General Aviation Maintenance GAM.S.STC
Short-term Technical Certificate - 23 Credit Hours
Division: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Department: Aviation Technology
Effective as of Fall 2023
What is the program about?
The General Aviation Maintenance certificate provides foundational knowledge and skills required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) student. To become an AMT, two ratings are required, the Airframe (A) and the Powerplant (P); this is commonly referred to as an "A&P Certificate". The GAM.S.STC, the Airframe Maintenance (AAM.S.CRT) and Powerplant Maintenance (PPAM.S.STC) certificates are needed to qualify the student to become an AMT. Students will learn to apply mathematics and physics, read and interpret aircraft drawings, conduct ground operations and servicing of aircraft, interpret maintenance publications, interpret FAA regulations, make correct and legal aircraft record entries, perform weight and balance calculations, understand basic electricity, understand makeup of materials used in aircraft manufacture, understand aircraft fasteners, inspect welds, inspect for aircraft deterioration (corrosion) and understand and perform aircraft repair methods. Students will learn to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned with extensive hands-on training in the aviation maintenance lab. Sinclair is an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) under Part 147.
Program Outcomes
- Explain federal and international regulation governing aircraft maintenance and documentation requirements as they related to each area of expertise; weight and balance requirements; and ground operations and servicing of the aircraft.
- Inspect, repair, service and operate critical safety and utility systems of the aircraft.
- Discuss the composition of materials, forming of metallic and non-metallic structures used in aircraft construction, materials and processes, corrosion, and the methods of inspecting those materials.
- Describe aircraft electrical power production, distribution, wiring, load analysis, isolation, math and aircraft drawings.
Career Opportunities
The Aviation industry is experiencing a pressing shortage of aviation mechanics. In its most recent pilot and technician outlook report, issued in 2020, Boeing estimated that 739,000 new technicians would be needed worldwide during the next 20 years, much of it due to the large number of recent and upcoming retirements in the field...that includes 192,000 new technicians needed in North America.
Credentials
The Airframe and Powerplant (A & P) certificate is the basic requirement for any aviation maintenance technician to maintain U.S. registered aircraft in an airworthy condition. The mechanic is a vital part of safety for the flying public.
