This thread is for those who maintain aircraft only.  What is your primary duty and who do you work for?  Also can be used for others looking for maintenance jobs as well.  

As for myself, started off in the U.S. Army as a 68N (avionics mechanic).  Worked as an avionics installer in GA (general aviation) then moved onto U.S. Army Depot maintenance.  From there worked as an avionics technician at Mobile Aerospace then onto Delta Airlines as an avionics technician.  I am ETOPS certified on the B757/767, autoland qualified on both aircraft as well as the B737NG.  I work in the MRO division of Tech Ops and maintain the DOD aircraft (C40 A/B, C32) aircraft that come through here.  

I want to keep this thread mainly for maintenance personnel only and to share our experiences in the maintenance world.  Most threads are pilot related and just wanted to see and share stories of my fellow maintainers out there.

I don't have any relevant civilian experience but I'm a career avionics guy, USAF type.  I have worked F-4Gs, RQ-1s, U-2s, C-130E/Hs, HH-60Gs, KC-135R, and C-17s. I do have my FCC GROL but I've never had occasion to need it.  I do plan to complete my A&P prior to retirement from my current occupation.

Most threads started here are about boring pilot stuff and not much about maintenance related topics.  

I thought that a thread dedicated to maintainers seemed appropriate since none existed as of yet.

Besides, maintenance personnel have better stories to tell as well.  

<< A&P, FCC GROL and Amateur Extra Ham  

This is an excellent first response to this thread!  I also have an FCC license but I will recommend you get your A&P license before your ETS.  

Before I started my job at Delta, Northwest Airlines considered an FCC license an equal to the A&P as an avionics guy.  I went ahead and obtained my FCC license just in case.  

As a side note:  For anyone still in the military please start obtaining your A&P license now!

F35 avionics... Right here. Ask me anything!

Hey Red_5!  Delta needs a few good avionics guys.  

I'm surprised to see a few guys already responding.  I can't promise anything but several airlines are looking for people to join their ranks.

Edit:  By the way, I work mostly with veterans who have served their country and now work for Delta.  It seems that most are Marines/Navy and then Air Force.

where?

I'll work local (in denver (~)) or entertain a move to somewhere freedom friendly and warmer than CO

Is Delta the only US major that still does anything but ramp/line maintenance in house?  Do you guys do C and D checks as well?  I have read that most of the US airlines have farmed out the heavy checks to companies outside the US that use marginally qualified/skilled labor.

Delta Airlines does outsource some of their maintenance to outside maintenance but still has to work a lot of their maintenance in house. The Tech Ops division of Delta tries to bring in outside maintenance as well to bring in revenue.

With nearly 800 aircraft in the fleet Delta aircraft are sent to China, Mexico and San Antonio Aerospace.  Still though,  a lot of aircraft are still maintained at Tech Ops we are over loaded with work.

Our line maintenance division is busy supporting the fleet and doing a lot work to help maintain that fleet and working a lot of overtime to make it happen.

First off, I encourage all mechanics to first obtain their A&P license.  Many mechanics will be retiring within the next few years and the airlines will need new hires to take their place.  The average avionics guy at Delta is in his 40's.

Keep checking Delta's website for jobs as they are always looking for people.  

one listed now for MSP  

I'm a line mech with Alle giant.

Jack of all trades. Mainly an insane speaking short scare bus dude.  That's I was hired for.

Former Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic(AM2 EAWS) here.  Was a fully qualified CDI 120/12C.  I have my letter from the FAA stating that I have met all to pre reqs for the A&P test.

What do you make as a mechanic working for a major airline?  I was looking and starting salary was shit like 10-15/h for a A&P.  I said fuck it and went to college for IT.  

Airframe license here.     I worked in the field for 12 yrs,  mainly doing heavy maintenance on regionals.  

My discipline is sheetmetal and welding.   I've done a lot of mechanical work also, (flight controls, fuel systems, hydraulics, landing gear, and some engine work). Unfortunately, the local FSDO doesn't feel I have enough practical to get a Powerplant rating.    I've been doing some  research, and hopefully soon I can get a Powerplant rating.

A&P here in Ct

Take care of a Challenger 300, King Air 350i and Agusta 109SP.

Part 91

For the last 20 years: Corporate flight department Director of Maintenance. Have been working Gulfstreams (all large cabin) since about 1986.  Also have worked airlines (American and Eastern (management)), manufacturer (GE aircraft engines as a tech rep), FBO, taught at Riddle and Flight Safety.  

