How many aircraft/A&P's here ?

[SteveCh]

Not an A&P but have worked on aircraft for 24 yr. as I had a number of Cessnas leased out to schools and the shop I used was really good about letting me, first, assist and, later, work on them myself under the required "supervision."

Now, I co-own an old Beech Baron with the guy who owns the shop. There is constant work on the thing and I do a large share of it as he is so busy and our hangar is next to his shop (supervision again).

I probably have the hours and etc. to take the exams but don't care enough as getting up to Airline Transport and all the Instructor ratings took enough exams with the FAA for more than one lifetime.

 

[AV tinker er]

13 years working on military jets, mainly flight test.

 

[cesski]

I am an aircraft mechanic but not licensed. I used to work at an MRO in Hong Kong before relocating here in the US. Can anyone steer me in the right direction for aircraft maintenance work in Michigan?

 

[longez]

A&P, IA, CMEL. No longer working but have built 3 LongEZ's and now starting a RV-14

 

[Rogue]

Have a Globe/Temco Swift and a Cherokee 180.

 

[M1N1ON]

Manage several avionics crews that install wifi, IFE, LED lighting, ect. on commercial aircraft. Jumping on with the ANG in a month as a c-130 crew chief. Plan on getting my A&P after tech school (anyone got any words of wisdom on this?).

Just completed 757 interior mods for a U.S. airline... We put in all the new mood lighting, ATG4 WiFi, the Panasonic IFE, and some other odds and ends. Love my job.

 

[Mrroo]

I don't have my A&P, but worked with aviation for many years. I have helped build several planes. Finished a Loehle P51 kit 3 years ago. I built the engine and helped with the whole build. Been working on a Long Ez with a buddy for a while. Did a Pitts special a while back. And have a RV9 kit and a Titan P51 im gonna help on soon. The Titan is awesome!! Gonna have a LS based engine most likely. I come from a long line of family pilots. Been around aviation my whole life. Not sure why I never got my A&P. Working on my Pilots licence now. Have many many hours flying but nothing to show for it.

 

[cesski]

@M1N1ON: which company did the mods?

 

[M1N1ON]

@M1N1ON: which company did the mods?

The company I work for works under other 145 repair stations. Because of NDA's i can't really broadcast where the mods are preformed at. They are all within the united states though. Most of these mods were completed during a C/D or L check.

 

[El Barto]

I have a Repairman's Certificate, does that count?

 

[cesski]

The company I work for works under other 145 repair stations. Because of NDA's i can't really broadcast where the mods are preformed at. They are all within the united states though. Most of these mods were completed during a C/D or L check.

Would you need a license or certificate of some sort to perform the wiring mods?

 

[ColoMid]

USAF Radar & Armament Tech (B52). Hey! They're still flying!
Kicked off an entire carrier in electronics. Retired now & still enjoy it.

 

[James-W]

Was an avionics tech with the US Army and worked on helicopter radios, a little IFF and SCAS.

 

[M1N1ON]

Would you need a license or certificate of some sort to perform the wiring mods?

Surprisingly, no. An avionics tech doesn't need to have an A&P to preform the work. However, when the card is completed it needs to be signed off by someone who at least has an Airframe license (for our work anyways). This is the same for structures technicians.

Our teams usually consist of a 50/50 mix of licensed vs non-licensed. Most of our team has their FCC license. We build the wire harnesses next to the aircraft, terminate and ringout, then hang it in the plane. The wire build up is preformed by non-licensed techs and then installed and signed off by licensed techs. The pay difference is usually $2-4/hr depending on experience.

 

[elba]

A&P since 1969 . I worked corporate, military, general and retired from Delta . I enjoyed it all and was it was a good living. I have a small airplane and enjoy flying with my grandson.

 

[937footer]

Been an A&P for 37 years . One of the most demanding , high stress jobs you could do. I've work the line most of that time and when they are not flying they are not making money.......If you love the excitement , smell of jet fuel, working round the clock, no holidays, working all over the world in some of the worst conditions you could imagine, being 100% responsible for the lives of everyone on the aircraft that you fixed, having the FAA watch over every move you make, fixing / troubleshooting Avionics, electrical, hydraulics, jet engines, its a great career, but there are easier ways to make money , less stress, and more time with your family. Just have to choose your path and be happy.

 

[davo727]

Yep and working for the airlines the company is going to repay you for working nights and holidays by giving no raises in 5 years to mechanics while the company is making 5 billion a year profit.

 

[langss]

Flying Tiger Line from 1978 to 1989. Federal Express from 1989 to 2015 retired. A&P since 1990.

 

[bob2s]

`Retired a month ago after 55 years working as an LAME (Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Australia) on helicopters,Started an 5year apprenticeship at 15 on Light aircraft and on completion moved to helis and enjoyed every minute of it, except for the never ending paper work that seems to have grown out of all proportion to the actual job performed

 

[killahog]

Formerly AV8B Harrier mechanic, A&P since 1993. Went in a totally different direction after the licenseing, now I operate Locomotives.

 

[cesski]

Surprisingly, no. An avionics tech doesn't need to have an A&P to preform the work. However, when the card is completed it needs to be signed off by someone who at least has an Airframe license (for our work anyways). This is the same for structures technicians.

Our teams usually consist of a 50/50 mix of licensed vs non-licensed. Most of our team has their FCC license. We build the wire harnesses next to the aircraft, terminate and ringout, then hang it in the plane. The wire build up is preformed by non-licensed techs and then installed and signed off by licensed techs. The pay difference is usually $2-4/hr depending on experience.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I appreciate that a lot!

