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Im so anxious to miss my enrollment into the a&p program next semester, hopefully its easier since all the highschool goobers would still be in school

I only have my O/Ps left to be certified

Move to a state that has free community collage for residents. Most won't care about your residency because they want to keep the enrollment stats up and most 147 schools have a 70-80% dropout rate.... so they need bodies to complete the course and get certificated and a job. Those stats are more valuable to the school than your true residency status.

Start my first class in 11 days! Super excited

seeing counselor next week waitlist and seats are taken so idk. well see. i hope i can get in

thoughts on taking a 8-12 month program instead of a 2 year ?

Currently going to a 147 school here in So Cal. I'll have a stacked Fall semester and then just a couple classes in Spring '25. Almost there!

I am starting classes this upcoming semester! Although I had to start with the classes in the middle because the community college im attending has very limited seating ;0

0-2 on my airframe written exam, hopefully, the third time will be the charm for me! I will also be starting my first semester of powerplant this August, I'm excited!

Hey thats my box from like 2 years ago! 😂 glad to still see my name on it lol

Hey bryce, i wanted to register for the fall, but the councilor told me that it was full so he registered me for the associate classes math english economics... he told me that the registrations for the spring weren't open yet now i heard in your video that it is already full Is it already late for me to register for the spring ?

Can you give me any tips on what and how to study for my orals and practicals? I passed all my written tests.

This guy just wants more students so he can stay clean😂

is 50,000 - 60,000 good starting? I recently got offered a position for Bell Helicopter in Piney Flats TN 1st shift 7-4

Paid for my Fall semester this morning and excited to start classes this August. Went with State college and very happy about it

What’s the discord

Good video! Do you think you could do a video explaining that test equipment in the background? Or is that proprietary to your school?

I got a question, What do airline companies expected you to know or how much knowledge as a newly fresh of school A&P with no experience. My fear right now is that I know how much I dont know

I start school next month to get my A&P

Graduated in December! Studying for my oral and practical exam. I would second this!!

Don't forget you still have to give the government their cut. Working for yourself you will pay 12.4% Social Security tax and 2.9% Medicare tax. Thats 15.4% of your income right off the top. Next you have to pay Federal and in some cases State income tax that is based on your total income from your full time job and your side hustle.

I went through A&P school in 1975 and at the time many people were getting out of the military with solid helicopter and jet experience and jobs were hard to find. My goal was to work at the planned UPS maintenance hub in my home town. The hub kept getting delayed and because of a wife and kids I went in a different career direction. My roommate from A&P school finally got on at the UPS hub and made really good money. That said I very disappointed with the way wages turned out for most A&P's and glad I moved on to another career path.

Been there done that.stand tall 24 years in contracts.i know.Ecj USMC

It's a perfectly honest airplane that does nothing unexpected. It just seems to attract incompetent pilots.

Have you been hitting the gym? How much do you weigh now? 💪

Is this THE famous Mazda Miata from all your stories in class

What's the discord?

I self studied, but took time from work (full time GA A&P). I had the docs supplied at the test, killed 5 weeks of my life and got a 74. Proud of that, yeah. But if ever I fail to renew I will not be happy with my self and I would take the baker rout. I instructed Power Plant at a 147 school for a number of years and retained my IA with a side inspection service. Did insurance total your truck? SAFE AIR, : )

Exactly... lack of proficiency. Just because a person with deep pockets can afford an advanced type, doesn't mean he or she will fly it safely. We have many cases around, with the pilot miles behind the plane. The outcome usually is disaster.

Ok. I had my first accident in 2022 since driving since 1975. Im an old timer wanting to get my IA. Never pursued it thru the yrs. The FAA requires someone to be “actively” engaged on a/c maintenance for two yrs prior to your interview to get signed off. So let me confuse you here. If I backtrack 2 yrs before retirement I worked full time for 4 months. Total 120 full time days. But if I had worked 4hrs a week, one day a week in that 2 yr time frame, I would have actually been “actively” engaged but actually worked less time. No sign off given. If I had actually shown “ occasional” work 1 day a week during that 2 yr time frame and shown “N” numbers , I could have been signed off for the IA test. Makes no sense. There is no definition for “occasional “ work as an A&P

i graduated AIM in December got hired on at delta last month im making 40 an hour starting

Thannnnkkkk youuuu

You can do the 30 month route on nights and weekends spread out over like 5 years. Thats how I got my 8610-2 done.

