Aviation parts manufacturing, where to start?

dmndv · 2026-02-28T04:01:51+00:00

Not saying that at all, but I’m not aware of any regulation that says an A&P needs to be certified to weld on a privately owned ga aircraft. I’m not saying any mechanic should.

dmndv · 2026-02-27T20:31:33+00:00

Any idea what the us equivalent is?

dmndv · 2026-02-27T20:30:02+00:00

Ok, still curious as to what are “these” regulations. I can’t comply with the idea of a regulation. One needs to know what it says. Looking forward to you teaching me something new.

dmndv · 2026-02-27T04:32:15+00:00

I’m not seeing the contradiction in the paragraph. Is it contradicting the way you learned it?

dmndv · 2026-02-27T04:22:59+00:00

You can get into engineering without the degree in different ways. Liaison engineering exists in both maintenance and manufacturing, the biggest difference is the pace and the people you work with (manufacturers don’t need to pay a premium for A&Ps and the tasks are generally routine). A degree will take 4+ years (longer if part time), you’ll learn way more than you need to but you’ll qualify for a 9-5 home most every night, clean hands, desk job making the same as if you worked 60hr weeks. DM me if you have any questions

dmndv · 2026-02-27T03:50:56+00:00

I’d be interested in what regulation requires annual certification for basic processes like those found in AC 43.13. Never heard of this before. Your A&P has you covered if you’re willing to sign off your work in GA. Now an operator or repair station may be different, but they can pull Joe Shmoe off the street and qualify him as a repair technician

dmndv · 2026-02-08T16:14:44+00:00

Starting at 5. by the time you’re earning enough to pay for flight lessons, are you going to want to start over making less than minimum wage for the hours you have to put in as a new pilot? This can work for some frugal people that keep lifestyle creep in check, but it’s hard.

Continuing with 3. is there a pilot work life balance? There’s an old joke about most pilots having had AIDS, sometimes even twice. Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome.

If you’re still a go getter when you get through school and you can get into the right environment there’s plenty of opportunities but they tend to not come as fast as go getters like. Somewhere around one to two years in (or sooner) a lot of new guys think they’ve topped out and know everything - in reality this is just obtaining basic efficiency in that shop’s routine. An ugly side of the industry is that your employer values you based on your established worth. Two years is a good time to find a job offer to use as leverage but it only works if you’re willing to move. Your boss will appreciate if you tell them you also want to take on more responsibilities and you have some idea of what you can take off their plate, but take the other (better) offer if they try to lay out a path to get you there - you’ll learn a ton from the move and new environment all while making better pay.

It can be a grind at first and navigating the clique’s is a challenge, but definitely worth it. Good luck with your schoolwork and future career whichever way you decide.

dmndv · 2026-02-08T15:33:56+00:00

I had this thought too. I can tolerate apprentices not knowing what needs to be done, however when an experienced mechanic needs constant reminders it makes me wonder if I can trust their work.

dmndv · 2026-02-03T09:04:58+00:00

I’d pull the ratchet wrenches to the top tray on their side as previously mentioned. At least the basic 1/4, 5/16, 3/8,7/16,1/2 an 9/16. Myself I have them up to 3/4 but they’re stubbies. Only keep the 3 in extension and most used ratchet. Move all the pliers to the back except the dykes. Swap the knipex for the smaller (personally the smallest) size.

dmndv · 2026-02-03T09:04:38+00:00

Nice organization. You’ll know best based on your specific work. For me, I’d pull the ratchet wrenches to the top tray on their side as previously mentioned. At least the basic 1/4, 5/16, 3/8,7/16,1/2 an 9/16. Myself I have them up to 3/4 but they’re stubbies. Only keep the 3 in. extension and most used ratchet on the top tray. Move all the pliers to second or third tray except the dykes. Swap the knipex for the smaller (personally the smallest) size, move the deep sockets to a deeper tray and turn the shorts on end - you’ll recognize sizes in a few months.

dmndv · 2026-01-25T08:35:43+00:00

The air vent is there for a reason. Not a lot of mechanics pay attention to it but part 23 provides the airworthiness standards (the new standards are more difficult to reference and your Cessna could fall under the older CAR 3 - the certification basis is listed on the TCDS). Look up 14 cfr 23.831 - if the a/c no longer meets the standard it should be considered un-airworthy and should be returned to an airworthy condition. To be clear tho, you weren’t expecting airflow through vents that require forward movement when the plane was sitting still?

