8610-2 signoff a long time ago

k9medic

k9medic

Line Up and Wait
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ATP-H, CMEL, CSEL, CFI/CFII Airplanes and Helicopters
Along the same lines as the A&P "refreshing" how would I go about getting my A&P is at one time I had an 8610-2 that was signed off by the FSDO to allow me to test?

It has been over 24 months since it was signed off (more like 180 months.) The signoff was based upon civil experience.

Do you just get another 8610-2 signed off by the FSDO?
 
the 8610 does not expire, only the test results expire in 24 months. however, if you have lost or misplaced the 8610 you will need to go back to the FAA to have it re-issued.
 
Ryan Klems said:
Do you still have your old signed off 8610-2's? If so, I'd call the FSDO and speak with an ASI. I suspect they may be fine with just signing off new 8610-2's using your old ones as the proof of experience. Otherwise you will have to sit for another interview and prove the experience. It's also possible that given the length of time, even with the old 8610-2's they may want to do another interview.
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I do have the old 8610-2's.
 
unsafervguy said:
the 8610 does not expire, only the test results expire in 24 months. however, if you have lost or misplaced the 8610 you will need to go back to the FAA to have it re-issued.
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You are totally right, I was mixing that up with the 24 months once you start testing.
 
So I made a few phone calls (Baker's was one of them) and it looks like I am still good to go. Now to carve out 2 weeks for a cram session and testing.
 
I got my sign off a few months ago, may try the closer one in Houston.
Aero-Tech at Hooks Airport
 
PiperW said:
I got my sign off a few months ago, may try the closer one in Houston.
Aero-Tech at Hooks Airport
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I went to Aero-Tech in Nov 2020. Great place, work at your own pace and lots of support. Great DME’s in the area as well.


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k9medic said:
So I made a few phone calls (Baker's was one of them) and it looks like I am still good to go. Now to carve out 2 weeks for a cram session and testing.
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You won't be disappointed there. Nice facility, great people, and proven results. Hotel right next door and you can fly right in there too if you have a bird.

I haven't taken their A&P course as I did that all independently. But I did go through their IA course and was pleased. Got a 98% and that's because I hastily read that T/F question and just made the wrong click.

Schedule it, show up, and follow their curriculum. Don't try and pre-study.
 
Most folks that qualify per civil 65.77 experience have little background

with turbine engines, pressurization and hydraulic systems and other

items from the “ Heavy World”.

Are you saying it is best to ignore these until arriving at Bakers or similar?
 
Magman said:
Most folks that qualify per civil 65.77 experience have little background

with turbine engines, pressurization and hydraulic systems and other

items from the “ Heavy World”.

Are you saying it is best to ignore these until arriving at Bakers or similar?
Click to expand...

Bakers and Aero-Tech only teach what you need to get the license. They know what the DME’s are going to ask on the oral and they know what you be tested on for the practical. The written exams are memorize, test, repeat two more times.

The only issue is the written prep software was pretty out of date and I saw new questions on my FAA exam. Personally I would download the latest A&P written prep software from Dauntless and take all three writtens at home. Then come in for the oral and practical prep.


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k9medic said:
This is what I have been told as well.

I agree that this is a "teach the test" type of scenario which is what I need.
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I can’t speak for Bakers since I went to Aero-Tech. I’m sure Bakers is very similar. They “teach” the practical and oral exam. It’s up to you to sit in front of a computer memorizing the three written exams which is about 1200 questions for each test. Instead of sitting in a stuffy computer room, I could sit in my hotel room or home using the latest software to study free of distractions. To each is own.

I know the FAA changes the test banks a couple times a year, so you have to update the software to reflect the changes. The complaints I saw back in Sept 2020 before I committed and personally experienced is that they didn’t have the latest software with the most up to date test bank. When you log in to their computers you can see the latest version was a couple years old. The software they load on your laptop was a couple years old too and it won’t let you update it without paying for a new subscription. I gave them this feedback a year ago. They may have updated it since then.

