What Are The Requirements to Be An Aircraft Mechanic? Posted by AIM on May 15, 2014. What Are The Requirements to Be An Aircraft Mechanic? Becoming an aircraft mechanic is a rewarding career field for anyone seeking a job with long term growth potential and plenty of opportunities for advancement. Obtaining an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) licence. Aircraft maintenance engineers (AME) must hold a licence issued by Transport Canada. Before applying for this licence, applicants take basic training, get experience and write exams.
From Transport Canada
Aircraft maintenance engineers (AME) must hold a licence issued by Transport Canada. Before applying for this licence, applicants take basic training, get experience and write exams.
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Aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) licence requirements
Important Notice: The AME licence credential (credit card–style licence) have changed. It has been newly designed and issued with:
- better security features;
- a 10-year validity period; and
- no photograph
Please read the Advisory Circular 566-003 – New Design of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence for more information.
Aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) licensing and training requirements are outlined in:
The information on this page is a basic overview only. Read the above documents before beginning an AME training program.
Before getting licensed as an AME, you must:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Complete a Transport Canada-approved AME basic training program (or one that is acceptable to Transport Canada)
- Get the total amount of applicable civil aviation maintenance experience
- Gain skills by doing a number of specific maintenance tasks
- Successfully complete the technical (if required) and regulatory exams
- Submit an application with the correct form and all other required documentation
For further information, see Transport Canada’s AME Licensing General Information Pamphlet.
AME basic training programs
The first step in becoming an AME is to do a basic training program.
- Find a list of Transport Canada-approved/acceptable AME basic training organizations (currently active)
- Learn more about approved training organizations
Transport Canada must review and accept any other AME basic training programs.
We set out the topics that students learn in approved AME training programs. We also have samples of basic training curriculum for:
- maintenance ('M' rating)
- avionics ('E' rating)
- structures ('S' rating)
These samples explain the AME training goals listed in the Airworthiness Manual Chapter 566, Appendix C. We may use curriculum samples to assess the documentation of students who did not obtain their basic training from an approved or acceptable training organization.
Study and reference guide – AME exams
Transport Canada publishes the Study and Reference Guide – Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Technical Examinations – TP 14038E. If you are planning to take an AME exam, read this guide to find:
- exam formats
- sample topics for maintenance ('M'), avionics ('E'), and structures ('S') exams
- a list of more study resources
Maintenance task skill requirement
Part of the aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) application is providing proof that you have performed maintenance tasks. You must keep records to show you have done specific tasks that are important for the issuance of an AME licence.
There is no formal AME log book. However, you can use the following documents to record the tasks you have completed for the skill requirement:
Maintenance of the following aircraft does not qualify for experience credit:
- ultra-light
- advanced ultra-light
- amateur-built
- owner-maintained
Submitting an application for the AME Licence
When you have completed all training and exam requirements, choose the relevant procedure to submit an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) licence application.
If you received your basic training from an approved training organization, follow these steps:
- Download the application form (available in PDF only).
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence Application
[PDF, 710 KB]
[PDF, 710 KB]
- Fill out Part A of the form in black ink only. Follow detailed instructions on the application form.
- Submit the form, along with supporting documentation, to your nearest Transport Canada Centre. Foreign applicants must mail their application package to Transport Canada headquarters.
If you did not receive your basic training from an approved training organization, use the AME Licence Application Supplement form 26-0638.
- Date modified:
Technicians replace front wheels on a United ExpressBombardier CRJ700 aircraft at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) is a tradesperson and also refers to a licensed technical qualification for carrying out aircraft maintenance. AMTs inspect and perform or supervise maintenance, preventive maintenance, repairs and alteration of aircraft and aircraft systems.
In the US, for a person who holds a mechanic certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart D of Part 65 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), which are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.[1] The US licensed qualification is sometimes referred to by the FAA as the Aviation Maintenance Technician and is commonly referred to as the Airframe and Powerplant (A&P).
In many countries the equivalent license to an AMT is the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME).
- 1USA
USA[edit]
Technicians work on a Bombardier airplane in Dallas, Texas.
Certification[edit]
The general requirement for eligibility for a mechanic certificate include the following. The candidate must:
- Be 18 or older
- Be able to read, speak, and understand English fluently;
- Meet the experience or educational requirement; and
- Pass a set of required tests within a maximum of 24 months.[2]
The required tests include a set of knowledge tests, followed by a practical test, which includes an oral examination component, and which is administered by a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME).
