How you become ready for management tasks
From basic course to EASA licence — step by step
If you dream of keeping planes in the air, you must be prepared for a long, structured course. Aircraft maintenance technician education is a vocational education, but it is longer and more regulated than most because in the end you must be able to guarantee that a plane is safe to fly. Here we go through the structure so you know what you are getting into.
§The basic course — your gateway to the trade
If you come directly from 9th or 10th grade, you start basic course 1 (GF1), which lasts about 20 weeks. Here you are introduced to the main area and the basic technical skills. Then comes basic course 2 (GF2), also about 20 weeks, where the teaching is aimed at aviation. GF2 ends with an exam, and you must pass it to move on.
Already in the basic course you must acquire a number of mandatory certificates because you will later work with materials and situations that require it. It is among other things about safety on the workshop and in the hangar.
- 01Work with epoxy and isocyanates
- 02First aid in vocational education
- 03Basic fire fighting.
- 04Radio certificate (N-JOR)
§The main course and the levels
The main course is structured in levels, and this is where the training really differs from other trades. You alternate between school periods and practical work in a company, and most of the time is spent at your apprenticeship, where you work with real planes under supervision.
| Step / specialty | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Step 1 — A-aircraft mechanic | The first, basic level with a shorter school part |
| Step 2 — B1 aircraft technician mechanics | Motors, propellers, aircraft structure and mechanical systems |
| Step 3 — B2 aircraft technician electronics | Electricity, avionics, instruments and electronic systems. |
The B1 Path Also Has Subcategories Depending on Which Aircraft You Work On — for Example Turbine-Engine Aircraft, Piston-Engine Aircraft and Helicopters. Which Path You End Up On Depends on the Company You Apprentice With.
§Duration and access requirements
Altogether, the education can last up to about 6½ years, depending on which levels you take. B1 alone typically takes several years, and if you build B2 on top of it, you add eighteen months. It's an investment, but also a qualification with very high employment prospects afterwards.
For them to weigh less
“Think of the basic course as the foundation and the main course as the real craft: it is out in the hangar that learning really takes hold.”