Which kind of Aviation training is more valuable to get?

ktsai91

Well-Known Member
Just wondering, which kind of aviation education or training is better?

Getting a B.S. degree in Aviation Management or Administration?
or
Getting an Aircraft Mechanic (A & P) License?

Because IIRC, I heard that an A & P License is very valuable, but don't know where I heard it from. Probably heard it from an aircraft mechanic school that I visited about a year or so ago.
 
Depending on your goals, an A&P license is extremely valuable but nothing replaces having a college degree.

Get a degree. You can get your A&P during school, but get a degree.
 
A&P is a nice add-on for a pilot who is not all wrapped up in airline ambitions, but as a career it seems to be a tough field to get into right now, lots of unemployed A&P's around here.
 
Have both, never used the A&P for employment, BS in Aviation Management served me well the last 16 years.
 
An A&P would be very nice the degree in aviation management not so much.

If I were in my 20s again I would avoid the aviation management degree and go for a business or medical degree and get my ratings (or in the OP's case get the A&P) on the side.
 
What ever you do, go out and get a degree in something other than Cubical Dwelling.

Math, Science, Engineering, heck, even Interpretive Dance shows you have talent in SOMETHING.

Richman
 
Thanks for the responses. I'm already majoring in Aviation Administration. One of my career paths is that once I finish college, I go to an aircraft mechanic school to get my A & P certificate. A few times, I was thinking about getting an aircraft mechanic certificate (A & P certificate) but that is usually an on and off interest so I still have to see whether if it is something worthwhile. I visited Teterboro School of Aeronautics once. And I did call them a couple of months ago asking if I can go to their school during summer and winter breaks when I'm not in college but they told me that I have to be there full time.
 
You can also get your A&P by apprenticing. Long road, but it counts for something.

Richman
 
Thanks for the responses. I'm already majoring in Aviation Administration. One of my career paths is that once I finish college, I go to an aircraft mechanic school to get my A & P certificate. A few times, I was thinking about getting an aircraft mechanic certificate (A & P certificate) but that is usually an on and off interest so I still have to see whether if it is something worthwhile. I visited Teterboro School of Aeronautics once. And I did call them a couple of months ago asking if I can go to their school during summer and winter breaks when I'm not in college but they told me that I have to be there full time.

I been thinking the same. It would look good on a pilot resume for sure. The thing is, I still need to finish my commercial checkride and then do my CFI. I can't do everything at once and flying is my main career choice. Once I finish all my ratings I plan to get my degree, but also keep thinking about A&P. I heard also you get 60 credits towards a BA degree anyway.
 
Make sure it's 60 in areas you need. If you already have your electives covered, those 60 are as good as zero.....

I got 42 for my Airframe and General mechanics license when I was at SIU. They didn't help with covering any credits. Ended up graduating with 184 credits on the transcript....
 
I'm in the same boat... sort of. Does it matter what degree you have (Mine is an honors dual major in Political Science and Communication) obviously not useful in aviation, but it's a degree
 
lots of unemployed A&P's around here.

would have never guessed that, outside the US an A&P is paid in gold and are really rare to find. When I flew in the South Pacific they would make a fortune, some started their own biz too.
 
Always wondered why a degree is so important in the US? I mean, especially in something you are not going to use. Back in Europe airlines don`t really care about it, I have never seen it as a requirement either. Maybe having grown up in that aviation made me think like this, but I really know very few airline captains that have one. And out of my High School class, only a 40% of my friends got one, and have to say the ones without it are the ones that became more successful, even have some friends that left High School and are doing really well. I was not able to pay for both, I wanted to get a degree to eventually use as a main career, and a pilot license to use more as an hobby.... in Europe we don`t really have those degree you get sitting on your couch, even a basic one is a big deal and will take 100% of your time for several years, I dunno I`m glad now I decided to go for the CPL, my plan B would be working as a cook, as that is the second best thing I can do after flying...it has also worked better with girls, then saying I`m a pilot..
 
Swisspilot, higher education does have it's benefits, not the least of which are the financial ones. There is a lot of money made, and still to be made from student loans between now and the time that bubble bursts.
 
Swisspilot, higher education does have it's benefits, not the least of which are the financial ones. There is a lot of money made, and still to be made from student loans between now and the time that bubble bursts.

I understand that, what I don`t get is how a company thinks somebody with a degree is better then somebody with none, ok the guy with one may look like somebody that can put dedication an hard work into something, but I still I don`t see the point in getting something that probably will not be used, or a type of degree with really no application in real world, as many of those Aviation oriented ones are, never heard of them outside the US and they still have airlines, corporate companies and so on.
 
So if I wanted to become an A & P mechanic, can I get an apprenticeship part time while going to college?

Also, can someone tell me about the A & P testing? I heard that the practical exam for the aircraft mechanic license is 8 hours long. That 8 hour exam sounds intimidating to me a little bit. Seems that there will be a lot of time to make enough mistakes to fail the exam.
 
My written was a breeze for A and General

The practical consisted of me helping him with an annual for two hours. Not bad at all.
 
Always wondered why a degree is so important in the US? I mean, especially in something you are not going to use. Back in Europe airlines don`t really care about it, I have never seen it as a requirement either. Maybe having grown up in that aviation made me think like this, but I really know very few airline captains that have one. And out of my High School class, only a 40% of my friends got one, and have to say the ones without it are the ones that became more successful, even have some friends that left High School and are doing really well. I was not able to pay for both, I wanted to get a degree to eventually use as a main career, and a pilot license to use more as an hobby.... in Europe we don`t really have those degree you get sitting on your couch, even a basic one is a big deal and will take 100% of your time for several years, I dunno I`m glad now I decided to go for the CPL, my plan B would be working as a cook, as that is the second best thing I can do after flying...it has also worked better with girls, then saying I`m a pilot..

The US helicopter industry doesn't care to much about degrees either. They want on the job experience! 3000hrs of long line time or off shore time will get you a lot further than a degree flying rotors 95% of the time.
 
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