I used their software for the first test and saw new questions that weren’t in their software. That’s when I decided to get my own and update it. I did better on the next 2 exams. I paid $150 for all three exams from Dauntless with unlimited test bank updates on my iPad.

Aero-tech did a great job prepping me for the oral and practical. I worked on heavies in the military decades ago and hadn’t turned a wrench since then. I had to learn a lot about GA, piston engines, and old electrical systems. The written prep does a lot of this. I feel Aero-Tech did a great job helping me understand that as well. I was prepared for the oral and practical but never felt prepared because there is just so much to learn and what you can be tested on. It took about 6 hours for the oral and practical.

The examiner gave me great feedback and said that I did a fantastic job. I didnt feel that way. We went through all of the oral questions in about 2 hours. I am an average student. I stumbled on 2 or 3 of them but figured it out.

I can only give credit to Aero-Tech for that compliment and preparation. In the end, I got the A&P on my first attempt and that was my goal. It was hard but well worth it.


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Magman said:
Most folks that qualify per civil 65.77 experience have little background

with turbine engines, pressurization and hydraulic systems and other

items from the “ Heavy World”.

Are you saying it is best to ignore these until arriving at Bakers or similar?
Click to expand...

It was my experience that the level of knowledge required for those areas to pass the tests was very minimal. I think the guys who earned their experience working on light GA aircraft will be far more prepared to test than those that earned their experience in the “heavy world”, unless things have changed a lot since I took the tests.

My observation was that the ex military guys who had zero piston experience and little or no maintenance experience outside the military struggled the most and would benefit the most from a thorough test preparation course.

The prep schools will not give people any real knowledge/experience. They are designed solely to get people to memorize the tests and pass. Bakers was excellent for that. The folks I know who went through any of the prep schools were no better at being mechanics after they went to school than they were before. Some were good and some weren’t.
 
From FAA Order 8900.1:

5-1135 KNOWLEDGE TEST REQUIREMENTS. Section 65.71(a)(3) and (b) require the passage of all of the prescribed tests, which include the knowledge, oral, and practical skill tests, within a 24-month period. The 24 months start at the first attempt of any test, pass or fail. If for any reason other than being held for age, the applicant feels that he or she cannot finish in the 24-month period, the applicant needs to get a new authorization and start a new testing cycle.
 
My Mx background is GA from years ago. I’ve been doing owner assisted annuals on my planes for a couple of years as well.

If you were to ask me how to safety wire a turnbuckle that is an easy task. Ask me to scarf a spar and that’s not going to happen.

With the proper tools I can do just about anything. My limitations come from the fact that I don’t have all of the proper tools.

It’s kind of like putting a vacuum pump on a lycoming. You either need the proper tool or you need a wrench, hammer and a flat head screwdriver.


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Proper tools w/o knowledge will not cut it.

During a Practical one applicant was was told to torque something to 30 lb/ft.

So he set the Torque Wrench at 10 .

10 click, another 10 click and finally the last 10 click.

30 right?
 
That’s pretty dang funny!


30 ft lbs on a plane is pretty hefty too.

I think the main gear link on my 310 is only 11ft. Lbs. and the engine Mount is 40.


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k9medic said:
That’s pretty dang funny!


30 ft lbs on a plane is pretty hefty too.

I think the main gear link on my 310 is only 11ft. Lbs. and the engine Mount is 40.


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I got my A&P to work on my own 310 as well. Saved lots of $$ so far. I call in for help on the specialized stuff or for the tasks that require tooling it’s cost prohibitive to purchase.

The tasks for the practical exam are pretty basic. I did my practical at a mtx school where the DME taught at so they had a lot of equipment to work on.

For my practical exam: I had to start and shutdown an APU, remove and inspect, reinstall a spark plug, tighten a turn buckle, start a torch welder, remove a hydraulic filter, remove and reinstall a battery, and cut a pipe and clamp it for a hydraulic fitting. Drawing a blank on the fitting name. Probably a few more simple tasks but I can’t remember what they were.


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