Alaskan Maintenance Schools

katiekat

katiekat

New Member
Anyone know of anywhere in Alaska that will train you to get your A&P that isn't the University of Alaska? I've done a couple searches online and all that comes up is UA in Anchorage and Fairbanks and one other place called Above Alaska Aviation. The Above Alaska place doesn't say anything about a maintenance program on their website though.
 
Yea that's pretty much the conclusion I came to as well :(
I'm in need of a major change of scenery so I was thinking about going up there for a year or two and trying to build some more flying time so that I can at least get my commercial and I've also been wanting to get my A&P for some time now so I want to get that while I'm there too if I can. Figure it would be good to have and if everything blows up in my face at least I'll have that to fall back on or something.
I was planning on going to UAA for their two year aviation maintenance certificate program but I missed the fall application deadline by like three or four days. I tried calling but I ended up leaving a message but I'd be surprised if anyone gets back to me. The school has dorms but I couldn't find any info on them. I was hoping I would be able to get into a dorm because it would solve my housing issue at least for the time I would be at the school. I'd wait until the spring semester and get in then but my parents told me if I haven't started doing something by the fall I'm no longer welcome at home. Aren't they wonderful.
I'm thinking about possibly trying to find an apartment or something in Talkeetna for the fall and just work on building flying time at that Above Alaska Aviation place. Anyone know what the job market for low time pilots is like up there?
 
katiekat said:
I'd wait until the spring semester and get in then but my parents told me if I haven't started doing something by the fall I'm no longer welcome at home. Aren't they wonderful.
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That's pretty much why I'm in college right now. I ended up quitting my job in late February after just over three years of working there, so my mom didn't want me sitting around all summer doing nothing. It was either college or some apartment.

"Hey, look! UND has aviation courses for the summer semester and guess what?! You are going. Start packin'."

So don't feel bad. :)
 
UAA needs to make sure their pages are up to date. I found one day saying the application deadline for this fall was the 26th and another saying it was today. I just sent in an application. All I need is to be able to show that I graduated high school and that isn't a problem. I just hope I'm not too late to get into a dorm. That would suck.
I had actually called the admissions office earlier but got kinda creeped out by the first lady that answered the phone (her voice was creepy and fake sounding) and she patched me through to someone else but i ended up leaving a message and my brain kinda froze. I realized about an hour after leaving a very "um. . . " filled message that I had forgotten to leave my name and phone number. go me.
 
I current attend UAA, and am in the aviation program. I am piloting though. The maintenance seems to have a good facility.

The dorms are a great way to go. They are pretty new, and I was pleased with them. They also have school apartments which are nice.
 
yea but that doesn't solve my housing problem and i have no idea even where to start looking for someone to train me that would actually do a good job and not have me stuck training forever.
 
katiekat said:
yea but that doesn't solve my housing problem and i have no idea even where to start looking for someone to train me that would actually do a good job and not have me stuck training forever.
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Pretty much everybody at Merrill Field will do right by you (there are a few exceptions) don't do anything at international without talking to someone there first. Anything out in the bush would pay well and provide housing for a mechanics helper, plus you could work into something flying if you're interested. Try Servant Air, they'd probably use you in kodiak (even though the pay would suck). Anyhow, good luck. The university is pretty solid though.
 
Cool thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to check all of that out.
I really would like to get some more flying in and the smaller the loan the better off I'll probably end up. Plus I'll probably have more networking options that way.
:)
 
Keep in mind the hour requirements for getting the A&P through experience vs. an approved school. An approved school takes 1900 hours; the experience path requires 4,800 hours.
 
Wow. I knew there was a difference but I didn't know it was that big of a difference. I guess it's a good thing that my chances of getting into UAA are pretty good.

I was looking through my closet recently and realized that I don't really have any work shoes/clothes. When I used to go help my dad out at his shop on occasion I just wore vans or whatever other shoes happened to be comfortable along with jeans and a teeshirt or whatever. I'm assuming I should get some steeltoe boots. Anything else I should definitely get?
 
Berkut said:
Keep in mind the hour requirements for getting the A&P through experience vs. an approved school. An approved school takes 1900 hours; the experience path requires 4,800 hours.
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Approved School = 2 and a half years at least probably more and you have to pay for it. Plus, you won't be able to get in state tuition for a year.

From UAA:
Total credits required for the Airframe and Powerplant Certificate is 88.
Total credits required for either the Airframe or Powerplant Certificate is 60.
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88 Credits at 16 credits per semester is 5.5 semesters (so potentially you could finish it in 5 semesters if you took 18 credits for 4 semesters, then took it easy in your last semester with a leisurely 16).

4800 = (40hrs per week)*(4weeks per month)*(30 months)

30 months = 2.5 years, which, coincidentally is the same as at UAA, summer classes probably aren't an option for actual A&P classes, as I didn't see any posted for the summer semester this year.

You can actually get paid for the second one, keep flying, build time, and then enter the workforce as an A&P mechanic as well as a pilot. Plus, the experience you have when you enter the workforce is real world experience, not an extended shop class. Don't get me wrong, UAA is an excellent program, and produces exemplary mechanics that I have seen so far, that being said, I'd much rather do my learning in the actual shop (and that comes from a guy who's done a semester's worth of A&P classes at UAA, and has played intern in the shop some).

If you make $12/hr at your mechanic's helper job, over that exact amount of time you can make $57,600. At UAA, you'll spend at least $3,000/semster at about 18 credits per semester. Leading you to about -$15,000 at least.
 
katiekat said:
When I used to go help my dad out at his shop on occasion I just wore vans or whatever other shoes happened to be comfortable along with jeans and a teeshirt or whatever.
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That would be fine for any place I've ever worked. Some places have uniforms. I wouldn't bother with the steeltoe boots for the vast majority of A&P jobs. A&P work environments vary widely, so you'd be better off waiting to buy clothing. No matter where you work, I recommend wearing something that is suitable for climbing, isn't likely to get snagged, and won't melt to your skin in a fire. And never, ever, wear something that you mind losing.
 
Berkut said:
That would be fine for any place I've ever worked. Some places have uniforms. I wouldn't bother with the steeltoe boots for the vast majority of A&P jobs. A&P work environments vary widely, so you'd be better off waiting to buy clothing. No matter where you work, I recommend wearing something that is suitable for climbing, isn't likely to get snagged, and won't melt to your skin in a fire. And never, ever, wear something that you mind losing.
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I should probably go find my welding gloves though. Even if I'm not welding, they're still pretty good all purpose work gloves. My hands are so small that I probably wouldn't be able to borrow someone else's. I had to get the smallest pair the welding shop had lol
 
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