Hold A&P, IA, FCC General Radiotelephone with radar endorsement, Private Pilot, and 3 college degrees.  Have worked both fixed and rotary wing.

Soon to be a retired (1 Oct) USAF fighter crew chief.
10 years on F-15C/D/E
1 year on Lawn Darts
7 years on F-22s

2 years of staff work.

Have my A&P, but haven't used it.

I'm a 3806 working at FRCSE.  Started working there my senior year of high school when I was 17, been there 11 years so far.  No formal sheet metal training.  Just OJT from what the old timers felt like teaching me any given day until I started to figure it out and learn on my own. I manly work EA-6B horizontal stabs and KC-130 ARS hose reels.  But I have done work on H-60's, P-3's, F-14's and a little but of F-18 stuff.

Many years ago I was an F-15 avionics troop. Got out and went to work for Boeing. That was over 25 years ago. Got into quality and am still there. I have worked with a lot of repair stations, including MAE that was mentioned earlier in the thread.

I've been asking around, haven't found a definitive answer yet. I'll keep trying to find the correct answer.

Held my A&P since 09, earned it the hard way by working in a shop as an apprentice. I've not taken the IA exam for a few reasons but mostly because I don't want to be pigeonholed any worse than I am now. Currently I'm a pilot and fleet mechanic on a Lear 35 and Citation II, we are also a helicopter service center and do a bunch of GA work.

I'm a pilot with a mechanic certificate, not a mechanic with a pilot certificate. There is a HUGE difference.

USMC trained tin bender on 130's.  Now I inspect a/c during manufacture. C-17 horizontal stab at the moment. Soon to be G550 wings

I work for an airline that flies a lot a charters. I ride along with the airplane when it is on these charters. I troubleshoot and fix or MEL issues when they pop up, and if the airplane is staying somewhere overnight, I do the daily checks required to keep it airworthy. Sometimes I work at outstations instead of riding along. I've been doing this for a year now.


I have also worked for a Delta regional carrier for a few years, and also at a small shop rebuilding wrecked Air Tractors and Thrushes. I've had my A&P since 2008.

Started aviation life as an AD in the Navy working on Allison T-56 engines on E-2c Hawkeyes.

Got my A&P in 1987 then worked at a Place in MCO on mostly cargo and airline check maintenance.  I did some line work also until they closed 4 years later.

Then started working on private and business singles and twins for 14 years at a FBO at KPTK until the owners sold out and the new owner closed the maintenance side so they could run charters.

It's great to see a big mix of people and their experiences.  One thing I've learned about aviation maintenance is that you will always have a job, you might just have to move though.

This week I've started working on a 737-600 flown by Janet airlines.  We maintain their fleet and are installing NGS (Nitrogen Generation System) and about three other service bulletins.  Along with a 'C' check it will be here for about 21 days.

I'll be honest, working these wiring mods are getting old but it pays the bills.  We have to remove the E1-1, E1-4, E1-5, E2-2, E3-2 and E4-1 shelves along with the J22, J24, J20 and J46 junction boxes so they can be modified.  I'm not as thin as I used to be and squeezing into the nose wheel well and working inside the left and right tunnels can be tight.

A few years ago we installed an electronic flight bag system in all of out airplanes and ACARS in a couple that were not equipped with it, and we had to remove all of those electronics racks and junction boxes. A few of those junction boxes were no fun at all...

I know a few of their mechanics..... they only do small work and send the rest out.

Got my A&P on the civy side, couldn't get a med waiver to get into the Air Force.  I've worked L-1011, B727, B737 classic and NG, B747, B757, B767, B777, MD-88, MD-90, MD-11, DC-3, DC-8, DC-9, DC-10, A320/319, A330, Convair 240, 340, 440, 600, and 640.  I'm engine run on MD-88, MD-90, B737, B757, B767, and A320/319.  I'm taxi on MD-88, MD-90, and B767.  I completed Avionics phase 1 and Avionics phase 2 at Delta, but I haven't finished my ALD packet due to family issues that popped up.  I'm only 35 but I have time to finish up the rest of the ALD stuff.

