An aircraft mechanic keeps aircraft safe to fly. You inspect, diagnose, repair and overhaul engines, airframes, and hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel and landing gear systems, then sign your name to say the work is right. In the US, the FAA sets the rules (14 CFR Parts 43, 65, 66, 145), and most people get in through an FAA-approved Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician school (usually 18-24 months) or through military or documented on-the-job experience (18 months for either Airframe or Powerplant, 30 months for both). Then you pass three FAA tests (written, oral, practical) to earn the Airframe
See the full roadmap free
Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 4 · about 14 weeks
Learn aviation basics: shop math (fractions, decimals, ratios, unit conversion), basic physics (forces, lift, pressure, electricity), hand tools and precision measuring (micrometer, calipers), hardware identification (AN/MS/NAS bolts, nuts, rivets), and the FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook-General. Practice reading a maintenance manual and a torque table. Check yourself: can you convert a torque in inch-pounds to foot-pounds and read a micrometer to .001 inch?
Shop math and unit conversion
Every task you do uses numbers: torque values, clearances, fuel and oil quantities, tire pressures. A wrong conversion can mean an overtightened bolt or a cracked fitting. Math is the first thing you will use every day and the thing that most often trips up new people.
Basic physics for aircraft
When you understand why a wing lifts, why a hydraulic system multiplies force, or why current flows, faults make sense. You stop memorizing and start reasoning, which is what separates a good mechanic from a parts-changer.
Hand tools and precision measuring
Aircraft parts are checked in thousandths of an inch. If you can't measure correctly, you can't tell a good part from a worn one. Using tools correctly also keeps you and the aircraft safe.
Hardware identification
Using the wrong bolt, nut, or rivet can cause structural failure. Maintenance manuals and parts catalogs refer to hardware by standard part numbers, so you must be able to read them and pick the right piece.
Reading the FAA AMT Handbook and maintenance manuals
Mechanics work from written data, not memory. The job is mostly knowing where to find the right answer, reading it exactly, and following it. The FAA Handbook-General is also the base of your later A&P tests.
Then 3 more stages (about 354 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 10 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.