Consider the Part 65 Experience Path

Most people assume you have to attend an FAA Part 147 school to become a certificated aviation mechanic. That is the most common path, but it is not the only one. Federal Aviation Regulation Part 65, Section 65.77, allows you to qualify for the Airframe and Powerplant exams through documented practical experience — no formal schooling required.

This is not a shortcut. It is an alternative path that trades tuition dollars for time and initiative. For the right person, it is the smarter move.

What Part 65 Actually Allows

The FAA recognizes that practical experience under the supervision of a certificated mechanic can provide equivalent preparation to a formal school program. Under 14 CFR 65.77, you can qualify to sit for the A&P exams by accumulating a specified amount of documented, supervised maintenance experience:

• 30 months of practical experience working on both airframes and powerplants qualifies you for both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings (the full A&P).
• 18 months of practical experience focused on airframes qualifies you for the Airframe rating alone.
• 18 months of practical experience focused on powerplants qualifies you for the Powerplant rating alone.

The experience must be supervised by a certificated A&P mechanic and must cover the subject areas in the FAA’s curriculum standards. You cannot just change oil for 30 months — the experience needs breadth across the full scope of maintenance activities.

Once documented, you apply to your local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for authorization to test. You then sit for the same exams as Part 147 graduates: three written tests (General, Airframe, Powerplant), plus oral and practical exams for each rating.

Where to Find a Position

You need to work somewhere that aircraft maintenance is performed under the supervision of certificated A&P mechanics. Here are your best options:

Fixed Base Operators (FBOs) at general aviation airports. The most accessible entry point. FBOs employ A&P mechanics who work on Cessnas, Pipers, Beechcrafts, and similar aircraft across a broad range of tasks — annual inspections, engine changes, avionics upgrades, sheet metal repairs. Call or visit your nearest general aviation airport and ask if they would take on an apprentice or helper.

FAA Part 145 repair stations. FAA-certified facilities that perform maintenance, overhaul, and repair on aircraft, engines, and components. They range from small propeller shops to massive facilities rebuilding airliners. Excellent for the experience path because of their structured workflows and experienced supervisors.

Airline maintenance bases. Some airlines offer entry-level positions (maintenance helper, hangar assistant) at $15 to $22 per hour, placing you under the supervision of licensed A&P mechanics. Many airlines will support your path to certification because they need more licensed mechanics.

General aviation shops and corporate flight departments. Small independent shops are often more willing to take on apprentice-style workers. Corporate flight departments maintaining business jets sometimes hire unlicensed helpers. The personal mentorship in a small operation can be invaluable.

What Counts as Qualifying Experience

Your work must cover the subject areas listed in 14 CFR Part 147 appendices — General (electricity, drawings, weight and balance, materials, records, regulations), Airframe (structures, flight controls, hydraulics, landing gear, fuel systems, electrical, instruments), and Powerplant (reciprocating and turbine engines, ignition, fuel metering, cooling, propellers, inspections).

You do not need overhaul experience on every system, but you need documented exposure across the breadth of these areas. A position where you perform one type of task repeatedly for 30 months will likely be insufficient.

How to Document Your Experience

Documentation is everything on the Part 65 path. Without proper records, the FAA will not authorize you to test, no matter how much experience you actually have. Here is how to do it right:

Keep a detailed logbook. Record every task: date, aircraft (make, model, registration number), description of work, time spent, and supervising mechanic’s name. Be specific — “Assisted with removal and reinstallation of left main landing gear strut, including hydraulic line disconnection and torque verification per maintenance manual Section 32-10” is far better than “worked on landing gear.”

Get regular supervisor sign-offs. Have your supervising A&P mechanic sign your logbook monthly at minimum. Do not wait 30 months and ask for a bulk sign-off. Mechanics move on, retire, or become unavailable. Get signatures while the work is fresh.

Use FAA Form 8610-2. When ready, you will submit this Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application to your local FSDO. Your supervisor(s) must certify your experience on this form.

Organize by subject area. Maintain a separate index mapping your entries to the regulatory subject areas. This makes the FSDO review straightforward.

Pros and Cons vs. Formal Schooling

Be honest with yourself about the tradeoffs:

Advantages:

• No tuition. You earn instead of spend. Entry-level positions pay $15 to $22 per hour.
• Real-world experience. You learn on actual aircraft, not training aids.
• Industry connections. You build relationships with mechanics, shop owners, and hiring managers.
• Earn while you learn. Over 30 months at $17/hour, you earn roughly $88,000 instead of paying $5,000-$40,000 in tuition.

Disadvantages:

• Takes longer. 30 months vs. 15-24 months for Part 147.
• Less structured. No curriculum guides your learning. You may miss subject areas.
• Self-study required. You must learn the academic material on your own.
• Documentation burden. Sloppy records can delay or prevent your exam authorization.
• Exam prep is on you. Without instructors, you need to be self-directed.

The Military Version

All branches — Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard — train aircraft maintenance personnel. With 18+ months of documented military aircraft maintenance, you can apply for A&P exam authorization through Part 65. Military experience is typically thorough and well-documented, making the FSDO review smoother. Many military mechanics also use SkillBridge during their last 180 days of active duty to attend a civilian Part 147 school, combining experience with structured exam preparation.

Preparing for the FAA Exams on Your Own

Without school-based instruction, you need to build your own study program. Here are the standard resources:

ASA Test Prep books. Separate volumes for General, Airframe, and Powerplant containing the actual FAA question bank with explanations. The industry standard study materials.

Jeppesen A&P Technician textbooks. The comprehensive reference texts used by many Part 147 schools. Dense but thorough — covers the full curriculum across three volumes.

ASA Prepware software. Simulates the FAA computerized testing environment. Tracks progress and identifies weak areas.

FAA publications. Available free at faa.gov — AC 43.13-1B (Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices) and the Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook series are the authoritative references.

Online communities. Forums and social media groups for A&P students include experience-path candidates sharing study strategies and moral support.

The Oral and Practical Exams

Written tests are multiple-choice, computer-based, taken at an FAA testing center. The oral and practical exams are administered by a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME).

During the oral, the DME asks about maintenance procedures, regulations, and troubleshooting scenarios. Experience-path candidates often have an advantage — you have actually performed the work and can speak from real practice. The practical requires you to perform specific tasks under the examiner’s observation. After 30 months of hands-on work, it should feel like a normal day with someone watching.

Combining Paths

You do not have to choose one path exclusively. A common and effective hybrid approach:

1. Start working at an FBO, repair station, or airline as a maintenance helper. Earn money and build experience.
2. Study independently using ASA and Jeppesen materials.
3. Identify gaps in your experience or knowledge as you progress.
4. Attend a Part 147 school for a condensed program if you find that self-study is not sufficient, or if you want the structure of formal instruction to fill in weak areas.

Some people start the experience path, realize after 12 months they want more structure, and enroll in a Part 147 program. That experience does not disappear — it makes you a stronger student. Others work full-time and attend an evening A&P program simultaneously, getting both instruction and paid experience.

Is This Path Right for You?

This path is ideal if you are self-motivated, disciplined about documentation, and able to find a position under a certificated A&P. It is the best choice if you cannot afford tuition, are already near aviation, or learn by doing rather than sitting in a classroom.

It is not ideal if you need external structure or want certification as fast as possible — the school path is 6 to 15 months faster.

Either way, you earn the same A&P certificate and the same earning potential: $45,000 to $60,000 starting, $80,000 to $130,000+ with experience. The path matters less than the destination. Choose the one that fits, commit, and get to work.