Online A&P course

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Sociald

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Sociald
Gents, I'm looking at getting my A&P. Don't really plan to use it for employment, but more for my own plane ownership and/or restoration type stuff. My time in the AF (as an APG/Crew Chief) is enough for me to try to convince an FAA guy to give me signoffs to go to a place like Bakers and get my A&P. I feel like I have a lot more to learn about GA maintenance and don't care to roll down there unprepared. I'm wondering if there are any A&Ps on here that know of good resources for someone to learn via in house quarantine. I've downloaded the Airframe/Powerplant/General books from the FAA, just wondering if you guys know of any good online/interactive learning products. Looking for something more than just teaching me the FAA written tests.

Thanks!
 
Sociald said:
My time in the AF (as an APG/Crew Chief) is enough for me to try to convince an FAA guy to give me signoffs to go to a place like Bakers and get my A&P.
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Have you already discussed this with a FSDO ASI and received your test authorizations? If not, do you have any Certificates of Eligibility from your time in the service? Look at Para 5-1134(B)(2) below for the requirements on military experience.
https://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=8900.1,Vol.5,Ch5,Sec2
Sociald said:
Looking for something more than just teaching me the FAA written tests.
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The tests--written, oral, practical are the most important thing. Everything else is secondary. Study the FAA books you have now and get a good handle on what they describe as that is what the test is. It's not cutting edge stuff but the goal is to get past the tests. If you're weak on the hands-on skills side for the practical tests, like sheetmetal, you might want to explore getting the basics on those types skills also. Same with knowing and understanding the FARs, ACs, Orders, etc. as these will be included in your oral tests. The above will keep you occupied enough without needing additional online material. Regardless, I'd check first with the FSDO to see if you meet the Part 65 experience requirements. If not then your only option is a Part 147 school. Good luck.
 
Tinker with experimental aircraft. No A&P needed, only need an A&P for an annual condition inspection. If you get a repairmans cert for the airplane then you don't even need an A&P for that, you can do it yourself.
 
Bell206 said:
Have you already discussed this with a FSDO ASI and received your test authorizations? If not, do you have any Certificates of Eligibility from your time in the service? Look at Para 5-1134(B)(2) below for the requirements on military experience.
https://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=8900.1,Vol.5,Ch5,Sec2
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Yup, based on my conversation with the ASI, I meet the mins for both A and P. Hopefully I'll be able to get to the FSDO after all this mess is over.

Bell206 said:
The tests--written, oral, practical are the most important thing. Everything else is secondary. Study the FAA books you have now and get a good handle on what they describe as that is what the test is. It's not cutting edge stuff but the goal is to get past the tests. If you're weak on the hands-on skills side for the practical tests, like sheetmetal, you might want to explore getting the basics on those types skills also. Same with knowing and understanding the FARs, ACs, Orders, etc. as these will be included in your oral tests. The above will keep you occupied enough without needing additional online material. Regardless, I'd check first with the FSDO to see if you meet the Part 65 experience requirements. If not then your only option is a Part 147 school. Good luck.
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Pretty much echos what I had heard elsewhere. When the virus is over I plan to start volunteering at a local air museum and start helping a guy who does restorations. Hoping to learn a lot that way. For now, I'll keep reading the books. Thanks for the words!


OkieAviator said:
Tinker with experimental aircraft. No A&P needed, only need an A&P for an annual condition inspection. If you get a repairmans cert for the airplane then you don't even need an A&P for that, you can do it yourself.
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For now, I already have certified aircraft and the planes I want/love are certified. I love the experimental world though and will likely go that route down the road.

Thanks again for the words!
 
Sociald said:
Hoping to learn a lot that way.
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They don't call an A&P "a license to learn" for nothing. Here's a several more links. Look over the practical test standards link to get a handle on what they might throw at you and try to get some experience once you start your hands on learning. You won't get tested on every item but the more you know the better.
https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/testing/practical/
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_43.13-1B_w-chg1.pdf
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC 43.13-2B.pdf
 
I’ve been involved with Aviation since the Nina and Pinta projects ended.

Along the way I’ve helped a lot of folks get their A & P.

Their avenues of expertise covers” From Stinsons to Space Shuttles”.

My practice yo to advise the young people to keep a log of any and all

maintenance activities.

