they have ~10 pages per day of A&P slots.

If you can get into the TS government clearance stuff you will make really good money.

Vmo I like your screen name .

 

[AV8OR]

"Excellent pay and benefits, great job security."

The boys at Braniff, Pan Am, TWA, Eastern, Northwest, Delta, US Airways and United would disagree.

Another once great job for US citizens being moved off shore:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/airline_maintenance.html

 

[A_Pmech]

The boys at Braniff, Pan Am, TWA, Eastern, Northwest, Delta, US Airways and United would disagree.

Another once great job for US citizens being moved off shore:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/airline_maintenance.html

This is the main reason why I refuse to fly on a commercial airplane.

Airplanes being maintained in South America and China is not my idea of safe. If I wanted to expose myself to the risks of living in a third world country I'd move to one.

 

[jride200]

Here's a guy, who's invested lots of his time and money into completing AMT school, and is very excited to have done so, and what has the forum done... Basically told him to get the hell out of aviation. Nonetheless he has been told to do so, by some, in a manner without any tact whatsoever. Nicely done.

 

[2drx4]

Here's a guy, who's invested lots of his time and money into completing AMT school, and is very excited to have done so, and what has the forum done... Basically told him to get the hell out of aviation. Nonetheless he has been told to do so, by some, in a manner without any tact whatsoever. Nicely done.

We got a little off-topic on him... This industry burns people out. The shop I work in is mostly young guys, with a few dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are the ones that have it in their blood, full on addiction, and they will probably die in the hangar or in a helicopter. The young ones either wind up with that addiction, or they go "What am I doing with my life?" and decide they should be doing something a little more sane.

I like it now, maybe some day I'll get sick of it

 

[Simplespeed]

Been in the career field since 1972. Worked the military, non-skedders, passengers and finally freighter. I have worked midnights for over half of the almost 40 years. It has been an adventure. 2nd wife, 8th house, and about the 15th different home address. I finally make okay money (low 100s), but I am eligible to retire, and am planning to leave in 4 months. I feel that the industry is starting to skirt the edge on safety due to trying to achieve more with less. I wish I would have taken my training and skills and gone to a more "normal" industy where I could have made a little more and had a more normal home life. Working outside, heat/cold, noise, and chemicals have taken a toll.

Vmo

But I got some really cool tools, and a Corvette to work on in retirement!

Iv heard this from quite a few older AMTs. The money is there if you chase it. If your love aviation then i can see it being great. I like to come home every night though. I dont like traveling unless its vacation. I love Texas and dont think i would like living anywhere else. I just didnt appeal to me as a great field to be in if your looking to start a family.

But at the same time most people think im crazy for wanting to get my hands dirty and working in the heat/cold. I love it and most people cant understand that. So, everyones got their thing.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

oh you guys didnt scare me. I know aviation is a tough world. with layoffs and having to move around alot for jobs. But I thank everyone for the advice. But firstly I was just wondering how the test was. I really gota start studying and go take those. Second I was wondering what everyone has done with there A&P. I got my questions answered so no worries. Also like I said before I would deff not say no to a job outside of the aircraft world. and at one time i wanted to join the armed forces of some sort but damn I love food to much. Im to lazy to get back on my road bike. so im just packing on the pounds. now dont get me wrong, im not a big fat blob, but ive got a few extra pounds that disqualifies me for the armed forces. But if thats the way to go im willing to lose it and join up.

THANKS
Sean Scott

 

[Daves69]

If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing now? I'm really tired of the BS myself.

Jeff

I am presently doing collision repair on medium to heavy trucks for a large rental company (with yellow trucks). They decided to move their collision repair in house to maintain quality and control costs. We have recently started doing all wheel alignments on the trucks. One of the things I like is the variety of the types of work we do.


Sean

Don't be discouraged if you had a basic understanding of the material covered in school you will do fine.
Study the questions and the correct answers only, that way you will remember what is right.
My O&P was given by instructors at the AMT school. This made things somewhat easier since you were already familiar with the examiner.
I remember being asked to think about my answer a little longer for a better explanation. Your A&P license is not a license to fix everything but only a license to learn how to fix aircraft. Learn how to use your resources and you will do well in this field.

Dave

 

[nightwing]

I've loved airplanes since I was a boy.I've been working on them for 25 years now and still enjoy it.I work at a training base for a military contractor under a union contract.I'll be here when I retire in another 15 years or so.I make $28 an hour and get to taxi the aircraft out and do a high power engine run after we get done working on them.Excellent money for South Texas,maybe not so great for California.But I have a job I like and make a comfortable living at.