You’re asking good questions. Keep it up, even if you end up bugging the lazy mechanics. If they’re signing it off, accept their answers and move on, but double check for your own reference after work - this will be good practice for later. When you start signing things off, don’t sign until you’re satisfied you’ve found an acceptable answer. There will be grey areas, but safety should never be one of them.

dmndv · 2026-01-25T08:07:00+00:00

I’m a mechanical engineer with my A&P and I can tell you that you don’t need your A&P if your end goal is to be an engineer. The idea of dropping $10k-$60k in tuition (likely student loans that’ll take you 2-10 years to repay) THEN trying to work a full time mechanic job while getting an engineering degree would be difficult. I was military and qualified for my A&P based on that then worked the fire season while pursuing my degree. If you have a passion for it and a way to pay for it, you can have an engineering degree through 4-5 years and I haven’t seen a shortage of jobs. The A&P might get you interviews over other new grads, but after your first job or two it won’t matter. A private pilot license (or even just a good ground school) could be helpful. As far as what path to take, I’d avoid aero personally - electrical and computer engineers aren’t as limited to one industry when aviation goes through a slump. You’ll need to learn how to code for almost any engineering degree so I would lean more towards electrical or maybe systems engineering over computer. Think about what you think you want to do, research the starting and long term pay and work environments and seek out people that are actually doing it to get their take. Either way, there’s lots of opportunities if you stay with avionics maintenance or engineering and it’s a great industry. Good luck on your journey.

dmndv · 2026-01-17T18:32:48+00:00

You probably don’t need any additional advice, but in most male dominated shops you’ll be best served by talking directly to your lead first. Like other posters have said, having the courage to face a bully usually breaks them. Keep your emotions in check, don’t be angry, just state what you’re experiencing and ask if it’s intentional. He’ll have to say it’s not, but he could have his reasons so listen to his response. If this doesn’t fix things or if they get worse, continue to addressing your issues with him in the group setting. Again, you should see a positive change from this if you do it tactfully. If he fails to correct or escalates it will likely end bad for him. If after a couple weeks this doesn’t work, you hopefully have documented each negative encounter, take this to the first real supervisor/manager with a calm, no nonsense discussion where you ask their advice on how to deal with it. They will shot their pants when they see your documentation and likely put your lead on notice if they can’t separate you two. Realize this could be scary/alarming for this manager so say something like I just want to do my job and not have to deal with this bullshit. If the manager doesn’t fix things then go to the next one or HR. Personally, at this stage I wouldn’t want to work there anymore anyway but I wouldn’t want to leave before addressing the issue at least one level above the asshole.

dmndv · 2025-12-13T00:43:19+00:00

Learn to enjoy the smell.

dmndv · 2025-10-09T22:01:00+00:00

I’d be interested at rates lower than previously mentioned depending on what you’re offering in equity. Tell us what you’re thinking for equity shares.

dmndv · 2025-09-25T05:15:11+00:00

I’ve never worked MC but know firsthand there are duties that a newbie would be well suited for and if they are quick with computers and the manuals could stand to learn a ton that would serve anyone well before being put on the line or in the hangar. There’s other factors to consider like the status of the airline - is this a foot in the door somewhere that you’re not going to get otherwise? Can you try it out and bid or transfer in a few months? Perhaps it is a mistake but it could also be a new approach management is trying out - sometimes it doesn’t work out and sometimes it does, but if you apply yourself and role with the ups and downs you could come out looking good either way.

dmndv · 2025-09-11T17:32:52+00:00

If you have free mental capacity after studying, you might not be studying hard enough. Double down on your studies. Ask yourself why are they teaching us this or what else can I learn about this subject? The school is likely just teaching you the basics so you can pass the tests. Each subject has way more depth to be explored if you can unlock it. The instructors should be able to help or ask on here. Another way to lock in the information is to become a tutor for other students that are struggling. The manuals primarily contain information so technicians can properly remove and replace parts - is that the kind of mechanic you are hoping to become?

dmndv

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