best aviation maintainence school???

[ddavis89325is]

I would like to become an aviation mechanic, and possibly a pilot at the same time. I have a few questions regarding school, pay, and the work in general, i hope someone can help me out!

First off, what school and where, is the best aviation mechanics school. Are some better at one area, than the others and vise versa?

What is the average starting pay?

Is there a lot of travel involved?

What kind of hours do you typicly work?

Thanks a lot for any replies i recieve, i'm really thinking about going into aviation maintence, but i want to go about it the right way, ask questions, and make an informed decision on a school.

 

[ddavis89325is]

Well i think i answered my own questions by reading a post below this one... I was always under the impression that aviation mechanics were paid great.... I guess i will have to re-think aviation mechanics school....

 

[IndyGTP]

The best aviation school is the cheapest one you can find. I would hate for you to go to one of the best (Embry Riddle, PIA, and some others..) and spend in upwards of $40,000+ for a dying profession.

www.aviationemployment.com has a list of schools. A state funded school would be cheaper. Purdue/Vincennes has a program in IND. Don't know how much it is now, but when I was there five years ago it cost a grand total of $8,000 for the entire program.

 

[310]

http://www.waynecc.edu/academic_prog/outlines-05/A60200.pdf

oldest public program on east coast
low cost
good instructors
plenty of jobs around
next start date is Aug 15
Hurry
Glad I did it (I am just finishing first year)
Learning more than I thought I would.
Goldsboro NC... low cost of living
close enough to coast for alot of fun and close enough to Raleigh/Durham for plenty of things to do including jobs if you need to work while in school.
Classes are 8am to 1pm M-F. Two years.

 

[310]

This is school's main site

http://www.waynecc.edu/

 

[Khirsah]

VU ATC was a little closer to $10k now, IndyGTP. But still a lot better than $40k.

I'd recommend the Vincennes program at IND as well. Not only because it's cheap, but because one of the best strip joints in Indy is a 40 second drive away and has a lunch buffet.

 

[Gatorman]

Well, if you are asking for the best school to get your A&P and pilot, you must have money.

I had some money, one time, and I went to Spartan in Tulsa (they have both programs). I found them to the second best because I could not afford the first best - Embry Riddle.

Now that I am older and wiser, I can tell you that the best 'school' to get an A&P from will probably be working with an old guy at a GA hangar at a FBO that also has flying lessons.


It is kinda like buying a computer ten years ago......you spent all that money on the best you can buy and now it is barely as powerful as your cell phone.

Think about it.

 

[Weasel Keeper]

...and spend in upwards of $40,000+ for a dying profession.

It's hardly a "dying" profession. There are sh'loads of jobs out there for AMTs, it's just that most of the great paying mainline jobs are thinning out or hard as hell to get into. Someone will always be needed to fix the planes, and eventually people gain experience and get the good paying jobs.

I'm with the others about finding the cheapest A&P school unless maybe you're looking for a degree. The schools only teach you the basics and won't teach you about specific aircraft. That comes after you have your A&P and are in a job where you can build experience.

 

[helimech]

Ok, first of all....there is no such thing as "the best a&p school" The only reason everyone says it's embry riddle is because it's too damn expensive, so it must be the best right? NO!! I've hired 3 or 4 guys from Embry Riddle. They have all been fired at some point or another because that school teaches you how to read books and not turn wrenches. I am a firm believer that you have to have the gift of "turning a wrench". Yes it can be learned, and I respect every mechanic out there who is willing to put his name to his work, but I think for $25,000 a semester or whatever it is now, that they need to teach the basic principles of mechanics. I went to a 2 year school out in the middle of a corn field and spent less than $20,000 for everything and I believe I got a better understanding of how aircraft work and the ins and outs of them. I am finding out that most schools won't teach you how to do dope and fabric or how to weld anymore. I understand that it is a small chance in hell that you will ever work on one, but I also thought that when I was in school and now I'm the director of maintenance for a fairly large helicopter operator and I also have about 7 or 8 fabric covered aircraft that I take care of.
The best A&P school out there is getting into a shop after you have gotten your A&P certificate from somewhere and learning from some old guy who's breath stinks and barely has any teeth, swears at everything under the sun and just carries around this little, old, olive drab colored mechanics bag with all of his basic tools in it, because he can do anything on an aircraft with whatever is in that bag. That is the best teaching you will ever get, and you usually get paid for that. Remember, all of your licenses, pilots, atp, mechanics, or radio station, are all licenses to learn. You can never know everything.

