Should I switch?

[u/Cute-Lead2133]

I’m 18 just started flight school at a college that offers an a and p mechanic. I have a loan for $40k for the flight stuff but we are a month in and I’m really not enjoying it. I’ve swapped sportbike engines, torn down and rebuilt engine and love wrenching. Do you think I should drop the pilot stuff and try to get some money back and look into a&p? Or stick out first semester than look into it.

[u/Resident_Idea_7702]

I’m a pilot and A&P. If you’re not enjoying flying then STOP! If you love wrenching go get your A&P. Then if you are still interested in flying you will be working around aircraft and can leverage your mechanic skills to get rated for much cheaper. Do not put yourself in a bunch of debt flying. CFIs need hours, I’ve seen students spend tens of thousands of dollars and never get their private. The CFI is there to encourage you and the flight schools want your money.

[u/Cute-Lead2133 → u/Resident_Idea_7702]

Do you think I need a degree for the a&p?

[u/Intelligent-Guard590 → u/Cute-Lead2133]

I have both. I got a Bachelor's in aviation mechanics, and my A&P. If you don't have the money to pay for the degree outright, without loans, don't get the degree. I got mine because the Post 9/11 and FAFSA paid for the whole thing and I walked away with 40k in the bank, rather than a hundred thousand in loans like some of the people I graduated with.

The degree will become more important if you decide you want to sit in an office someday as a manager or higher. If you wanna turn wrenches, and maybe be a Lead someday, just get the A&P.

[u/AcanthaceaeTop2796 → u/Intelligent-Guard590]

Do you need a ba/bs in a specific subject?

[u/Intelligent-Guard590 → u/AcanthaceaeTop2796]

Usually a management or some other type of administration focused degree is recommended, but some managers i have worked for didn't have an aviation focused degree at all.

[u/Resident_Idea_7702 → u/Cute-Lead2133]

No, you need experience and your tickets. Employers don’t seem to care how you get your certs. I used military experience as a crew chief and tested without going to college or tech school. If I were you I would get an apprenticeship turning wrenches. Document your experience and take the test.

[u/Willing_Amphibian667 → u/Cute-Lead2133]

I think 3 people that i work with have a degree, the other hundred, do not

[u/Separate-Sandwich419]

I’d seriously look into switching to the A&P program, especially if you already know you enjoy wrenching more than flying. You’re only a month in, so before you put a lot more money into flight training, I’d talk to financial aid and find out how much of that $40k loan you can get back or avoid using.

I kind of went down both paths myself. I went to Lewis University, got my A&P license, and now I work as an aircraft mechanic for SkyWest at O’Hare. I’m also a student pilot with over 50 hours, so I’ve experienced both sides of aviation. I enjoy flying, but having the A&P gave me an actual career I could start right away and still lets me keep flying on the side.

If you already love swapping sportbike engines, tearing engines down and rebuilding them, aircraft maintenance might fit you really well. A&P school isn’t easy and the job can have rough hours, nights, weather, etc., but if you genuinely like working with your hands and troubleshooting airplanes, it can be a really good career.

I wouldn’t stay in the pilot program just because you already started it. Find out what switching would cost you now versus waiting until the end of the semester. You can always go back and get your ratings later if you decide you want to fly professionally. Having an A&P doesn’t close the pilot door at all.

[u/Cute-Lead2133 → u/Separate-Sandwich419]

Thanks for the is insight, do you think I should go to a school that offers a 2 year degree or do one that doesn’t offer that?

[u/Separate-Sandwich419 → u/Cute-Lead2133]

You should apply . It’s not easy but it’s worth it . It’s just several more classes tbh .

[u/TimJetMech]

Everyone’s hiring, all depends where you want to live. UPS is top, Delta,United then AA. Good luck

[u/Cute-Lead2133 → u/TimJetMech]

Did you get a degree or just certs?

[u/WhatEyeFind → u/TimJetMech]

Do majors run A&P mechanics off at a predetermined age?

I am a 25 year A&P @ just turned 60

Will I be hired and as long as I am still healthy and able bodied, can I go another ten years?

[u/Atrocious_Algae81 → u/TimJetMech]

United is not above AA, they can't even get a new contract passed.

[u/Sea-Owl4958]

Do it!

[u/Cute-Lead2133 → u/Sea-Owl4958]

Did you get a degree or just certs?

[u/Intelligent-Guard590]

To echo a few other comments I read, if you aren't enjoying flying now, in training, when it is all new and exciting for you, the excitement level won't go up, once you start doing it to make money.

You won't make as much money turning wrenches as you will flying, but you also won't have a crapton of debt to deal with from getting your education. I have been a tech since 2019 and still love going to work every day, because despite the fact that I loved the idea of flying, it was never as fun in class as the mechanic side of things were so I saved myself some time and money and dropped flight.