A&P Aircraft Mechanic Jobs in South Dakota
Cities in South Dakota with Aviation Schools:
- Aberdeen
- Academy
- Belle Fourche
- Black Hawk
- Brandon
- Brookings
- Canton
- Corson
- Dakota Dunes
- Ellsworth AFB
- Harrisburg
- Hermosa
- Highmore
- Hot Springs
- Huron
- Keystone
- Lead
- Madison
- Milbank
- Mitchell
- Mobridge
- Pierre
- Rapid City
- Sioux Falls
- Spearfish
- Watertown
- Yankton
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs South Dakota
What's the Job Outlook for A&P Mechanics? Aircraft mechanic jobs in South Dakota should continue to grow, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their study suggests that the number of people working in aviation mechanic jobs will increase by 7% between 2008 and 2018.
This growth will be primarily caused by an increase in air traffic due to growing worldwide populations, economies, and increased desire for travel. As the airlines and associated industries expand, the need for A&P Mechanics will go up accordingly. Read more about aviation maintenance technician salaries.
In the coming years, many job openings will be created by retiring A&P Mechanics and others leaving the industry to work in related jobs like auto and diesel repair. If you become an aircraft mechanic, you can rest assured knowing your trade crosses over to many other industries.
A&P Mechanic Jobs in South Dakota
A&P mechanic jobs are in high demand in South Dakota. The highest paying aircraft mechanic jobs in South Dakota are found at the major airlines. As can be expected, competition for these jobs is also huge. However, you're most likely to get a job at a regional airline or discount airline, because these types of carriers are growing quickly. But don't expect the same pay and benefits as the majors.
How to get your license, training requirements, eligibility, and links to more info. To earn your A&P License, you must attend a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified AMT school OR have at least 30 months of relevant civilian or military work experience (supervised by a certified aviation mechanic). The FAA issues the A&P certificates (airframe and powerplant), and mechanics can get either an airframe rating or a power plant rating or both--most mechanics get both. Those who want a certificate with just a single rating and who base their application on practical experience must demonstrate 18 months of work experience applicable to the chosen rating. Learn more about the training and experience requirements to become an aircraft mechanic.
After your education or training qualifications are met, you'll be eligible to take the required oral, practical, and written tests. You must pass all these tests within 24 months. The tests cover 43 technical subjects. Typically, tests for one certificate--airframe or power plant--take about 8 hours. (Get more details about the A&P Mechanics Tests.) When you pass, you will have earned your FAA mechanic license with airframe and/or powerplant certificates (A&P license), and you'll be on your way to a successful career in aviation maintenance! Learn more about aviation maintenance technician training now.
A&P License Currency
Although your A&P certificates don't expire, you must remain "current" by meeting several criteria, including completing a minimum of 1,000 hours of hands-on work experience during the previous 24 months (or completing a refresher course) and completing at least 16 hours of additional training every 24 months. The additional training requirement is usually satisfied by attending manufacturer events or training with outside contractors hired to conduct the training.
Avionics Technician Specialty Training
As an A&P mechanic, if you have the training, qualifications, and tools, the FAA will allow you to work on avionics as well. Avionics technicians are not specifically required to have FAA certification if they received their avionics training in the military or from working for an avionics manufacturer.
A&P Mechanic Training: Using Veteran's Benefits
Your veteran's benefits, especially the Post 9/11 GI Bill, are one of the best sources of funding available to pay for A&P mechanic training. With the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you can be reimbursed for up to 100% of your aviation mechanic training expenses. This is a sizeable amount of funding that goes a long way toward making you an A&P mechanic, but there are a few things to consider before taking the leap.
A&P mechanic training expenses can be covered up to $10,000 dollar per academic year. Qualified veterans can use Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to cover 100% of their training costs up to $10,000 dollars per academic year. Depending on the program, this is a big portion of the expense of aviation mechanic training. While it is worth noting this limitation, it is hardly causing alarm since it covers or severely reduces the costs of most A&P mechanic courses.
Aviation mechanic training programs require VA approval for reimbursement. An arguably more important consideration before beginning your A&P mechanic training is whether a particular training provider is approved by the VA. The good news is there is a pretty standard process and it isn't a secret whether a school is approved.
The only potential catch is that the VA must also approve individual courses before they will reimburse your flight training costs. This means that while a school may have approval, every course they offer isn't necessarily covered by your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Aviation mechanic training is improved by the approval process. The requirements for receiving an A&P mechanic certificate are standardized, but there is still a lot of variation in training programs. Since the VA mandates a fairly stringent approval process and there are ongoing paperwork requirements, most schools have a VA representative who is very familiar with the system.
