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Deaf Pilot

Spartan School of Aeronautics

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Has anyone attended or visited this school? I am 90% sure I will be attending this school for Aviation Maintenance Tech. training. I will be taking the Airframe and Powerplant course, which is 19 months long. When that is completed, I will immediately be taking the Avionics course, which is an additional 19 months. I just wanted to get anyone's opinion on the school if they know or heard anything.Thanks,Todd

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Guest Dee Waldron

The few Spartan grads that came to work at our shop(s) back when I was an active aviator didn't impress me. But that may not be an indication of the school.More importantly: Just remember that when you do get out of school finally, and you have that new A&P ticket in your pocket... It's not a licence to be an airplane tech.... It's a licence to learn how to be an airplane tech! ;)Dee Waldron (HJG)(Retired A&P, IA)

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Good way to look at it. What part about the grads didn't impress you?

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Guest Dee Waldron

Where can I start? Anybody with an A&P ticket in their pocket should at least be able to safty-wire 2 bolts together unsupervised. Without getting it backwards!Good luck at school! :)Dee Waldron (HJG)

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lol... I get ya... but hey, lemme ask you something... what would a typical starting rate be for a just-starting-out A&P? The reason I ask is because I read in one place that it's $18-$20 an hour, and in another place that it's as low as $12 an hour... Also, what is the job like? Is it really demanding or is it typical of any "normal effort" job, etc? I hope I'm not asking too much... I just wanted to hear what the job is like.

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Guest Dee Waldron

Well, I've been out of the shop now for about 12 years, so I couldn't really give you any pay-scale advice on the current market for A&P's. But I can tell you that it will vary greatly, region by region, and even what sector of the aviation industry you settle into.Back in the day, we used to tell all the newbie's to stay away from area's with a lot of military bases (Tucson and Phenoix Az for example). Newbies can't compete with all the retired Air Force mech's and tech's in those area's plying for the same jobs. So pay scales for entry level A&P's are traditionally low in those kinds of areas.$18-$20/hr seems like a very high salary for a fresh A&P ticket. With the current aviation market (as a whole) the way it is right now, I just can't believe that.My first job as a wrench turner (unlicenced at the time) payed $3.50/hr, working on crop-dusters. The licenced mech's were only making $4.00/hour! I won't tell you how long ago that was! ;)As for the work...Being an A&P is the most important, under-payed job in the world! Peoples lives are quite literally depending on you. On your ability to perform the job correctly, and your dedication to doing it correctly everytime, without fail. The most important advice I can give you is to echo what all the old masters used to tell me when I was in your place: "Pay - Attension - To - Details!"They're are other A&P's that write on this board too. I hope they also chime in for your benefit.Once again, Good luck at school! :)Dee Waldron (HJG)

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Thanks for the input! The school is in Oklahoma, but their minimum wage is a measly $5.15 an hour, compared to California's $6.75. So I might move back to California if there is higher wages here, but I would be willing to look at other places. Another question... Is there any chances of getting part time A&P work? Once I graduate with my A&P ticket, I want to dive back in and get my Avionics, while working part time as an A&P mechanic to have a higher income than a regular job.

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Guest Dee Waldron

GA shops generally like to hire part-timers. Specialty shops, commuters and the big airlines usually don't.The thing about working in the GA shops though, they generally want part-timers that have experience. You need to be able to work unsupervised in that kind of situation.Your other types of shops usually have dedicated training programs in place, so part-time just doesn't fit in with their program.Dee Waldron (HJG)

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Guest united777

Glad to see you may be going to Spartan. I'd love to go their as it's without a doubt one of the best aviation schools. I can assure you it's a great school. I saw their 'course guide' books a few years back and I was astonished by the level of classes you can take. good luck"... AND I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"[b/]

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Well apparently I've heard that they are considered by many to be the Harvard of aviation schools when it comes to AMT, with no really strong competitors, but as far as pilot programs, Embry Riddle seems to be their only big competitor. I considered them but I dont really like the locations they offer (Dayton, Fla and Houston, Tx... both too hot for my tastes). As far as the part time work as AMT, that makes perfect sense. I just got the info package and am filling out the forms, etc as I type. I also watched the short video they also sent, and I decided that Avionics isnt my thing. Just knowing myself, putting myself into that video, working on the innards of electrics, circuitry, etc., I realized that I wont enjoy that job as much as I would as an A&P tech. I might change my mind when my A&P training comes to an end, but I doubt I'll go for it.I did a little bit of looking around, and it turns out that average wages in oklahoma are very low compared to the highest, which is actually Alaska, but Washington is a close second. For example, Oklahoma uses federal minimum wage, which is $5.15, and Washington is, I believe, $7.05. Does anyone know the cost of living in Washington? Another option is to move back to California. So many things to think about when youre planning for a lifetime career!

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Slight change of plans... instead of going into Aviation Maintenance, I'll be training for Quality Control and NonDestructive Testing. I had a long talk with the enrollment manager again tonight, and apparently, QC/NDT is a better job with better pay than an AMT is. The start date also has been set... May 10th. I sure am looking forward to it!

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