Its a bummer when you have an incompetent owner but this is the crux of the issue between mechanics, owners and the FAA. As an owner I am FORCED by the govt to do business with 3rd party to use my own private property. This is the only reason I am pursuing my A&P / IA, and of course the FAA makes it as difficult as possible. The process is such a quagmire and if you have an unscrupulous mechanic who wants to do the annual on time and materials you can really get burned, sure you can say no but the FAA makes the A&P and particularly the IA process so convoluted they have created artificial scarcity in some areas. I have heard of coworkers in the past get bills for 6 grand (and nothing extreme was done like an engine overhaul or a new prop or significant wood/fabric rebuilds). The GA annual is probably the biggest sore spot in aviation today (I would say medicals but basic med saved that and congress had to literally force the FAA to do it because its made things to simple on some guy that wants to fly a super cub around class G air space because you have to save your whole life to pay for the special TSO parts lol and now now your facing medical problems). Imagine if every motorist had to get a special mechanic to inspect their car every year to the sum of thousands so they can go to work, I mean a malfunction on a car can also cost lives. The Chevron overturn was a step in the right direction. Yes you dont want to fly around with a crack in a critical location but that shouldn't mean 6k annuals and 5$ bolts either. The public is starting to sour on administrative law and hopefully the FAA can make some changes like let people get repairmans certs for their own personal CERTIFIED aircraft to sign off their own annuals so that all you have to know if YOUR plane and no others.

You did it right, buy the hangar and get the IA first. I did the pilots licence and bought a pitts S2B and became an aerobatic pilot, now I'm dealing with the quagmire of all the mechanics I got to know and learn from and get my 8610-2 signed are retiring, hangars are ridiculous right now so trying to find a place in the nation that we want to live to retire to finding an airfield that's not filled with Karens that's affordable while at the same time trying to find a new mechanic AND get my own IA when I have other things to do isent super fun. No one seems to like aerobatic pilots and their planes.

Have you been to the lycoming overhaul class?

I would ask why they need to be running that jet engine while mx activities are going on, its usually because they said so and you make 6 figures. Theres VERY few reasons to be running an engine while people are trying to do mx activities.

I am getting my A&P / IA just to sign off my own annuals, the FAA is such a joke but this is the law.

You also loose alot of leverage to change jobs if things start to become toxic at your current job. Jobs may take you on right out of school without the A&P with the expectation that your young and your going to get it, but if its 10 years down the road and your trying to get a job without the certs it will be WAY harder. And now maybe you have kids and a wife that doesn't work and your competing with IA mechanics. Brice also brought up a KEY point, even if it was in passing, become financially independent, no matter what it takes, don't have kids, find a woman that is on board with financial independence or at least is ok with it. This isn't even A&P stuff just wisdom for living in late-stage capitalism (I would even say we are past late stage capitalism and into a sort of neo feudalism)

@brycebuildsit does being colorblind affect you obtaining a job or enrolling in a course of an aircraft mechanic ?

Hey Bryce, do you think you could make a video one day on General Aviation versus Major Airlines as a career choice? Pllsss!!!

Hey Bryce, I’m actually thinking about doing the partnership, I’ve been talking to my coworker about this, it is important to have someone you can trust and also have clear all the conditions. Yesterday I got my 8610-1, so in couple days I expect to have my IA, and then try my first Annual. I need to do my research about costs of how much they charge in Colorado area. I work at a FBO but I need to start my own business and split my time till my business is profitable enough. Thank you for your videos. I try not to miss any

F33A driver here and I concur.

What are the highest paying types of aircraft mechanics? Im thinking of working major airline because I know they pay well and some employers offer free or heavily discounted flights

Let's connect. Read the Founders Dilema by Noam Wasserman. It is a book for partners and how to structure a business. I like the topic of business ( I had a few in my life, plus education in business). I am now in the process of obtaining my A&P. My master plan is to buy and sell airplanes that I like and hopefully make some profit. But I am planing to eat with commercial airline job. I would like to expand this conversation where we can exchange our knowledge. Thanks.

