A&P at Bakers - what to expect, what I can get away with?

schmookeeg

schmookeeg

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Mike Brannigan
Hello,

I'm set to attend Baker's school in Tennessee in a month, for A&P initial.

I took a search and didn't find exactly what I'm after, which is -- what can I expect?

How strenuous is the training? I'm evaluating whether I can do work in the evenings, or if I'll be completely consumed with the prep work. I don't care if I'm remedial and take longer in the course, if I can maintain side work (which pays for many multiples of the class).

It appears that Bakers is in the MOFN and I'll want my own car.

Is there a particular hotel arrangement that is better than others, or should I AirBnB it?

Am I leaving a full day's class each night with 8 hours of homework to complete?

Appreciate any thoughts/experiences/anecdotes so I can plan accordingly.

Cheers,

- Mike
 
a lot depends on you. it is a lot of material to cover and learn in a short period of time. are you doing the test prep and practical prep or just the practical prep. if you are doing the test prep it really depends on how much you have been studying already. if you are going in expecting them to spoon feed you, you are going to be working very hard. dont go into it expecting to spend the evenings partying in nash-vegas or relaxing. you will have a lot of studying to do. they will get you through it, but it takes a lot of work on your part also.
 
unsafervguy said:
a lot depends on you. it is a lot of material to cover and learn in a short period of time. are you doing the test prep and practical prep or just the practical prep. if you are doing the test prep it really depends on how much you have been studying already. if you are going in expecting them to spoon feed you, you are going to be working very hard. dont go into it expecting to spend the evenings partying in nash-vegas or relaxing. you will have a lot of studying to do. they will get you through it, but it takes a lot of work on your part also.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm doing both test+practical prep. I start in a month. Recommendations on test preps I can begin now? They basically have only given me hotel options at this point, and I've just been cooking exams4pilots tests and getting in a "rote" state of mind.

I don't want to party, but I do want to continue billing my clients after my day of learning to throw wrenches on a checkride. :D
 
I stayed at the Hampton Inn, which is a very short walk across a field to Bakers. They also have a small laundry on site. There is an Outback and a Subway in easy walking distance. Anything else, you'll either Lyft/Uber (or the food delivery equivalents) or want to rent a car. As for the studying, their program is just a few lectures and lot of self-study, so you'll be on your own for studying for a lot of it (or group study). I used the ASA AMT Prepware on my iPad and was ready for all the written tests going in, but still had to wait for each of the lectures and then their practice test before I could take the actual written tests. If I had to do it again, I probably would have done the written tests on my own and just done their O&P prep, not that there was anything wrong with it, just that they have only one way of going through their program. You finish every day around 4:30-5:00 then go on to continue any additional studying you want to do.
 
Get the ASA Prepware on the laptop, hit the sh*t out of it and you may be able to knock out the writtens in your first week or so. I was close to ready on a lot of it up front, lots of work needed on turbine theory, fire suppression and detection, wood, fabric. You may know more about those and less about others, but when you get where you’re scoring 90+ on the practice tests consistently, take the written and it’ll feel like more practice.

The iPad Prepware is good too, and a good cheap add on, but I like the instant access to backup materials you get on the laptop.

Don’t pause between finishing the writtens and preparing for oral and practical, because it’s more of the same stuff on the oral.

You know a lot, think you’ll crush it.
 
Took the Oral and Practical 2 hours ago. Now I can graffito logbooks legally and document my wrench-based crimes, etched in logbooks, wrapped in infinite liability, forever!

Checkride was 5 hours, pretty much nonstop. It was fun, despite the self-imposed stress levels, breakneck pace, and periods of longing knowing that Nash Vegas is just right over there for the last two weeks. Given the outlay of about 3 grand for this adventure, though, I think there was probably an opportunity to have more fun than I did for the same or less coin. :D

That was harder than the three flight instructor certs. I haven't been this tired in awhile.

Value: 5/10. Probably a lot more, come annual. Shops will need to work slightly harder to nickel and dime me now.
Fun: 2/10
Culture in Lebanon, TN: -4/10

...would I go through that again? probably. But I am starting to believe that aviation in my life is solely to fuel an insatiable masochist streak. :D

Time for :cheerswine:

Thanks for the insight gents.
 
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