Mil CIV 2 Tips for the transitioning military helicopter pilot
in the areas listed in your packet, such as sheet metal repairs, servicing hydraulic systems, removing and installing engines, servicing landing gear, repairing fuel systems, etc.
MILITARY MECHANICS SHOULD CONSIDER THE
JSAMTCC PROGRAM
Army aviation maintenance technician (AMT) veteran Cole Hokanson says he is “quite literally living the dream, working with my hands fixing helicopters, with an office view consisting of a wide-open hangar door overlooking forest-covered mountains, while living on a 50-acre rural property and spending quality time with my family.” Hokanson is currently an A&P mechanic for HAA company Air Evac Lifeteam, and he makes over $80,000 a year with a 401K and excellent vacation and health benefits. He landed this dream job after using the military’s JSAMTCC program to obtain his FAA airframe and powerplant (A&P) certificate.
As an active duty military aircraft technician, setting yourself up for success while you’re still a few years out from separating is the key to finding your ideal job when you are ready to transition into the civilian sector. If you’re a military aircraft mechanic or technician, there is a fantastic program available to you called the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council (JSAMTCC). This program is designed to help active duty aircraft maintenance technicians obtain their A&P certificates. The Department of Defense and the FAA joined forces to create the JSAMTCC program for military aviation mechanics to enroll in an on-the-job training (OJT) program that “evaluates aviation-related specialties for all U.S. Military Branches of Service (BOS),” gives maintenance credit for existing experience in your MOS, and outlines the areas where you need to gain experience to qualify for your A&P certificate.
So, how do you get enrolled and make this program work for you? You will need to reach out to your specific branch representative, or Army representative Steven Burge at
Steven.I.Burge2.civ@
army.mil, to request access to the JSAMTCC packet and be granted access to the Air Force Canvas site. The OJT program will evaluate your experience and will have certain requirements already signed off based on your MOS, your initial training courses completed, and your time in service. Once you’ve received your OJT packet, it is important to network and cross-train with other specialties and maintenance shops to gain qualifying experience
18 Sept/Oct 2024
Once you have successfully obtained the required maintenance hours and experience in all of the areas listed in the OJT packet, you will then be required to take a final quiz on the Air Force Canvas Site. Your JSAMTCC representative will receive your packet and then send you a Certificate of Training and two copies of your 8610-2 form. The 8610-2 is the FAA document that authorizes you to take the written tests you are required to pass before you can take your A&P Oral and Practical test, the final practical test necessary to obtain your A&P certificate. Once you have received your Certificate of Training and your 8610-2s, you will need to set up an appointment with your local FSDO (flight standards district office) to have an FAA inspector review and verify your Certificate of Training and your documented maintenance experience. Once the FAA inspector signs your 8610-2s (keep both copies!) you will be authorized to take the three written tests: General, Airframe and Powerplant. You must pass these written tests in order to be authorized to take the oral and practical test with an FAA aviation maintenance examiner (AME). After successfully passing all three written tests and passing the oral and practical test with an AME, you will be issued your FAA A&P certificate!
With your A&P certificate, you are equipped and qualified to work as a mechanic on FAA-certified aircraft. The aviation industry is in dire need of more A&P mechanics, so opportunities to find an amazing job as an aircraft mechanic are enormous. If you are interested in finding your dream job as an aircraft mechanic, join us at Vertical Aviation International’s Mil2Civ workshop at Verticon 2025 in Dallas. Mil2Civ is a free annual military-to- civilian workshop where you will be able to speak directly with aviation companies that are actively hiring. Other great resources are Skill Bridge authorized companies such as BreakTurn, a veteran-owned company that specializes in connecting service members with aviation companies, and Jacob Lamb , who is an active recruiter for Aerotek, a successful aviation recruiting and staffing agency.
Additional Resources: FAA requirements for Aircraft Mechanic Oral, Practical & Written Tests
Bakers School of Aeronautics ASA electronic Airframe and Powerplant Prepware
About the author: Heidi McBride was a helicopter crew chief in the U.S. Coast Guard, and is now a multi-engine IFR helicopter pilot working in the oil and gas industry.
By Heidi McBride
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