OPTIONS 2
Mil CIV Tips for the transitioning military helicopter pilot
Looking back at my 26-year Army career, I have many things to be proud of, and only one regret. Before getting accepted to Army Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) and then U.S. Army Flight School as a newly minted Warrant Officer One (W1), I was an Army crew chief/technician. I first worked on Cobras, and then moved on to Black Hawks and Little Birds (MD 500s). This leads me to my regret: before getting accepted to WOC School I was working on my FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Certificate, but once I was selected, in my shortsightedness, I didn’t finish my A&P because I was going to be a pilot and didn’t need my A&P.
Many companies would be very interested in a pilot that is also an A&P. If an issue is encountered away from base, you don’t have to pull an A&P off another job and fly them in since one is already on the
By Marc Stanley
scene. There is currently a large shortage of A&Ps in the helicopter industry and this number will only continue to increase. As a crew chief you are doing yourself and your family a disservice if you leave the military without it.
Basically there are three options to getting your A&P:
OPTION 1
You can go to an aviation school or university that has an aviation school and get your two-year associate’s degree while getting your A&P using your GI Bill. There are many universities now that have aviation programs: Embry-Riddle, University of North Dakota, and Southern Utah University, to name a few. Coupled with the new benefits the GI Bill affords – mainly getting free schooling and books, and getting paid while going to school – it’s not a bad way to go.
OPTION 2
The Joint Services Aviation Maintenance Technician
Certification Council
(JSAMTCC) is established by the Community College of the Air Force to serve as a liaison and advisory board to the aviation maintenance divisions of the U.S. military and the FAA. The JSAMTCC recommends qualified and eligible personnel of the U.S. Armed Forces to the FAA for the FAA Mechanic Certificate with Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) ratings.
An applicant holding the JSAMTCC “Certificate of Eligibility” (Form CG- G-EAE-4) is authorized to take the Knowledge and Oral/Practical test without an endorsement in “Block V of the 8610-2.” Furthermore, the applicant can use the GI Bill to pay for their exam.
The best part of this option is that as an aviation MOS holder, you are eligible for the program. All you have to do is document the hours you work and document all the training you receive. For more information on this program please contact Mr. Kevin Gasway at
kevin.o.gasway.civ@
mail.mil or (757) 878-5422 . Tell him I sent you.
OPTION 3
The final option is to go to an A&P prep course. These courses are between two and three weeks long and cost generally between $900 and $3,000, but some may be paid for with the GI Bill as well. Just like Option 2, you will need to have an aviation MOS as well as documentation of your hours worked and training received. Contact your local A&P School for details on their requirements.
To some, these options may seem like a lot of work and a huge investment. Look at it this way: it’s a huge investment in your future. Leaving this civilian certification behind will limit your future salary as well as possibilities for advancement. Now if you are reading this and you are a military pilot or in a military aviation leadership position, please encourage your technicians to take advantage of these programs. It will make them better technicians while they are in the service, and it will also set them up for successful careers beyond their service.
About the author: Marc Stanley retired from the U.S. Army in 2015 after 26 years and is now a corporate pilot for MassMutual, flying AW139 helicopters. Stanley regularly teaches military-to-civilian transition classes at industry events and volunteers with veterans outreach programs.
22
Sep/Oct 2019
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90