Interesting strategy on partnering with a qualified person, but I do think the IA is worth something on the books. Renewal, exposure to litigation, the test was ridiculous, the IA has value. After all, to return Aircraft to service after any Major or Annual inspection (short list, plenty more), the Inspection Authorization is required. If its not Major, its minor...big difference ; )

Clickbait for sure. Drive trough ..common. soo cheesy

Would being a a&p be a tough job if I have a bad low back?

First, the video is excellent and has excellent points. But many people may be skeptical and ask, if this job is so great, why is there a significant shortage of mechanics. Specifically skilled and experienced ones. In the interest of full disclosure, I would need to explain some of the working conditions you can expect. I have been in Aviation for 42 years, starting in Avionics in the military and then getting an A&P. I am number three of four generations in my family to be certificated mechanics and pilots (My grandfather, dad, me, and my son are all certificated). I agree with all of the points in your video. I even taught for ten years at an A&P and Avionics program. The only thing I can say about this career is that it is very volatile or freeing based on your desires. I look at my resume, and I have changed jobs at least 2 times. Today is more uncertain than ever in that I have had 6 different jobs in four states in the last four years. I have always had a job because of my certificate, which would get me an interview. However, my experience and knowledge have given me a better job. But I always had to look for new times to keep up with inflation and my growing family. We can blame the younger people and the companies themselves for creating the shortages of A&Ps. First, longevity and loyalty went out with pe ions. Companies no longer incentivize employees to retire at the end of a career with a company. I am the last of the Baby Boomers, but I know I will not have a retirement to fall back on. I will be working until I die. Second, employers see mechanics as expendable resources to be used and discarded when a project or activity is done. The enabler here is contract houses that feed mechanics to MROs. I am not blaming them for the shortages, but it is hard if you want a traditional home life. With the airlines farming out all of their heavy maintenance to Repair Stations, most new hire mechanics are getting their start there. I have worked in this system, and most will offer teaser pay with a really high per diem. Unfortunately, after the teaser contract is up, you get full-time employment offers, but these are at reduced pay. If you had known upfront, you would not have considered going in the first place. The third issue is younger people today are taught to get an increase in pay (meaning a promotion) you need to change companies at least every two years. This is not just affecting aviaiton but all of the jobs in America. When you are hired for a job, you are offered a set job at a set pay. Then you are forgotten. When the company needs a new mechanic, the laws of supply and demand mean they need to offer higher pay to the newer, less experienced mechanic. Very rarely is the old mechanic offered a matching pay raise to stay. Then, the lower-paid mechanic will be drawn to a new company offering that same pay the new mechanic is getting. The old mechanic will be out of pay for the transition time and have to pay moving costs. So, the new pay for moving mechanics must be higher to entice them to the new job. The other point I think everyone should now about being an A&P is that companies are not spending the money on training anymore. Most companies know or want the techncains to leave when the work gets slow or they know they will leave for more money. They do not want to spend any money on training if they will just go to another company. Or why spend money on training if they can poach a mechanic from another company who did have the training. Bottom line, you are going to have to get the training on your own. Overall I agree with every point of the video. And I am not sorry about becoming an A&P and I plan to do this job as long as my body allows me. The A&P has been ressession proof and I have never been out of work for more than a couple of months. Having an IA also meant I could freelance between gigs and on weekends. Just understand that you will be moving all the time to keep up with inflation and will need to keep your knowledge up also. Read and learn about every new aircraft, system and tools in the industry. And also educate your family about the lifestyle. This career has been interesting and challenging and would never want to do anything else.

Very good analysis. Yes airlines will be very short of pilots and maintenance staff for various reasons. This was true 13 years ago but is accelerating. Another route are the Canadian colleges. Tuition for Centennial College 2 year program is $45,000 as a foreigner. Canadian students $10,500. Marry a Canadian. Back in the early 1960's you only needed a commercial to fly for Air Canada. They trained you the rest of the way. I believe airlines will have to ramp up their own training programs. As an ex AME, Pilot and engineer I would go fly and maintain aircraft in Indonesia if I were young.