a&p to...

[Pilot86]

What can an a&p license transfer outside of aviation? Sheet metal mechanic is the same?

What are the avenues and different things to branch into if someone no longer wants to be an a&p ?

 

[Low&Slow]

Have you checked with any Trade Unions near you? I'm sure you could do sheetmetal work, or enter an apprenticeship for HVAC, metal worker/welder, generator repair, heavy equipment repair, or something along those lines.

 

[Roger Roger]

Is professional coffee drinker a thing? I feel that most a&ps would be great at that.

 

[esa17]

Lots of power plants and chemical production facilities use turbine engines and will gladly scoop up an A&P. Also consider railroads. CSX* trains utilize an aviation FMS in the "cockpit" and the trains are also gas turbine so your skills will pair nicely with their mission.

*Comes from a college professor 10 years ago. No first hand knowledge.

 

[jskibo]

GE, Boeing, LockMart, Northrop...... Plenty of FSR, technical, support positions......

 

[CFI A&P]

Practically any blue collar trade short of a pool boy.

As an A&P we do trouble shooting and repair on all sorts of systems which leads to knowledge in several fields. You may not be able to transfer and get certificates immediately but the knowledge will help in HVAC, electrical, fabrication shops, hydraulic systems (heavy equipment), small engine repair, gas turbine operations (think maritime propulsion and electrical plants).

I did non-destructive testing for a while, which is big in several industries. The aviation/ aerospace, manufacturing, gas pipeline, nuclear utilities.

 

[Wardogg]

Also consider railroads. CSX* trains utilize an aviation FMS in the "cockpit" and the trains are also gas turbine so your skills will pair nicely with their mission.

*Comes from a college professor 10 years ago. No first hand knowledge.

I'm running from the railroad to aviation. Ha!

The "FMS" he speaks of is laughable. Its a windows XP based system. Not much to them but software updates/conflicts and screen replacement.

I will tell you this I was and engine guy on C130s for the military and they wanted nothing to do with me engine wise(what the railroad calls machinists) Locomotives are electrical. Diesel engines driving a generator that could power a small town. All that power transfers down to the traction motors at the wheels. I got a job as an electrician because I could read schematics.

Unless you have diesel experience you might look at the electrician route.

Also all journeyman crafts get paid the same. No matter if you been there 3 years or 30. Seniority only gets you better shift and better days off. My first year was 4 to midnight with tues wed off. I lucked out and bid into a weekend job that no one wanted. Hence the weekend off. There are still guys around my seniority with those same crappy days off. Also expect to be forced to work every holiday. Also seniority based.

At our shop its at least 4 to 5 years before you can get to day shift.

The one thing I can't seem to figure out is, some if not a lot of the guys down there hate working for the railroad but none of them ever try to leave. They just complain and lament.

Me? Im plotting my escape.

 

[jskibo]

Field Service at NAS LeMoore (Stores Management Systems)
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Engine Field Services (MN)
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