HYDROGUARDIAN16

Hey guys I just wanted to share my excitement in becoming an certified airline mechanic. I am attending MATC Oak Creek, WI on General Mitchell Int. Airport for my A&P lisence. I am on my second semester working with Hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, and Avionics. To get my A&P I have to attend this college course for 2 years and then I take my test.

Wow! This industry is a far cry from tractor repairs! I have to make log entries, sign off aircraft for airworthiness, deal with the FAA, and Government of the USA. Basically if the aircraft I repaired crashed and burned and it was my fault, yep JAIL. So I am taking a BIG OL' step from lawnmowers!

If there are any retired or active A&P's or aircraft mechanics out there please post any advice or tips to help me along the way! I have been working on a Cessna 310 doing brakes and landing gear, corosion treatment, and much more. Today I retracted and extended landing gear on a Beechcraft King Air. It is so cool to toggle the switches and sit in front of a lit up instrument panel!

This is great!

Ben

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2003 Simplicity Regent 18HP Vtwin
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1986 Bolens 1800 / 5018H
-46" 2 stage snow thrower
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1966 Wheel Horse 606
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Gravely 3 Wheel Triplex mower
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70's Jacobsen 1000 chief

chrpmaster

Congratulations Ben! Sounds like you are having fun while learning a valuable trade. Keep us informed how your doing in school and best of luck.

Andy

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Stupidity is exasperating. Willful ignorance is bulletproof.

Having government manage your health care is like having Michael Vick watch your dog.

Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting to see what they will have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the outcome of the vote.

Fordfarm

Congrats! I am a "former" A&P holder! Haven't worked in the industry for about 25 years, so haven't kept current.

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Fordfarm
http://scroungeman.blogspot.com/

"Progress stops when you can no longer improve your property, for fear of the tax burden it would bring..."

Cannuck-elhead

Well Ben, as one of the many guys that "drives the bus" from the front left seat (and front right in a helo) congratulations!!

The guys in the white shirts up front definitely get all the glory, but without you guys it would never happen.

As far as advice, the best I can offer was that which my grandfather (who started flying in the late 1920's) told me when I first started learning to fly, "You have two ears and one mouth, that's so you can listen twice as hard and ask questions about what you don't understand."

Seemed to work for me so far.

You have the hard part down already, you understand how those danged infernal combustion engines work.

k1burner

As another of those white shirts up front, good luck and what you have learned in tractor repair, and reasoning skills will go a long way preparing you to work on those flying machines. I am not an A & P but have a mechanical background and it makes it easier when talking with my maintenance staff and or troubleshooting problems. Good luck and keep us posted. Networking is the way to find the "dream job" in aviation. Here is as good a place as any to start networking.
Mark

HYDROGUARDIAN16

Thanks guys I will keep yall posted and thanks for the advice

__________________
2003 Simplicity Regent 18HP Vtwin
-
1986 Bolens 1800 / 5018H
-46" 2 stage snow thrower
-
1966 Wheel Horse 606
-
Gravely 3 Wheel Triplex mower
-
70's Jacobsen 1000 chief

Live Oak

Congratulations Hydro! This sounds like a profession right up your alley. In a former life I was a military helicopter maintenance test pilot, maintenance supervisor, and technical inspector. Just remember that the job in NOT done until the paperwork is finished and you have done a thorough FOD and tool check of the area being worked on.

HYDROGUARDIAN16

FOD. Yeah i better not leave anything laying around. YIKES!

__________________
2003 Simplicity Regent 18HP Vtwin
-
1986 Bolens 1800 / 5018H
-46" 2 stage snow thrower
-
1966 Wheel Horse 606
-
Gravely 3 Wheel Triplex mower
-
70's Jacobsen 1000 chief