Changing Careers: Aircraft Mechanic

[C Schomer]

One of the best A&P schools is a mile from where I work-Colo Aerotech. There's a lot of A&P guys working grunt jobs around here because they have to relocate if they want a good job. That $37 is probably total package - which isn't hard to match or beat in the skilled tech trades(elec,hvac,plumber etc) and you can get a job a lot easier in the trades. Hvac has been excellent for me and everyone else I know in that trade! Elec is equally as good! Fresh journeymen are making $25+/hr on their checks here. Plumbers and electricians have to deal with inspectors much more than I have to. Way more codes for their fields. Trades people with some experience can land some awesome Plant Maint jobs! Craig

 

[klenger]

I am an Avionics Systems Engineer at a service center for a large manufacturer of business and regional aircraft. We have been having problems filling all of our A&P positions for about two years. Top pay here is less than $30 / hr, but vacations are good ... almost 5 weeks/year after 10 years plus holidays.



It's not really a bad carrier, but one disadvantage is that it is a small field. If I lost my job for some reason, and I wanted to continue Avionics Engineering, I would probably have to relocate becuase there are no other companies in the Denver area that do what I do here. I've been in the aviation business for 29 years, and 21 years with my current employeer (although ownership has changed three times). My next and last job will be in Computer Networking / Administration, which I have been doing here as a 2nd responsibility for over 10 years.

 

[swamp rat]

Go For It!

I say go for it Andy. From the sounds of things. I'd wager you and I work for the same Air Cargo Company. I definitely cannot blame you for not wanting to go to Fred's Plantation as it is referred to many times. Been there done that for no less than two years. If nothing else you could always Xsfer down here. You could still enjoy that small town life while working in a medium size market area. A leisurely thirty minute commute each way allows me to live where I have more privacy than most folks can handle on 16 nicely secluded acres.





For different reasons, I am seriously considering enrolling in Nashville Auto Diesel College myself, especially when I can get the company to pay for a good piece of the tuition to allow me to learn how to work on my own truck. Who knows, I might even get lucky enough to land one of our mechanics jobs here and as you mentioned it pays better than driving a piece of garbage factory rejected freightshakers that were palmed off on the company as quality equipment.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by swamp rat

From the sounds of things. I'd wager you and I work for the same Air Cargo Company...

Yeah, that's absolutely positively the one.

I know there are better careers out there. My main motivation is to make more money while working for the same company (keeping my seniority, 4 weeks vacation, etc. ) and at the same time, get off the road and away from all the crap that us "front line" employees have to deal with. All I really care about is retiring as early as I can. I'm 38 now. I started with this company at 25. If I retire at 55, in 17 years, I will have put in 30 years. I know with our company that there is no benefit to working beyond 25 years. Everything "caps" at that point. However, the rule is, in order to get full medical coverage, one has to be 55 or older. So, 55 it is. Maybe by the time I'm 50, the company will be so overstaffed that they'll offer an early retirement incentive. Shoot, that's only 12 years from now!

Andy