Aircraft Mechanic School Information
Working in aviation maintenance often brings good pay, high satisfaction, and other advantages. Enrolling in an aircraft mechanic school can help you learn what it takes to ensure the safe and efficient operation of airplanes and helicopters. It can also help you prepare for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications that many employers expect.
Aviation Maintenance Education & Training
You can become an aircraft mechanic by completing an FAA-approved program at a technical school or receiving training through the military. A few technicians learn on the job, but that is typically a longer route to certification.
Aircraft Mechanic Schools
Sponsored Listings
US Aviation Academy
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Minneapolis, Minnesota - Coming Soon
- Denton, Texas
- San Marco, Texas
- Aviation Mechanic - Airframe & Powerplant
National Aviation Academy
- Tampa Bay, Florida
- Concord, Massachusetts
- Advanced Aircraft Systems
- Aviation Maintenance Professional
- Aviation Maintenance Technician
Universal Technical Institute
- Avondale, Arizona
- Long Beach, California
- Miramar, Florida
- Canton, Michigan
- Houston, Texas
- Airframe and Powerplant Technician
- Aviation Maintenance
- Aviation Maintenance Technology
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Los Angeles, California
- Riverside, California
- Denver, Colorado
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Aviation Maintenance Technology
Aircraft Mechanic Program Options
Certificate programs: These typically take anywhere from one to two years. Many schools offer specific certificates in airframe, powerplant, or avionics technology.
Associate degree programs: These usually last between 20 and 24 months. They are more comprehensive than certificate programs and include general courses like math, physics, and public speaking.
Bachelor's degree programs: These are much less common and generally take about four years to complete. Programs at this level often focus on maintenance management.
Typical Courses
The specific courses that are offered vary by program. However, aircraft mechanic schools usually cover topics like:
- Aviation science
- Maintenance documents and regulations
- Basic electricity
- Metallic and non-metallic structures
- Basic welding
- Cabin atmosphere control systems
- Communication and navigation systems
- Fire protection systems
- Position and warning systems
- Fuel systems
- Hydraulic and pneumatic systems
- Landing gear
- Reciprocating engines
- Propeller systems
- Turbine engines
- Engine cooling and exhaust systems
- Assembly and rigging
- Cleaning and corrosion control
- Airframe inspection
- Engine inspection and operation
- Weight and balance
- Ground operations
- Shop practices
Most programs also prepare students to take the FAA certification exams.
Licensing & Certification
Technically, aircraft mechanics do not need to be licensed or certified. However, if a mechanic does not have an FAA certificate, they must work under the supervision of a certified technician. Plus, they are not permitted to release an aircraft back into service.
The FAA offers both airframe and powerplant certificates. An aviation mechanic can obtain each separately or both together. In order to be eligible, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old and fluent in English
- Graduate from an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician school OR have at least 18 months of experience in one area or 30 months of experience in both areas
- Pass a written, oral, and practical test (and complete all of them within a 24-month period)
You can also choose to get certified as a repairman. Under FAA regulations, technicians with a repairman certificate are only authorized to work on aircraft components that the certificate specifically mentions, such as propellers or instruments. Also, they can only work on aircraft at the repair station at which they are employed. If they leave that repair station, their certificate is no longer valid.
To qualify, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old and fluent in English
- Be employed by a certified repair station and be recommended for the certificate by your employer
- Have at least 18 months of experience with the specific type of work outlined in the certificate OR have completed formal training related to that type of work
Avionics technicians can choose to seek Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) certification through the National Center for Aerospace & Transportation Technologies (NCATT). AET certification meets the formal training requirement for an FAA repairman certificate.
Additionally, technicians who repair or maintain communications equipment may require a license from the Federal Communications Commission.
The FAA also offers separate certificates for:
- Inspection authorized (IA) mechanics: IA mechanics must have held an A&P certificate for at least three years. They must be actively engaged in maintaining aircraft, have a fixed base of operations, and have access to the necessary facilities to carry out an inspection and pass a written test.
- Designated airworthiness representatives (DARs): Maintenance DARs must hold an A&P certificate or a repairman certificate and submit an application to the FAA.
Career Information
For mechanically minded individuals with a penchant for hands-on work, a career as an aircraft mechanic can bring a host of rewards.
Earnings
The median aircraft mechanic salary is $75,020, according to May 2023 estimates from the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH).* Earnings can vary dramatically between companies.
Job Openings & Outlook
From 2023 to 2033, employment of aircraft mechanics and service technicians is projected to increase by 5 percent, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.*
Over that decade, an average of 11,500 aircraft mechanic and service technician jobs should become available each year.* Most of those openings will come from technicians retiring or changing to other occupations.
Key Benefits
- Good income potential: The median airplane mechanic salary is significantly higher than that of a car, bus, or boat mechanic, according to OOH estimates.
- A sense of pride in keeping people safe: You get to play an instrumental role in making sure air passengers and crew get to their final destinations safely.
- Versatility: In the process of learning how to become an aircraft mechanic, you have a chance to develop skills that can be applied to a variety of other industries, such as the heavy equipment, automotive, or energy sectors.
What an Aircraft Mechanic Does
Also known as an aviation technician or aviation maintenance technician, an aircraft mechanic carries out the service and repair work that keeps airplanes and helicopters in safe operating condition.
They are often responsible for:
- Reading blueprints, schematics, and maintenance manuals
-
Testing, repairing, and overhauling aircraft systems and components, including:
- Engines
- Wings
- Propellers
- Landing gear
- Hydraulic systems
- Communication and navigation systems
- Fuel systems
- Electrical systems
- Checking for cracks, corrosion, or other damage
- Repairing wood, metal, fabric, or other materials that form the skin of the aircraft
- Performing safety checks
- Updating maintenance records
Specializations
Most aircraft mechanics earn FAA certificates as airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics, but they can choose to specialize in just one of those areas. Airframe involves every part of an aircraft other than the engine, propellers, and instruments. Powerplant focuses on engines and propellers.
Other potential specialties, some of which require additional training or certification, include:
Avionics: Maintain an aircraft's electronic equipment, such as the radio, radar, flight control, and entertainment systems.
Maintenance: Concentrate on routine servicing and preventive maintenance.
Repair: Fix specific issues that pilots notice during flight or that come up during inspections.
Inspection: Carry out a detailed review to determine if an aircraft is ready to return to service following major repairs.
Airworthiness determination: Examine and test a used aircraft to see if it meets all the requirements for safe operation.
* Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Some careers listed may be part of a combined occupation profile (visited October 17, 2024).