Opportunities for apprentices in Toronto

[planeguy]

I am a 4th year apprentice living in Toronto, working occasionally doing some contract work. I just completed all the requirements to receive my FAA A&P, thinking that some type of license would mean something to someone other than me. I was in Detroit doing my examinations and took a look at the job board for people just out of school from Michigan Institute of Aeronautics when I was finished. I counted 83 jobs and 2 of them were filled. I applied to the USA and received replies from Raytheon, Timco, ATI, Stambaugh Aviation, Mesa Airlines, and Northwest Airlines, and who the hell knows who else if I actually looked any further. These companies repair and maintain anything from Beechcraft to Boeing 777 and actually realize the importance of young and new faces in the industry. Unfortunately, having the necessary paper work to get down there unless sponsored is legally impossible. I advise anyone who is serious about aircraft maintenance and can go down there, to go. Most jobs on the board were paying at least $15/hr USD to start.

Here in Toronto, I am either over qualified for apprentice positions, and underqualified for AME positions. Frustration mounts. Most of the graduates this year will hear that employers are looking for some experience, while i actually heard in february that I had more experience than needed for an apprentice position. I browse the internet everyday for hours checking for that one break, buy aviation directories calling the same DOM's every month to no avail. Out of the 6 billion people on this planet, I am one of the few luckiest to live in Canada, but also unlucky to not have the paper work to work as a technician in the USA. For money, respect as a learner, and a future, the USA is hiring big time.

[Pat Richard]

Question for you about the A&P licensing. how long does it take and how much does it cost to get it?
I also seem to notice jobs coming up overseas looking for A&P mechanics so I wonder if it would be easier to get get a work visa there.
I can PM you a link to the site were I've these jobs come up if you like.

Pat

[planeguy]

To get the A&P you need 30 mths of airframe and powerplant experience. To get either airframe or powerplant you need 18 mths on either. You'd have to call the FAA to set an appointment to go in for approval to write, they'd need id and documents eg. logbook, diploma. Once you're approved to write, gotta go to a FAA computer testing centre, there's one in Hull, Alberta, and Etobicoke (Toronto) Ontario and obviously the states to do the multiple choice written test $100 CDN. Once passed you gotta make an appointment to do the practical somewhere in the states. The FAA will give you the info you need to find an inspector (price depends on the inspector, I paid $250 for my general and airframe, and $175 for the powerplant). One guy wanted to charge $500 for all three USD!!!!! They're all over, buffalo penn state, i went to rochester for the approval and then detroit for the practicals...

out of breath.

send me that link if you can...