Why A&P Mechanics Are Special

You may have heard the term “A&P mechanic” and wondered what it means. “A” stands for “airframe” and “P” for “powerplant,” and these are the two ratings that a mechanic in the U.S. receives after passing all the tests involved. The industry has coined the term “A&P mechanic” to refer to what are also known as aircraft maintenance technicians or AMTs.

An A&P mechanic has to take three written exams (general, airframe, and powerplant) and an oral and practical test for each rating (airframe and powerplant). Airframe, incidentally, means everything except the engine, and powerplant refers to engines. These are different enough that the FAA wants mechanics to have knowledge specific to both. Although surprisingly, any A&P mechanic can work on piston or turbine engines; the FAA doesn’t distinguish.

Training takes anywhere from more than a year to 30 months, depending on the method. Candidates can either go to school for, usually, 18 months or fewer in a compressed program, or gain on-the-job experience that qualifies them to take the tests (18 months for each rating or 30 months for both). Military experience can substitute for on-the-job training.

In the U.S., we have a unique system where a person trained on general aircraft maintenance topics and tasks can work on any aircraft. An A&P mechanic can work on and sign off the paperwork to return to service any aircraft or engine, with a few exceptions that include being trained on some specific tasks and not being able to sign off an engine overhaul. A&P mechanics also can’t work on instruments or avionics without specialized training and equipment.

The general nature of the A&P contrasts with Europe and most other countries that follow the European model, where mechanics receive a basic certification then require additional certification on specific models of aircraft. This is sort of like type certification required for pilots to fly aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 pounds or that have turbine engines.

There is a drawback to this system, in that AMTs, or as they are called in Europe, aviation maintenance engineers or AMEs, can’t just work on any aircraft or component without very specific training. This hinders the ability for maintenance providers to deploy human resources efficiently, because they have to go through the training first. And the training is expensive.

In the U.S., mechanics have much more freedom to move around and work where it best suits their economic interests, because their A&P certification and capabilities are applicable to a wide range of aircraft and products. For example, no additional certification is required to work on helicopters, just a desire to learn.

A&P mechanics are finally getting decent pay and benefits after years of below-standard compensation. This is mainly due to the shortage of technically focused workers and retirements of older workers in these fields. It’s a good time to be a good mechanic.