Pilot and A&P?

[sefro]

I have a question for you guys.
I am interested in being a professional pilot but i am not interested in an aviation science degree but I am interested in doing an aviation maintenance degree and I am just interested in your thoughts about this possiblity. It seems to be that there are a couple programs out there that do bachelors degrees in this sort of thing. I would probly start off with an associates degree at my local community college and work on my pilots liscences. but I would like to know what you guys think.
Seth

[Josh7]

You can get a degree in anything airlines don't really care

[AP2B]

I know quite a few people who have done it. Still it seems pretty rare. If that's what you want to do I say go for it. I've seen a lot flight time traded for A&P services around the airport.

[Polarbear]

While the A&P will not really help with airline pilot jobs, it can be very helpful in getting corporate pilot jobs. We have one guy in my class getting his A&P just for that reason after getting his pilot licenses from SIU. The wide range of knowledge you get as an A&P will also help you obtain jobs outside of the aviation industry if your career fails.

[sefro]

Thanks for all of the information. It seems logical that It would not help me with an airline job. But that is interesting about the corporate career.
Seth

[C650CPT]

Seth
It is a very viable option to have in pursuing a corporate position. I got my first corporate job based in part on my experience as a Military Helicopter Mechanic. I didn't have the A&P, but I could assist one of the other two pilots who did have thier A&P.
The company in our hangar has one Pilot/Mechanic.
And ... here's the big one ... the next pilot I'm in the process of hiring has his A&P. So here you have it ... real time data in the real world.

Jim

[S.T.Aviator]

The A&P would also come in handy if you ever wanted to come up to Canada or Alaska and do some float/bush flying.

[Bandit_Driver]

The A&P is always good to have. Depending on where you go to work you may or may not want to tell them you have it.

Some 135 and 91 operators will expect you to fly the airplane and then do mx during your rest period and then go fly again. I haven't seen this as problem in 121 at all. All our pilot/mx get the full required rest after they have finished mx on the plane.

[PanJet]

This is hearsay, but I was told by a fairly experienced pilot (who does not have his A&P) that something like 40% of corporate jobs actually require A&P now. It saves companies a lot of money if the aircraft has problems away from their home base.

[PoeMan]

Originally Posted by Bandit_Driver

Some 135 and 91 operators will expect you to fly the airplane and then do mx during your rest period and then go fly again. I haven't seen this as problem in 121 at all. All our pilot/mx get the full required rest after they have finished mx on the plane.

A lot of cargo operators (yeah, not the good ones) used to do this until the FAA finally stepped in (late 90's I think). If you are a pilot and a mechanic for a 135 Op, your duty day is the same as being just a pilot or just a mechanic. From the way it has been explained to me and my reading and other discussons, you can't be a pilot in the plane and then a mechanic in the hangar for 14 hours each (just an example.)

Be wary of 91 operators who don't have "duty time" limits, they MAY work you to death (literally).

But most operators out there are on the up and up and understand that you can only be productive for so many hours before you are dangerous.

Good Luck!

- Poe (Pilot and A, soon to be P too)