This representative, the approval process, and the paperwork have a net effect of improving the quality of your aviation mechanic training by weeding out weak training courses and keeping you active in your training. Once you start training, most of the paperwork can be managed for you, allowing you to focus on your A&P mechanic training.
In fact, this is the most important takeaway. The stringent requirements of the Post 9/11 GI Bill create better-equipped schools, more efficient training courses, and save you money during your aviation mechanic training. For more information and to verify your eligibility, call 1-888-GIBILL-1 or check out the GI Bill website
Fixed-Wing Aircraft Facts - Wing Configurations
The wings of an aircraft can be attached to the fuselage at the top, mid-fuselage, or at the bottom. They may extend perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the fuselage or can angle up or down slightly. This angle is known as the wing dihedral. The dihedral angle affects the lateral stability of the aircraft.
Fun Facts About Flight Dispatchers
Flight dispatchers look at flight size, weather, travel time, and other areas to plan the timing of arrivals and departures. Air traffic controllers work from the airports, directing traffic on the ground and updating pilots with new information during their flights.
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs South Dakota
An aircraft mechanic is a hot career! The A&P Mechanic industry is in need of trained A&P mechanics right now. Whether you want to work for the airlines, a smaller corporate operation, or for yourself as an independent A&P, we offer the following training resources to help you get started. Learn more about A&P Mechanic Technician Training
What is the typical A&P Mechanic Technician salary? Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) can make a comfortable living repairing and performing scheduled maintenance on aircraft, with top earners at major airlines earning well over $70,000 a year.
According to 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most AMTs make somewhere between $16.92 and $36.86 per hour, with median income at $26.55 per hour or $55,210 a year. The middle 50% earned between $45,670 and $65,750. At the lowest end of the scale, 10% of AMTs earned less than $35,190, while the top 10% earned more than $76,660.
As you might expect with aircraft mechanic jobs in South Dakota, the positions with the highest aircraft maintenance salary are in the major airline and federal government sectors, where A&P mechanics typically work on large jet aircraft. (In the U.S., AMTs usually refer to themselves as A&Ps, which stands for airframe and powerplant mechanics. In Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the equivalent of an AMT is an aircraft maintenance engineer.) Learn more about A&P Mechanic Technician Training
When compared to other professional technicians (such as auto mechanics, electricians, electro-mechanical technicians, and heavy vehicle service technicians), AMTs tend to earn a higher salary. In fact, AMTs' median annual income is typically between $4,000 and $18,000 higher than these technical professions. Get more info about aircraft mechanic jobs in South Dakota.
A&P Mechanic Jobs in South Dakota
There are several training routes to take to land the top A&P mechanic jobs. Attend a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved A&P Mechanic. Currently, the FAA has approximately 170 approved A&P Mechanic schools listed on their website. For those interested in landing the top A&P mechanic jobs in South Dakota, you need to attend an A&P Mechanic School and get the practical experience you'll need to become an A&P Mechanic.
Many A&P mechanics who have the best jobs get their training in the military. As a military A&P mechanic looking for the best paying job, you could be working on anything from large airliners and transports to jet fighters and attack helicopters. If you decide to go the military route, upon your discharge from the military, you'll still need to take the necessary FAA tests and have the proper documentation of your practical experience. That means you'll have to take all the courses too!
Once you have passed the required tests, you'll be eligible to apply for the very best A&P jobs in South Dakota. However, please note that military experience can sometimes be too specific, and not meet the broad specifications required by the FAA. Even after discharge, you may have to attend one of the FAA-approved AMT schools.
On the job training - a very few people earn the required minimum coursework and skill set needed to pass the A&P certification tests through on the job training. Typically, you must be under the direct supervision of an A&P for at least 30 months and be logging all of your hours to go this route. Your time log must be notarized by your employer or signed off by the supervising A&P. Find out more about A&P Mechanic jobs.
A&P Mechanic Requirements
To be a certified A&P mechanic or avionics technician you need to meet several qualifications:
- Age 18 or older
- Read, write, speak, and understand the English language
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent
- Display the required technical skills
Avionics Technician Salary
Avionics Technicians test electronic instruments, assemble components, install instrument panels, interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and problems, and repair or replace malfunctioning components. According to 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most Avionics Technicians earned somewhere between $18.82 and $35.47 per hour, with median income at $26.61 per hour or $55,350 a year. The middle 50% earned between $47,210 and $64,890. At the lowest end of the scale, 10% of Avionics Technicians earned less than $39,150, while the top 10% earned more than $73,770.