First job was as a contractor at ATA in Indy doing L-1011 and B727 overhaul.  Then I went to be a contract fuel tank diver in Wilmington, OH working on Airborne Express' (prior to DHL purchasing) DC-8's and DC-9.  After that I ended up in South Bend, IN working for a contractor doing c checks on United Feeder Service's BAE ATP's.  I finally nailed down my first non contract job in Bloomington, IN at Rhoades Aviation working on DC-3's, Convair 240, 340, 440, 600, and 640's.  We also had a couple of Turbo Dakotas (DC-3 with PT6 turboprops).  Shortly after I hired on there, I was hired by Delta Air Lines in Bay 4 overhaul working on B727 and B737.  After six weeks I was force transferred over to Delta North, basically heavy line maintenance for non DAL folks.  Since Delta North, I worked International Line Maintenance, where I primarily worked on MD-11, B767, and B777, and I also worked contracts there.  The shift bid after September 11th, I bid over to Domestic Line Maintenance, where I got to work on all the rest of the DAL fleet.  In 2004 I was RIF'ed over to Bay 5 doing Package Service Visits, and in 2006 I was RIF'ed again out the door.  I ended up working for AAR in OKC doing overhauls on Delta MD-88 and MD-90's.  In 2007 I got a recall back to Delta working in International Line MTC, and I shuffled off over back to Domestic as fast as I could.  

As it stands right now, I've applied for and interviewed a few times for various jobs inside Delta.  I might be interviewing for a job over in the MCC here soon.  I missed dayshift by one slot this year, and we have absorbed more senority, so I'm going backwards.

Seeing how everyone is listing a bit of their background...

worked on:

Boeing:
727-100
727-200
737-200
737-300
737-500
747-SP
747-100
747-200
747-400
757-200
767-200
767-300
777
B-52B*

McDonnell:
DC-8
DC-10-10
DC-10-30
F-4E*

Airbus:
A-319
A-320

Lockheed:
C-141
C-5

Republic:
F-105*
RF-84k*

North American
F-86H*

*=museum aircraft


and a handful of GA aircraft

The nitrogen generation system is for the fuel intering to prevent those explositions on the ramp.

My aircraft work experience:

Boeing
737-200 and 700 series, 747-100, 200, 300 & 400, 757-200, 767-200 & 300, & 777-200

McDs
DC-10-30 & 40, MD11, MD80 series

Scary short buses
A300, A319, A320, A321, A330-200 & 300, & A340-300 & 600.

From what I read of the FAAs requirement the inerting systems are very similar to OBIGGS with one exception, they dump the oxygen into the cabin, not overboard like the retarded AF does.

At least on the 737 and 757 the O2 enriched air goes overboard.

Well, just starting this service bulletin requires a lot of work.  Since this aircraft has airstairs they have to be removed along with several avionics shelves/racks to be modded.  

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These racks look clean because I just finished cleaning all the dust and grime off them.  Now for the meat of this mod to begin.  You start at the E1-4 disconnect panel and work yourself outward.  Wires run forward to the junction boxes and up to the cockpit and also run aft through the forward cargo to the A/C mix bay behind the aft wall of the fwd cargo.


Edit:  I will try to be very careful as to not take pics of the actual aircraft but only generic pics that can't tell where they came from.  I don't need the unwanted attention.

I honestly feel fortunate to work in an environment/job that I actually enjoy and look forward to (for the most part) every day.  Since I was a freshman in high school I knew what I wanted to do and joining the military and using that experience afterwards was my goal.  

I still like being around aircraft because you are always learning something.  I just attended an 80 hour course on the B737NG and still learned something new which has helped me be a better mechanic.  

I think aviation is one of the best fields to work in period!  


Edit:  I really started this thread because I feel fortunate to work in aviation as a maintainer and just wanted a place for others to boast of their experience as well.  Sometimes maintainers don't feel appreciated for the work they do but I'm here to tell you that I appreciate the hard work that you do and what it takes to maintain these airframes flyable each and every day.  

Good post above, cda97.  

Crj 200
Crj 700
Crj 900

Emb 120
Emb 135
Emb  145

Saab 340

Beech 1900

Falcon 900
Falcon 2000
Falcon 7x


Cessna 310
Cessna citation

And a hand full of GA aircraft

Major airline, heavy and light maintenance base in tulsa Ok.
727, Fokker 100, Super 80, A300, 737, 757, 767.
I don't get any extra quals because more responsibility doesn't pay any extra.
A&P in 1991, worked in Aviation since 1996. Just passed 18 years employed here.
Several paycuts, pension gone, damn near every benefit cut since 2002.
Still great paying job but not what it use to be.

Be sure and cross all your t's and dot the i's on those installs.  My brother works compliance for another airline and the feds are realllllly looking at the paperwork for some reason.  They busted their balls over something very trivial stupid.



Not that you wouldn't, just a friendly reminder



oh, was an A&P for a while, cessnas all the way to heavies, working on big turbines now (power generation)



 

As much as I love aviation, I have heard really good things about power gen jobs, especially with all the instability that comes with airline jobs. How do you like it?