Air Force A&P Program

VPRGUY · by **VPRGUY** » 29 Jan 2008, 18:06

That is one thing about the AF that really gets me...Spend 20 years doing aircraft maintenance for the AF, and you still have to take a formal course of one sort or another to get your A&P. Spend 20 years as an AF Flight Engineer (my new job), and you still have to take a formal course to get your flight engineer ticket for the civilian side. BUT, spend two years as a pilot for the AF (long enough to get through the schools, anyway), and you can go take writtens to get your commercial pilots license. Ok, off my soapbox now...

chachi313 · by **chachi313** » 29 Jan 2008, 21:34

There is a school in Van Nuys, CA (20 miles north of downtown LA) its called North Valley Occupational Center-Aviation Center, the price is $75 a semester (not per unit per semester) and I think $45 for summer session. Its about 1 year and nine months long if your really committed (its pretty much self paced). The school has seven knowledgeable instructors and three of them have been in aviation since the Vietnam era. The reason why the program is $75 a semester is because its most of the cost is payed for by California tax payers. I've went to this school and I have Airframe and General over with and powerplant I am finishing up while I'm on an AGR tour for the guard.

Here is the website http://www.nvoc.org/html/aviation.html
phone # (818)365-9645
Ask for Mr. Struyk or Mr. Evans

sweetpete · by **sweetpete** » 30 Jan 2008, 01:34

VPRGUY wrote:That is one thing about the AF that really gets me...Spend 20 years doing aircraft maintenance for the AF, and you still have to take a formal course of one sort or another to get your A&P.

Well this depends on what you did in the AF but more so on the local FAA office who reviews your records. I know of a few guys who got denied either their A or P based on their experience but most I know got authorization to take one of the tests , no schooling required for the one they did qualify for. I even know a few, myself included who got authorization for both A&P tests based on experience ( I at that time had 6 years experience and was admittedly weak on powerplant's) but the FAA guy was a softy and understood that I had some Powerplat experience, it's all based on his evaluation. However you are right, when I graduated Flight School my authorization to take the tests was not based on someones evaluation of my records rather it was based on the fact that I had my wings. I was fortunate to get my civilian ratings out of this, Commercial Rotorcraft and Instrument best $100 I ever spent. I think if you are a 7 level in your particular career field it should work the same way as a set of wings, take in your 623 if your an engine troop guess what you can take the Powerplant test and so on, if you have alot of documented cross training then you can take both. Either way I wish I would have done the AF program when I was in.

....Oh yeah I know guys who got denied one or both authorizations in a particular FAA office and simply went to another one who would give them authorization, this is completely legal and nothing says you cant do it, the next guys evaluation might be good enough

MechFromHell · by **MechFromHell** » 22 Oct 2009, 13:30

Old thread revival! Anybody have any experience with this program. It has changed apparently. I thought it used to have a 10 year TIS requirement but now it is only 4 years. Any personal experiences? :evil:

j_larkin · by **j_larkin** » 24 Oct 2009, 12:21

All the AD, Resevists, and whoever else has access to ADLS should go through there again. They have A&P courses on there now, just like your annual training. It's a long course, but you can print it out, and study it before you take the test at the end of each section. I heard from my QA buddies that when you complete it they (and I have no idea who "they" are) send you your certificates of completion, and you can take that to the FAA guys along with your other work experience and they will hook you up. I will try to get more info about it

Hope this helps someone. Cheers!

MakoWes · by **MakoWes** » 31 Oct 2009, 00:18

If you have some experience and some training certificates. You can get your AP in about a month.

First thing to do is call the AP prep schools in your area. Tell them you want to take their 1000 dollars 3 day course. But need your 3 testing slips. They will let you know where to go to get them. Some guys in the FAA are hard asses. And some are Santa Claus. They will let you know which one to go to.

Talk to the person at the FAA. Set up an appointment. And bring everything you have. 623s. Certs, high school diploma. Everything. Shoot the breeze. Talk about all the old bases you were that that are now closed. Tell them you were CUT trained into working all areas of avaition maintenance.

Get your 3 slips. And take them to the testing place you want to go to. Attend the 3 day course. Take the 3 computer tests. And exam. And the FAA will mail you your license.

This is how I got mine. 11 years of working the flight line avionics technician.

Now with your AP license. Buy a nice frame and have it put it on the wall. As this is all that it is good for. Its just eye candy for your resume. I've had mine for almost 20 years. Never used it. No one I worked for ever seen it.

The next thing to do is go find a good Government job. As they are the about the only one who pays a decent wage working in aviation. Unless you know someone at FedEx or UPS. You wont be able to get a job in aviation. Unless you like to work cheap.