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[n20junkie]

A&P/IA, ATP, CFI-I, MEI.....


I manage and fly small jets and play with my own recip stuff.

 

[Epretti]

Recently retired A&P with 30 plus years corporate avaition, started small recips and turboprops, then Sabreliners, then Gulfstreams Gii,Glll,GlV,G550,G650, traveled with the aircraft took care of them on the road got to see a lot of the world some really nice others kinda scary. God Bless America!

 

[Lootenny]

Hadn't seen this thread before now!

I always wanted to be a pilot, but finding out what my vision was really like when I got a drivers license meant that was a non-starter. I worked on my own motorcycles, love everything mechanical. My best friends brother was/is an A&P at UA, told me it was a good job, so I went to AA's A&P school back in the early 90's at MDW, graduated with my A&P a couple weeks after Continental laid off thousands of mechanics. The industry had just started circling the drain, and it was work GA for $7.50 an hour, or keep driving a truck for $15/hr. I kept driving a truck.

In about July of '97 I get a call one day from United. Am I still interested in a mechanic's job at ORD? Keep in mind, I had filled out an app 2 years prior, have no experience, and never heard a thing from them before this. This call comes in 2 months after I got on the fire dept full time. "Do you have any part time positions?" I ask. Nope, all full time I'm told. Well, I'm not quitting the FD for the volatility of the airlines, even though aviation is my first love. I chose well, I think, though I'll always take a lot of pride in that airman certificate, even if it was the most expensive associates degree you could get!

Now I'm 19 years in, and my son is in the Army, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.

 

[stormfront_marauder]

A320 Family mech here, working as well on MD 82/83. Used to turn wrenches on BAE 146/Avro RJ's and ATR 42/72's. I'm scoping Long Haulers - A330 and B777 will be my next type training courses.

 

[brownbagg]

went to school for aviation mechanic 30 years ago, could not get a job, not being military, CWI now.

 

[Charlie51]

'Worked at an aircraft supply house when I was 17, got my A&P license in '71, finished on a bachelor's degree because of all the layoffs that year, and hired in with Flying Tigers in '73. Retired in 2012 after 38 years of DC-8's, 747's, DC and MD 10's,Md 11's, 727's and bunch of Scarebusses. Did some adjunct teaching at the local A & P mechanic school. 'Still active in the antique and homebuilt arena, specializing in Franklin engine parts. You just can't make this stuff up.

If you want to be happy for a night, go buy yourself a 12 pack. If you want to be happy for a week, get married. If you want to be happy for the rest of your life...get into the airplane business.

 

[Avplayer]

Have an a&p. Currently work for United airlines. Been with Continental airlines since 2000 until we merged and became United in 2010

 

[cajunrebel`]

8 years USAF as a F-16 Crew Chief on Blocks 5 through 52. Chose not to pursue it on the civilian side so I didn't get my A & P from the FAA. Spent 6 1/2 years working operational and experimental test birds and aggressor aircraft. Also spent a year in Korea working at the 35th.

 

[pgilmore7]

I've been a service tech for Ford for 12yrs now. I've always wanted to work on aircraft just been nervous about making the move.


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[n20junkie]

I've been a service tech for Ford for 12yrs now. I've always wanted to work on aircraft just been nervous about making the move.


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You should be unfortunately. Most guys make less than automotive mechanics and have mega liability concerns.

 

[TOOLS4WORK]

TWA til they went broke, aviation is so good here that I now work for a railroad.

 

[pgilmore7]

Thanks for the info.


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[cvairwerks]

26+ years F-16, F/A-22 and F-35 production, Flight Test Engineering and Flightline maintenance for pay. 38 years of working on various civil and warbirds under a couple of different IA's for fun. I guess I need to break down and get my tickets and IA one of these days. I have a Stinson L-5 and a Fairchild AT-21 under slow restoration now. As soon as a couple of things shake out, I'll get current again and pick up another rating.

 

[mrrooG8]

I do not have my A&P. But I do a lot of LSA and experimental stuff. Currently finishing my GA pilot licence. Been around aviation my whole life. Helped build a few planes. Gonna start on a RV project soon now that we have a bigger hanger. I'm looking to buy a Kitfox. My dad is a pilot and my brother flies private jets for several different companies. So aviation is in my blood. Not sure why I went into automotive out of college instead of aviation.

 

[937footer]

37 yrs with one Company and still there , all line mtc on YS11,DC8,DC9, & 767s to name a few. Long hours, all over the world. There are a lot easier ways to make a living.

 

[Skyking1992]

Got my A&P in the early 70's. Did GA stuff for a few years. Spent a year in Tulsa at Spartan studying avionics. Got hired as a pilot/AP on a corporate DC3. Flew a few thousand hours before the controllers strike in 81. Hire on as a controller in 82 and retired last year with 33 years on the job. I loved my jobs as a controller and also as a pilot. It all went by too fast.

Skyking

 

[uppster]

My grandson works on the avionics of the B2 bomber.

 

[Reese]

I spent 4 years in the Air Force working avionics on the F-4. I went to school for a BS in aviation and got my A&P in the early 90's. I have never used by license and now I am a project manager for one of the big aircraft engine manufacturers. Good paying A&P jobs disappeared from my area in the late 90's.