Lost a Mag in Flight

[Guest]

Licencing in Canada is 48 months, two years of college followed by 30 months in a shop before being able to write the final exam.

As I understand it it can be done in the US in 12 months, and we don't give home builders a chance to get the ticket.

[Sabremech]

Licencing in Canada is 48 months, two years of college filled by 30 months in a shoo before being able to write the final exam.

As I understand it it can be done in the US in 12 months, and we don't give home builders a chance to get the ticket.

 

 I don't know anywhere it can be done in 12 months. You can go to an aviation school (college 4 years) and get your ticket, or work and document 18 months of powerplant experience plus 12 months of airframe experience for a total of 30 months and then submit that to the FAA for approval to take the tests, or join the military and with the right job function and experience acquire the FAA signoffs to take the exams from the military.

 I chose the military and was fortunate enough to get the required experience in powerplant ( my primary skill was a jet engine technician) and then transfered to become a crew chief for 2 years for a total of 8 years of experience before getting the signoffs for the written and oral tests. So unless something has changed (highly unlikely with our FAA) the training requirements are not much different bewteen our countries.

 

 David

[Andy95W]

I don't think the FAA "gives" out A&P tickets. Mine wasn't given to me and I think the problem boils down to personal ethics and not so much in training. What do you suggest we change or add to our training program?

 

 David

 30 year A&P/IA

+1. Same with mine.

Personal ethics and a general sense of giving a crap makes a huge difference.

I know some really good mechanics that are now heating and air conditioning repairmen because it pays more and they don't risk their careers every time they fix something.

Average shop rates in my area are less than most car dealership rates.

I've had a customer drive up in his BMW and argue about the nuts and bolts he had to pay for when we changed out his engine mounts. And you know damn well that when he gets an invoice from his BMW dealer to work on his car he just strokes a check.

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox. Didn't mean to hijack the thread.

[Mr Bill]

Scan0001.pdf

 

I attended the Geneseo Airshow a few years ago and Mohawk Valley Community College had a display for their one year A&P program. I was surprised to see a school getting this done in a year.

It took me two years in 1960 and my son two years in 1984.

Just shared information. I have no info about MVCC program other than what is on-line.

Also, I just want to say tthat there is a wealth of information on "mooneyspace" and I read it everyday.

 

[Guest]

I once had an A&P work for me who had done a 1 year college program to get his ticket, so I was aware that it was possible.

Clarence

[N201MKTurbo]

I spent two weeks studying for the written, an afternoon talking to the guy at the FSDO, three afternoons taking the written tests and two days doing the practical.

Of course this is after spending 20 years as a hanger rat at the local maintenance shop. I asked three mechanics for letters of recommendation and they all came through.

The FSDO guy was pretty much committed to denying me the apprenticeship thing, until I talked his ear off about everything he asked. He finally had another appointment and signed me off to take the test.

Now I'm an A&P....

[cliffy]

I did a 2 year college course in 1967, went to work the next Monday for Continental Airlines.

We have a local guy doing the "experience" route and the PMI for the 135 company he's working for has him doing a log book for every hour he spends in the shop doing his 1800 hrs for the test. Has to log times and what he did. approved by the Director of Maintenance

[Alan Fox]

I currently have a letter of authorization to sit for the exam , but have had no time to study for it, I know I wont use it for income , so it is not a high priority for me....the LOA does not expire , so Im  not in a big rush to get it done.....

[WardHolbrook]

I flew almost 500 hours before it was discovered one of my studs was sheared off. Not only that, there was evidence of a drill out and the failed repair was actually painted over intentionally. This really could have been a killer.

I've been thinking about this ever since I read your original and posted my original reply. Like I said, I would be pissed if I discovered something intentional like that on an airplane I owned or flew for work. It's the intentional part that would cause me to lose all faith in that airplane until I got a new set of experienced eyeballs to go over it from spinner to tail cone and red nav light to green nav light and top to bottom, including all of the logs. 

 

I would assume that you asked your new maintenance shop to give your airplane the mother of all inspections. If you found this type of shoddy repair and cover up what else is there lurking under the surface? Hopefully, there no more to it than that, but how could you know without digging deeper? If someone was able to rationalize something like that, what else was he able to justify? When it comes to safety, there are some assumptions that you have to make and good maintenance is one of them.