The positions with the highest avionics technician salary are in the aerospace, major airline, and federal government sectors. The chart below shows Avionics Technicians' mean annual salary by industry (for those industries with the highest levels of employment):
A&P Mechanic Technician Benefits
Salaries and benefits can vary. Salary is often dependent on the size of the company, work location, past work experience, licenses (e.g., A&P certificate), and type of craft serviced. In terms of benefits packages, both airline and general aviation employers typically offer paid holidays, vacations, insurance plans, retirement programs, and sick leave. A&P Mechanic technicians working for the largest companies can expect top-notch benefits packages, including both health and life insurance and, for those working for airlines, travel benefits for themselves and immediate family (e.g., free or reduced-price transportation to route destinations and travel exchange privileges with other airlines).
Fun Helicopter Facts for Aberdeen
During the mid 1500's, Italian inventor Leonardo Da Vinci made drawings of a single rotor flying machine that some experts say inspired the modern day helicopter. In 1784, French inventor, Launoy and Bienvenue created a toy with a rotary-wing that could lift and fly and proved the principle of helicopter flight. French inventor, Etienne Oehmichen built and flew a helicopter to a distance of 1 km in 1924.
Aviation Fun Facts and Figures
Flight Instructor Facts for Aberdeen t is important for you to keep track of your certification and to schedule refresher courses well in advance of your actual deadline as most classes fill up quickly.
Interesting Helicopter and Fixed-wing Facts for Brookings
The biggest helicopter was the Russian Mil Mi-12 Homer of 1968 which could lift 40,204 kg up to 2255 m. Despite all of these achievements the Soviet Air Force refused to accept the helicopter for state acceptance trials for many reasons, the main one being that the V-12's most important intended mission no longer existed, i.e. the rapid deployment of strategic ballistic missiles.
Helicopter Spotlight for Brookings
The Agusta-Westland AW119 Koala is an eight-seat utility helicopter powered by a single turboshaft engine produced for the civil market. Introduced as the Agusta A119 Koala prior to the Agusta-Westland merger it is targeted at operators favoring lower running costs of a single-engine aircraft over redundancy of a twin.The A119 designation was first applied to a proposed 11-seat stretched version of the A109 in the 1970s but this was never actually built. The helicopter that was eventually to enter production was conceived in 1994 as Agusta was recovering from the financial woes that had nearly put the company out of business and the second of two prototypes took to the air in February the following year. The first prototype was used for static tests. Civil certification was originally anticipated in 1997 but that deadline was missed with Agusta citing personnel problems and a need to increase the performance of the aircraft to meet customer expectations.
Fun Facts for Helicopter and Airplane Flight Training for Huron
There are more than 11,000 civil helicopters operating just in the U.S. and more than 15,000 civil helicopters operating in more than 157 other countries around the world.
The biggest helicopter was the Russian Mil Mi-12 Homer of 1968 which could lift 40,204 kg up to 2255 m.
Helicopter Spotlight for Huron
The AgustaWestland Apache is a licence-built version of the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter for the British Army's Army Air Corps. The first eight helicopters were built by Boeing; the remaining 59 were assembled by Westland Helicopters (now part of AgustaWestland) at Yeovil, Somerset in England from Boeing-supplied kits. Changes from the AH-64D include Rolls-Royce engines, a new electronic defensive aids suite and a folding blade mechanism allowing the British version to operate from ships. The helicopter was initially designated WAH-64 by Westland Helicopters and was later designated Apache AH Mk 1 (often shortened to Apache Ah4) by the Ministry of Defence.The Apache has become a valued form of close air support in the continuing conflict in Afghanistan, being deployed to the region since 2006. The Apache has been an object of controversy over the fitting of some munitions, such as cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons. Naval trials and temporary deployments at sea have proven the aircraft as an able platform to operate from the decks of ships, which is a unique application of the Apache amongst its operators. British Apaches served in the NATO 2011 military intervention in Libya operating from Royal Navy ships.
Interesting Helicopter and Fixed-wing Facts for Mitchell
There are over 3 million people in the air on planes at any one time. And the worlds first flying car arrives in 2012. Called the Terrafugia it costs $194,000
The biggest helicopter was the Russian Mil Mi-12 Homer of 1968 which could lift 40,204 kg up to 2255 m.
Helicopter Spotlight for Mitchell
The Light Helicopter Experimental (LHX) program was a 1980s United States Army helicopter procurement project to replace the AH-1 Cobra and OH-58 helicopters. In support of the LHX program the United States Army started the Advanced Composite Airframe Program (ACAP) to develop an all-composite helicopter fuselage.[1] In February 1981 contracts were awarded to Sikorsky (for the Sikorsky S-75) and Bell Helicopter (for the Bell D-292). An Army Aviation Mission Area Analysis, completed in 1982, identified deficiencies in current materiel and doctrine that needed to be addressed to meet the requirements of the new Airland Battle Doctrine. The specific material deficiencies were to be resolved through the LHX program.
