How to Become an Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) in the U.S.A. (Part 1)

If you are reading this, let me start by saying welcome to the FixFlyTravel website! I'm sure you have seen my social pages or pages of people similar to me and wondered, "What do they do for a living?" Then you thought, "How do I get a job like that?"

My name is Elena, and I am an Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT). Pretty much what that means is that I fix airplanes for a living. Pretty neat, right?

When thinking about your career, it is essential to consider your interests. Suppose you are someone like me, who enjoys playing with technology, taking things apart and seeing how they work, and have an undeniable love for aviation (or honestly just an interest). In that case, this career choice might just be right for you!

But where do you begin?

According to FAA.gov, there are some basic requirements you must meet before entering a field. These requirements are laid out in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 65. It states that the applicant must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
• Able to pass all the prescribed tests within 24 months
• Meet the experience, knowledge, and skill requirements for at least one rating. 

If you meet these requirements, then it's on to the next step. The FAA allows you to achieve the certificate of an AMT, as a civilian, in two ways. For this blog's sake, we will discuss one of these ways, and that is by going to school.

Let me start by saying it's ok if aviation is new to you. Many of those who first show interest in the field do not know much about aviation and how an aircraft works. This is where schooling comes into play.

Becoming an AMT through school, where do you begin?

To begin with, you must first search for a school. The type of school you will be looking for is an authorized FAA school dedicated and designed with courses to teach you how to become an aircraft maintenance technician. They are known as FAA Part 147 schools, and you can find them all over the United States.

You can head to www.AMTJOBOPENINGS.com to find a list of these schools. Click on the "Resources" tab, and click "FAA Part 147 Certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician School."  

These courses offered by FAA Part 147 schools range from 18 months to 24 months. Something interesting to note is that within the U.S., these courses are completed and tracked by hours. Meaning that by the time you complete your courses, you will have accomplished a total of 1,900 hours in training. It is broken down accordingly:

            400 hours of General Training

            750 hours of Airframe Training

            750 hours of Powerplant Training

Sometimes you will find that a school may put extra hours into their program. This is meant to benefit you. Because the classes are calculated hourly, adding additional time allows a student to miss hours without fearing they will fail.

There are two options you have when choosing which school to attend. You can choose to achieve your AMT certificates by going to a school dedicated entirely to providing you only with your required training for your certifications, or you can choose to attend a college. If you decide to attend a college, you will be requested to complete all the training required for the AMT certificate. However, you will be given the advantage of continuing on to receive your Associates in Science (AS) degree for Aircraft Maintenance Management.

What does one study in Aircraft Maintenance Technician courses?

It's nice to know what you will be getting yourself into when choosing to attend this school type. Therefore, a person should understand what aviation mechanic courses they have to go through.

Below is the list of subjects students have to study to become an Aircraft Maintenance Technician.

It is a great aviation maintenance course that opens up a plethora of opportunities for aspirants. One just needs a quick eye for detail and a high level of awareness to complete this course and ace it.

A little bit of advice, you're never too old to begin!

Also, many companies hire AMT students right out of school ranging from hangar maintenance to line maintenance to shop work. To help you find an entry-level position within aviation maintenance, head to www.AMTJOBOPENINGS.com and search the jobs board. Make sure to type entry-level in the Search Category.

Remember, the aviation industry is almost always on the rise because for various reasons – personal or professional-because traveling is inevitable. Airplanes make everything easy, and aviation maintenance technicians have a big helping hand behind this.

Congratulations on your endeavor to becoming an AMT, and good luck on your journey!