A person who fulfills the necessary requirements is issued a mechanic certificate with either an airframe or powerplant rating, or both.[3] These ratings together account for the common practice of referring to mechanics as 'A&Ps.' Until 1952, instead of the Powerplant rating, an Engine rating was issued, so the abbreviation 'A&E' may appear in older documents.[3]
Eligibility for the mechanic tests depends on the applicant's ability to document their knowledge of required subject matter and ability to perform maintenance tasks.[4][5] The FAA recognizes two ways of demonstrating the needed knowledge and skills: practical experience or completion of a training program at a school certificated under Part 147 of the FARs.[6]
Industry competitions[edit]
The AMT Society presents the annual Maintenance Skills Competition, which recognizes top AMT teams across all aviation including commercial and military.
Applications based on experience[edit]
Applicants for a mechanic certificate with a single rating—either Airframe or Powerplant—and who base their application on practical experience must demonstrate 18 months of work experience applicable to the chosen rating. Those applying for both ratings must show a total of 30 months of applicable experience.[6] Many military-trained aircraft mechanics are eligible to use their work experience as the basis for an application for a civilian mechanic certificate.[7]
Applications based on education[edit]
Applicants who attend an aviation maintenance school program certificated under Part 147 study an FAA-approved and supervised curriculum. Those applying for a mechanic certificate with a single rating—either Airframe or Powerplant—study a 'general' set of subjects for at least 400 hours, as well as at least 750 hours of material appropriate to the chosen rating, for a total of 1,150 hours. Those who pursue both ratings study the 'general' material, as well as the 750 hours for each rating, for a total of at least 1,900 hours.[8] Completion of such a program of study typically requires between 18 and 24 months.
Required areas of study in the 'general' curriculum include electricity, technical drawings, weight and balance, hydraulics and pneumatics, ground operation of aircraft, cleaning and corrosion control, basic mathematical calculations, forms and record-keeping, basic physics, maintenance manuals and publications, and applicable federal regulations.[9] Thorough knowledge of FAA rules and regulations (especially with regard to accepted repair/modification procedures) is also expected of A&P mechanics.
Required areas of study in the airframe curriculum include inspection, structures—wood, sheet metal, composite—and fasteners, covering, finishes, welding, assembly and rigging, hydraulics, pneumatics, cabin atmosphere control systems, instrument systems, communication and navigation systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, position and warning systems, ice and rain control systems, and fire protection systems.[10]
Required areas of study in the powerplant curriculum include inspection, reciprocating and turbine engine theory and repair, instrument systems, fire protection systems, electrical systems, lubrication systems, ignition and starting systems, fuel metering systems, fuel systems, induction and airflow systems, cooling systems, exhaust and reverser systems, propellers, unducted fans, and auxiliary power units.[11]
Inspection authorization[edit]
Some AMTs, after at least three years of working in their field, choose to acquire an inspection authorization (IA), which is an additional rating added on to the individual's mechanic certificate. These individuals are allowed to perform annual inspections on aircraft and sign off for return to service on major repairs and alterations on the required block of the FAA form 337. Certification and limitations, including renewal requirements, of mechanics with inspection authorization is contained in 14 CFR Part 65.
The requirements for obtaining an inspection authorization is that the AMT must be licensed for a minimum of three years and actively exercising the rights of an A&P for the two years prior to the date that the IA examination is to be taken.
Renewal of the IA rating must be done every two years (on odd years) by submitting to the FAA a form showing a minimum of activity in which the IA exercised his or her authority. This activity comprises either annual inspections, major repairs, major alterations, or a minimum of 8 hours of FAA approved training. This activity must be accomplished every 12 months even though the renewal period is every 24 months.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
![Mechanic Mechanic](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126345264/456207088.jpg)
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. 'Subpart D—Mechanics'. Part 65—Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Retrieved 2015-12-22.[permanent dead link]
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. '65.71 Eligibility requirements: General'. Part 65—Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ abFederal Aviation Administration. '65.73 Ratings'. Part 65—Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. '65.75 Knowledge requirements'. Part 65—Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. '65.79 Skill requirements'. Part 65—Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ abFederal Aviation Administration. '65.77 Experience requirements'. Part 65—Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^'Air Force Airframe and Power Plant (A & P) Certification Program'. Community College of the Air Force. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. '147.21 General curriculum requirements'. Part 147—Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. 'Appendix B to Part 147—General curriculum subjects'. Part 147—Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. 'Appendix C to Part 147—Airframe curriculum subjects'. Part 147—Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^Federal Aviation Administration. 'Appendix D to Part 147—Powerplant curriculum subjects'. Part 147—Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
External links[edit]
- Computer Testing Supplement for Aviation Mechanic General, Powerplant, and Airframe; and Parachute RiggerFAA 2005
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