Interesting Helicopter Facts
Robinson and the Raven Helicopter
In January 2000 Robinson introduced the Raven with hydraulically-assisted controls and adjustable pedals. In July 2002 Robinson introduced the Raven II featuring a more powerful fuel-injected engine and wider blades allowing a higher gross weight and improved altitude performance.
Interesting Helicopter and Fixed-wing Facts for Pierre
Over 3 million lives have been saved by helicopters in both peacetime and wartime operations since the first person was rescued from the sea in 1944. If you include military helicopters it is estimated that there are more than 45000 operating worldwide.
Helicopter Spotlight for Pierre
The American Helicopter XH-26 Jet Jeep (known as the XA-8 by its manufacturer) was an experimental tip jet helicopter developed in 1951 by the American Helicopter Company to meet a United States Army and Air Force (USAF) request for a collapsible and air-droppable observation helicopter. The design of the original Model XA-8 single-seat lightweight helicopter began in 1951 under the sponsorship of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and the USAF. The Army's specification in 1950 had called for a lightweight, one-man unarmed helicopter that had to be collapsible, capable of aerial delivery to troops in rugged terrain, and assembled quickly with simple tools. The helicopter was to be used for both light observation and as an air-droppable rescue vehicle for downed aircrews. After a review of all proposals American Helicopter was awarded the development contract in June 1951, based on its XA-8 design proposal. The first of five prototype XH-26s flew in January 1952.
Interesting Facts About Airline Profitability for Rapid City
The airline industry has currently made a net loss of $31 billion dollars since 1940. The average profit per seat on a 1 hour flight is $2.20. In 1940 to fly London – New York it cost 1 years wages. Today it costs the wage of working only Monday & Tuesday.
Helicopter Spotlight for Rapid City
The Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat helicopter, commonly used for light transport, scouting and light attack duties. It is powered by a single turbine engine and was the first helicopter to feature a fenestron tail instead of a conventional tail rotor. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation, later Aérospatiale; the Gazelle has also been manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom as the Westland Gazelle, by SOKO in Yugoslavia, and the Arab British Helicopter Company (ABHCO) in Egypt.
Since being introduced to service in 1973, the Gazelle has been procured and operated by a number of export customers. It has also participated in numerous conflicts around the world, including by Syria during the 1982 Lebanon War, by Rwanda during the Rwandan Civil War in the 1990s, and by numerous participants on both sides of the 1991 Gulf War. In French service, the Gazelle has been supplemented as an attack helicopter by the larger Eurocopter Tiger, but remains in use primarily as a scout helicopter.
Helicopter Factoid for Sioux Fallss for Sioux Falls
To steer a helicopter, the pilot must adjust the pitch of the blades, which can be set three ways. In the collective system, the pitch of all the blades attached to the rotor is identical; in the cyclic system, the pitch of each blade is designed to fluctuate as the rotor revolves, and the third system uses a combination of the first two.
Helicopter Spotlight for Sioux Falls
The Agusta A129 Mangusta (English: Mongoose) is an attack helicopter originally designed and produced by Agusta. It has the distinction of being the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Europe. It has continued to be developed by AgustaWestland, the successor company to Agusta. The A129 has undergone several combat deployments since entering service with the Italian Army in the 1990s.
Interesting Helicopter and Fixed-wing Facts for Spearfish
If you include military helicopters it is estimated that there are more than 45,000 operating worldwide.
The fastest helicopter is the Westland Lynx, which flew at 402 km/h on 6 August 1986. The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil.
Flight Instructor Facts for Spearfish
A flight instructor who holds his CFII and MEI is called Multi-engine Instrument Instructor (MEII). It is also important to note that flight instructors may obtain and instruct other ratings, such as glider.
Interesting Helicopter and Fixed-wing Facts for Watertown
Over 3 million lives have been saved by helicopters in both peacetime and wartime operations since the first person was rescued from the sea in 1944. Highest altitude made in a helicopter was 40,820ft (12,442m) on 21, June 1972 in a Aerospatiale Lama and the Pilot was Jean Bouet from France.
Helicopter Facts and Figures
The United States military is another large employer of helicopter pilots, who are used in both combat and transportation roles. Due to the complexity of helicopter aviation, employers are allowed to reject applicants based on weight. Extremely overweight individuals can affect a helicopter's lift and drag, making it unsafe.
Interesting Helicopter and Fixed-wing Facts for Yankton
Did you know that if the engine stops, the helicopter rotor continues to spin allowing the machine to slowly land, generally without crashing to the ground. Much like its inspiration the Maple Tree Fruit.
Helicopter Spotlight for Yankton
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 Chain Gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to improve combat survivability.