Warbird Information Exchange

Ok guys- Here is a bit of a divisive question for you- Where in the country should I go to find an A&P job? Let me give you my "particulars":

I would like to work, preferably, in a restoration/maintenance shop for flying warbirds, and antique aircraft. Short of that, work in GA- recip- is the objective, again with emphasis towards antique aircraft, round engines and fabric or aluminum, with somewhere nearby I could volunteer to work on warbird restorations.

I am not interested in working for any airline, or turbine engine operation...(I work with big aircraft once a month, and that is all I care to!)

The area needs to be reasonable with regard to citizens rights- I do not believe in over regulation, or big government, and believe heavily in my Second Amendment rights.

I also hate overly developed areas- I am in south NJ, and everywhere see some b@$^*rd developers destroying nice open fields or farmland or forest to line their pockets, destroy the environment, and put up over priced, and poor quality "McMansions" which are too close together, too large, and just plain ugly... I would like to find somewhere where developers are few, open sky is plentiful, and aircraft are happy...

I also would like temperate weather- I don't mind some snow, but not tons yearly. I also like an ocean within a day or two drive...

My goal is to have my own shop sometime- and be the guy at a small strip who grumples around, smoking his pipe occasionally, working on old aircraft, and is the person about whom everyone says "That's the guy you want working on your airplane!" When the parts changers don't want to work on the aircraft, I want to be the guy people bring them to for real mechanical work...(parts changers- the mechanics who work in volume on newer stuff, and don't rebuild their starters, alternators, generators etc... and just replace rather than rebuild. I like getting my hands dirty..)

Any suggestions where I might direct my search?

Robbie

Robbie: Would you consider doing the opposite? Working on some kero burners to pay the bills so that you can play Warbird/GA and get to know some of the area shops and operations? I keep hearing the guys across the runway from us are looking for people all the time for active, reserve and civvie duties. A/C range from T6A-II's to T-34C's, C-130's, A-4s, A-10's, lots of F-16's, C-9's and the occasional BUFF. I know that we are looking for some Instrumentation Mechs over in the FTI shop....Lots of fab work and on A/C work.

As for warbird work.....Chuckie is very close, Breckenridge is close, Addison is the same. Midland is not too far off. With both Fifi and Ole 927 both being moved to Addison for show season, there are plenty of opportunities.

Which country again?

USA!

Sounds like some opposing requirements! You don't like over-regulation or big government, yet you don't like over-development which occurs when there is inadequate regulation.

You ought to see if "hangtheexpense" is hiring in Georgia, or look for something in Texas or Arizona. Definitely stay away from the left coast.

Yeah- I know! And I like a lot of the terrain of California... I spent a few months in Monterey at the Presidio of Monterey about 17(OMG! 17!) years ago... I always enjoyed the PCH, but not the politics...

And the North East Coast is going quickly left, as well... Soon it will be normal people in the middle bordered by the left on both sides!

Robbie

this is what i have to look forward to in a year? oh joy. well if in north texas, we could use some more help on chuckie. im not always able to go out and help as much as id like to but school is first for me. one cvair forgot to mention was lancaster wing, which has a few nice birds hiding out over there.

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Jon

Hi Jon-
There's lots of opportunities once you get done school: I have an instructor who sends me LONG lists of aviation want ads... Just depends on what you want out of your A&P- lots of guys go in wanting to work on big aircraft. I want to keep small and old ones flying- I work with KC-10A for the USAFR which is basically the DC-10 airframe with some mods, and I have learned that big aircraft of the current commercial magnitude just don't do it for me... Maybe if they got smart, and started building and flying DC-3s again, I might consider the airlines, but I doubt that will happen...

I am in my early 40s, and want to find something working in a field I will enjoy for the rest of my life- I want to be in my 90s turning wrenches on very old aircraft... As I said earlier- perhaps be the FBO running a small shop at a small airport somewhere, flying my own airpane when I get the chance, and rebuilding others...



Robbie

Do you have your A&P yet?

YES! Received it on 1 April !

Robbie

Robbie,

You should consider the D/FW area. With the amount of general and commercial aviation in this area, there must be job openings for A&Ps. Our climate is pretty darned nice overall, and we get very little snow and ice. Our housing market is definitely a buyer's market. The overall cost of living is among the best in the country, and we have no state income tax. There are MANY warbirds in this area, too!

If you end up in the D/FW area, we would love to take advantage of your free slave labor and put you to work on our beloved B-17, Chuckie. VFM is a 100% volunteer organization, and we can always use the help of A&P mechanics, sheet metal workers, machinists, ground support equipment mechanics, and so forth.

Best of luck in your job search, and congratulations!

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Working on Kero burners here in the Northeast keeps me busy. So busy in fact I do not have alot of time to do any of my home stuff. I was hanging out with the local WB people for years, but just got busier as time went on. Friday was the 19th day in a row at work, I had put in for last week to go to Sun-n-Fun, but we bailed out about 3 weeks ago since I had not had time to get everything together to go. Last weekend was easy to volunteer for, I changed a P2/T2 sensor on a Cessna CJ3 on Nantucket. We left the house at 9am, got to the airplane at 2pm, finished the paperwork at 5:30 and spent the night. Sunday was 4 hours of Doubletime to get home. I have Monday and Tuesday off for a little breather and to catch up on last winters beetle stuff. I wont get any of it done either. I am running out to look at the camping trailer I want to buy tomorrow morning. Busy, Busy.

Our shop had a little slowdown last week, during the week, but it has been straight out since Christmas. I think I have done 60 hours of OT already this year.

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"Hindsight is usually 20% off!"

Is that the first one you have done, if not how many have you done and much time on the CJ3?

Dean-
Texas is on the "Under Consideration" list... As I mention tho- I do want to work in General Aviation, preferably recip engines, as I've dealt with large commercial, and really get nothing out of it. I like what you said about "No State Income Taxes" But what do they do instead? I had a friend move to NC once, many years ago, and when he did, he had a reasonably sized vehicle collection, and he ended up having to pay so much tax on it annually that he ended up selling most of it off...

I know DFW is nearer the coast than Wichita Falls- where I spent a couple months at Sheppard AFB- so it is of a bit more interest than that part of the state... And I know I'd enjoy working on a B-17... Of course, prying me out of it when the work is done will be hard...

Robbie
PS- Also have my ASEL Pilot Cert... If I could find a cheap aircraft to continue my training, I'm sure I could work up to a multi engine rating as well...

Robbie: We do the tax thing on dirt.... Some locales do it on boats and cars additionally, but those places are easy to avoid. Highest sales tax is 8.5%. Rotten mass transit, but it is improving slowly. Decent flying days number about 300 or so every year. Temp extreme is from an occasional 0 to 115 F. Summers run about 90-100 with humidity pushing 75% at the worst for long periods.

Jon....hadn't forgotten Lancaster, just was losing steam for the night.

Robbie: There are a number of active CAF units within 200 miles of the DFW area. There is also Snow ag birds up in Olney, Aerospatiale over in Grand Prarie, Mooney down near San Antonio, Bell in Arlington, Vought over close to Aero., LockMart in Fort Worth, and so on. There are at least a dozen airparks and 50 or so airports within 75 miles of DFW airport. Pick your flavor of aircraft and we have it somewhere close. From Rotax to Rocketdyne for power and Dacron to Titanium for materials.

Schedule a little off time and come check it out....Definately worth the time and $ for a visit.