MechFromHell · by **MechFromHell** » 31 Oct 2009, 05:41

I started the General course last week. Not impressed so far. I have found so many errors in the material and I'm not even done with the first unit yet! I know I don't need to do these courses to get the 8610-2's but I figured what the hell, might learn something from a different perspective?? Plus, I'm in no hurry. I hope the quality of the training material improves as I get through this general book! :evil:

ddjaxn · by **ddjaxn** » 19 May 2010, 02:17

took two weeks leave and went to federal exams in oklahoma city, 11 days later had my cert. $1650 for the course and test including O&P and $25 a night lodging at thier "ranch" well worth it if you can study your butt off for 15 hours a day.

sweetpete · by **sweetpete** » 20 May 2010, 00:51

Forgot all about this thread since I last posted 2 1/2 years ago on it, funny thing is I just finally completed my A&P. I went through a school called AESA or Aviation and Electronic Schools of America in Colfax CA. The cost was right at $2000 which included review for all 3 written tests, the tests themselves, review for the oral and practical and the DME fee for the actual O & P. My whole course took 6 days and was very fast and furious. My suggestion is if you are still in the Air Force and have the opportunity to do the A&P program jump on it or you will regret it if you dont when you get out. Otherwise if you are out and have your tickets signed from the FSDO in your area, the cram courses are worth the time and money if they get you a job. Personally I would never have got my A&P if I had to go to a 1-2 year school thats just ridiculous for experienced AF mechanics. Wish the AF had that program when I was still in.

jeremed · by **jeremed** » 11 Sep 2011, 01:47

I just recently got out and am now trying to get my A&P. Does anyone have a copy of the CDC's they can send me? I will pay for them and shipping. Thanks.

mc5wes · by **mc5wes** » 11 Sep 2011, 05:22

Jeremed
CDCs wont help you with the A/P. You can just go straight to the FAA web page. They have all the info you need. And the pool of questions from the test.

http://www.faa.gov/mechanics/testing/standards/

mc5wes · by **mc5wes** » 11 Sep 2011, 05:24

Sweetpete
Have you bought a nice frame for your A/P?

For a couple of hundred dollars more. You can get the FCC General Radiotelephone License with the Radar Endorsement. And you will have the trifecta of expensive paper.

GooseGoose · by **GooseGoose** » 11 Sep 2011, 07:08

My opinion is it's not that great. Sometimes the FAA Maintenance officials at your local FAA/FSDO are not too keen on signing off on military aircraft maintainers. Your best bet is to use your Post 9/11 GI Bill to get your A&P license. Starting in Sept 2011 it now covers technical training such as an A&P school. :wink:

timt · by **timt** » 11 Sep 2011, 11:08

I have looked over most of these reply's. Once I seperated, I went to Nashville TN, Bakers School of Aeronautics and cramed just like the person said on the first page of this post. I knew someone that owned his own private Aircraft (Hawker 700) and hired me to manage the aircraft to include A&P maintenace. I was split employed by him and the FBO his aircraft was hangered at. I worked with a great group of guys, the all told me "A&P License's are just a license to learn." I was thrown into the fire, the other technicians would help me with issues I did not quite understand. If the APU was not providing any type of power to the aircraft, I would pull out the book and read it cover to cover to understand how it works and understand where to start troubleshooting. I was very lucky when I seperated, I even controlled 21 turbine helicopters that were repoed, I dabled in the a lot in my second year. If you are a Crew Chief ( I was a F-16 5-level) it is going to be hard, voltage testing, wireing and all of that is not what we really dable with, that is why we have E&E. There is so much to learn in the civilan side, corporate, you really do learn with experience. Most airframe specific schools (Hawker, Gulfstream, Beechcraft) just pretty much explain wiring digrams, location of items.

So here is my advice from experience and what I would have done differently. Go to Bakers While you are in the Air Force, just take two weeks leave and knock it out when you get the time required for your Airframe AND propulsion testing. When you seperate or if you can take a college course, Aviation course in electrical systems, troubleshooting, do it. Get to a place like Hawker, or Duncan Aviation, they maintenance people work in teams set up by experience. So if you are completely lost or do not know what to do at all you will guidance. In a few years you may become a team leader. that is why the people with a lot of money with private aircraft want to hire someone with your exeperience on that particular Airframe. Forget most of the stuff you learned in the AF, except the tricks and realize this is a different world and you will learn more. Don't try to impress anyone, they will be more impressed with your work ethic you have, lets face it, if you are on this site, you probably took your job pretty damn serious and were good a it. And if you want to work on just prop driven aircraft, screw it, do not even wasted your time. I really enjoy working on Hawker 4000's, G550's Challenger 601's.I do not give a sh*t about a magneto or timeing it to TDC. Just do not get to crazy like I did with doing to much and becoming completely burnt out like I did after wthree years. Sorry if this post is odd, the bar kept jumping as I typed. Well there is my opinion. Message me if you have questions... I have been there and done that so let my experience speak for itself.

jeremed · by **jeremed** » 11 Sep 2011, 15:38

mc5wes wrote:Jeremed
CDCs wont help you with the A/P. You can just go straight to the FAA web page. They have all the info you need. And the pool of questions from the test.

http://www.faa.gov/mechanics/testing/standards/

I meant the paper cdc's for the A&P course. I know it is all online now but there used to be paper cdc's. I know because I have the general, I just need the outher 2 sets if anyone has them.

*as seen on page 1. 1. 3 Specialized Courses (CDC’s) - broken down into General, Airframe, and Powerplant. The courses are developed from the FAA test bank, from which there is no better way to prepare for the FAA exams. These courses currently require an End of Course (EOC) exam, however in March they will be conducted completely online and will not require an EOC