The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the regulating body in the United States that issues certificates to aircraft mechanics who have studied at an aviation tech school. They must prove that they are capable of carrying out maintenance on all types of aircraft to a high standard before the FAA will grant them a certificate. Professional aviation technician schools will offer a FAA certified course, and if they do not it is advisable to search elsewhere. Without FAA certification, an aircraft mechanic cannot carry out any maintenance on an aircraft unless supervised.
A number of different courses are available to aircraft mechanics who want to further their career in the field of aviation maintenance. The majority of aviation tech schools will offer the Airframe course and the Powerplant course, and these are often combined within a particular school's training program. The Airframe course focuses on the maintenance of the overall body of the aircraft, whereas the Powerplant course focuses on the engines used by the aircraft. Some schools also offer an avionics course, which concentrates on the maintenance of electronics and electrical technology found within aircraft.
When choosing an Aviation Tech school, look at the different types of courses it offers and whether they have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Different schools offer different types of courses, ranging from Certificate programs, Diploma programs, Associate's degree programs, and also Bachelor's Degree Programs. The majority of aircraft technician courses can be completed within one or two years, depending on whether the course is full time or part-time.
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology was opened in 1928 to offer specialized training for people wanting to start a career in the aviation industry. As well as an aviation school, Spartan was also once an aircraft manufacturer. The Burlington Aviation Technical School became certified by the Federal Aviation Association in 1994, and offers the standard Airframe and Powerplant qualification as well as an Avionics qualification. The National Aviation Academy has been operating since 1932 and offers the comprehensive Aviation Maintenance Professional program, which takes a total of 21 months to complete. At the Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology you can complete a variety of aviation technician courses, varying in duration from 7 months to 20 months.