That includes washing aircraft ,research and ordering parts, troubleshooting etc.

Include ALL Training Files and Certifications.

The Fiefdom, er FSDO, will sort out what they don’t like.

Don't you make the call.

My recommendation is to address the GENERAL first.

You should know Part 65 word for word as it applies to A & P.

Also be very familiar with Part 43.

Sometimes locking yourself away from life is effective to do your studying.


Test Prep materials have been constantly changing.

I’ll see to I can check with some recent Techs on what they used.
 
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If your planning on the full course at Baker, they will feed you everything you need. Over 20 years ago I did my test myself but went to baker for my oral and practical. They did a great job prepping me in four days to take the oral and practical. Went back for my IA with very little prep work and walked out with a 100 on the test. Just for basic knowledge, I would start with the FARs and ac43.13
 
Sociald said:
Gents, I'm looking at getting my A&P. Don't really plan to use it for employment, but more for my own plane ownership and/or restoration type stuff. My time in the AF (as an APG/Crew Chief) is enough for me to try to convince an FAA guy to give me signoffs to go to a place like Bakers and get my A&P. I feel like I have a lot more to learn about GA maintenance and don't care to roll down there unprepared. I'm wondering if there are any A&Ps on here that know of good resources for someone to learn via in house quarantine. I've downloaded the Airframe/Powerplant/General books from the FAA, just wondering if you guys know of any good online/interactive learning products. Looking for something more than just teaching me the FAA written tests.

Thanks!
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I’m doing this exact plan now. I was a crew chief in the ANG for 5 years and took my NGB22’s to the FSDO and walla..they gave me an 8610.

I looked at Bakers, but being in Houston there’s a school there called Aero-Tech at Hooks Airport (KDWH) that does the exact same thing as Bakers. It was local, at my own pace, and roughly the same price as Bakers.

I bought software from Dauntless for $150 for all 3 written preps. It loads on the iPhone and iPad. Just like Baker’s, Aero-Tech also give you the books to study. I wanted to get ahead of the game and ordered the software. It may have created negative training because I had looked at the Airframe test so many times when taking the written that I started question my answer. Made an 85 on the Airframe. Working on the General now.

Either school will have you do Airframe first, then General, then Powerplant. After you pass all of the writtens, then you study the oral exam. They’ll prep you for the oral and practical. When they feel you’re ready, they’ll set you up with an examiner. Houston has a bunch of them and it was more flexible with my schedule.

If you’re retired, still in the military and near a base, then you may be able to take the FAA exams for free. That saves about $500. Some bases are able to give the FAA tests for free. My local base isn’t doing it right now due to COVID but it’s a possible option to save some $$.

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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As a vet with an A & P you have many career options.

You may want to keep in mind with DoD or FAA .

btw- I was with 107th NYANG - Niagara Falls Huns
 
If you're not interested in making a career of it, just want it for your own personal use and have the endorsements then, as said, it's really all just about passing the exams. For the A&P exams the actual questions are published as guides you can purchase and study. Of course they publish all 700+ questions for each exam and only 100 of them will be on the actual test but you will have seen all 100 of them before hand. So it's just a matter of discipline. You can pay someone to lock you in a room and study the exam questions but in the end it's still up to you to do it. The practical test is mostly an oral exam, you might be asked to time a mag, buck a rivet or torque a fastener but not a lot beyond that. The experience will come as you work on your own aircraft and it will take years, some of it you will do although you might never take apart a magneto, rebuild an engine or install a new radio but rather R&R and send it out to a specialty shop or even hire someone to do it for you. After 3 years you can get an IA and do your own annuals. The IA test is mostly about interpreting FAR's, AD's and filling out W&B forms.
 
I went thru Bakers under comparable circumstances. I have just been extremely selective about tasks I take on unsupervised, and keep a deep rolodex of other wrenches to consult with when I end up in the weeds.

Their practical lab is for checkride prep. I didnt learn much hands on stuff, but I made sure to practice each station they offered until I was comfortable, and when asked, their instructors DO have advice you can use. But you gotta engage them and draw it out.

$0.02
 
A good place to start is with FAR 65.

You should know what applies to an AMT word for word.

I didn’t say easy.

Next up you want to know Part 43 very well.

These areas are part of General that MIL folks are not familiar with.
 
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