Back to school...

MaverickSawyer

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Well, after a year's hiatus, I'm headed back to college tomorrow afternoon. It's a two week course intended to be an introduction to the field of Airframe and Powerplant maintenance. If I stick with the program, I'll spend two years learning how to fix planes and their engines, then come out of the program with all I need to take the FAA exam, and should I pass that, I'll be able to start working on planes (or rockets, should I choose to take that route.):cool:

To be honest, I'm a little nervous. I spent five years kinda coasting in college, trying to find something that interested me and that I would like to make a career of. I decided to step back and reevaluate my priorities, and came away from that wanting to work with my hands. Now, after a year away from school, I'm diving into a 6 hour a day, 5 day a week program that will take me from having no practical experience with airplane structures and engine systems to having spent 1900 hours learning and working on them. In two years.:(

I know I could be an engineer if I wanted to be, but I much prefer the satisfaction of fixing stuff over the headaches of designing something. I just hope I'm making the right choice with this. But that's part of why I am taking this intro course: to see if this is what I want to do. If it isn't... Well, I'll have to reevaluate again.:facepalm:

I knew that growing up would entail difficult decisions... I just never expected it to be about what the hell I want to do for a career.:uhh:
 

IronRain

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Just keep honest with yourself. In The Netherlands, if you don't like your college and you know that before Christmas, you can switch freely to any other college you like.

IMHO, you have chosen a really interesting college :)

I wish you all the best! :cheers:
 

astrosammy

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Hope you had a good start! Looks like we are heading into the same direction.

In two years. :(
3.5 years for me :shifty:.

Things seem to be very different in the USA. Is it really theory only or will you be able to work on planes during this time?
The airbase I'll be moving (ETSE) to has an extra hangar with retired planes to work on, Tornado, Alpha Jet, Do 27, Bo-105... Learning ground ops will propably mean going to an airport, I'd say EDDM.

Here in Germany it is like for nearly every other job, we have a dual system where the apprentices spend most of the time at employers but also go to school (either a few times per week, or for a couple of weeks a few times a year).
The difference to other jobs is that it's all going to end with exam and certification by EASA (European FAA equivalent).

But this sytem also means going all the way to be able start. Writing applications, tests, job interviews...
How was it for you, just registering, hoping that the course isn't full?

The most exciting thing for me right now is that it's quite easy to work in other countries in this international industry.

I wish you all the best!
:hesaid:
 
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