 

[skydivinguy]

I went to Portland Community college outside of Portland Oregon long ago. Low cost then and good training. I've been through lots of jobs and seen lots of changes since 83. You can still make a decent living bending wrenches these days after you pay your dues at the sh*t jobs.

 

[flyinlow67]

Look at SIU-Carbondale. The AMT program has been around for 40+ years now and they have the contacts in the industry to prove it.
If possible, go visit the school you want to attend. I have seen some schools with the bare minimum of staff and equipment. SIU has stuff we didn't even get to in 2.5 years. The advantage is a more varied experience level.

http://www.siuc.edu

 

[cherry20's]

Spartan School of Aeronautics in Oklahoma has a great A&P school as well as flying side too. It is a little expensive but my buddy loved it and is a great mech. I did mine through Civ. work experience and got my A&P in 2 1/2 years. It was definitly the cheapest but not the quickest.

 

[170Mech]

If on the west coast and if you're serious about it, I have no problem recommending Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. They offer the 18 mos program for A+P and have an excellant avionics course. At $11/unit I got out for probably less than 4K including books.

 

[Maiko]

The best school is really a matter of pride. Personally I had much disregard for the over egotistical, brainwashed embryo's. I went to East Coast Aero Tech in MA. Pretty darn good school. Cost I don't because I graduated in 81. It has changed names numerous times, but still survives. Here's the website http://ecat.edu/ As for pay in this industry, well it has gone down the drain. I'm here still because I enjoy it. But if I were to start all over again, I would have chosen a different profession.

 

[skydivinguy]

The best school is really a matter of pride. Personally I had much disregard for the over egotistical, brainwashed embryo's. I went to East Coast Aero Tech in MA. Pretty darn good school. Cost I don't because I graduated in 81. It has changed names numerous times, but still survives. Here's the website http://ecat.edu/ As for pay in this industry, well it has gone down the drain. I'm here still because I enjoy it. But if I were to start all over again, I would have chosen a different profession.

Not me! Used to be a deckhand on inland river towboats, gravedigger, RV factory assembly line worker, brain surgeon, rocket scientist, etc etc.....A&P best of em all! lol!!!

 

[Maiko]

Not me! Used to be a deckhand on inland river towboats, gravedigger, RV factory assembly line worker, brain surgeon, rocket scientist, etc etc.....A&P best of em all! lol!!!

CHEERS to you!! And a great sense of humour as well.
Mike

 

[mecfii]

Honestly if you love aviation I would do one thing first and that is get a college degree. If you have the aptitude get one in aeronautical engineer or electrical engineering. If you can't handle the math and science then just get a degree. Once you have the degree then pursue a career in aviation. You can always get a job while you are going to school at a local airport, where you can hang out with the old mechanics and pilots. And by hanging out with these guys you will get a feel for the jobs and see if it is what you want. The bottom line is…life is so much easier with a degree.

 

[USN-AMSC-RET]

Join the Navy or the Air Force! You can't beat The training, or the benefits and no student loans to repay when you are done.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

i still say avionics is the way to go, or maybe NDI. Some companys have NDI guys that travel around and do inspections, seems like a fun job and i know they make good money.

Have a friend working for gulfstream in WI making great money doing avionics installs.

No matter how much you love a job its still a job, you should conisder money to be important, if you don't beleve me go hang out at your local FBO

 

[fasteddy69]

There is a school in Helena, MT that has small class size and great instructors. Check it out.