Building Next Level
Aircraft Mechanics
Grease Pilot is an aircraft maintenance training and business platform that helps people earn the FAA A&P mechanic certificate through on-the-job training, and helps A&P mechanics and maintenance shops start and grow their businesses.
600+ in Grease Pilot Network
Are You An A&P Apprentice Or A&P Mechanic?
Grow your business with more exposure, customer leads, tech pub references, courses and more.
- 310,000+Google search views on Phalanx Aviationin the last 12 months, where members are listed
- 600+Aircraft manualsin the Aircraft Manual Reference Library
- 500+New job leads in the last 12 monthsabout 11 a week
- Find, hire, manage A&P apprentices
Earn your A&P through on-the-job training (OJT) with supervisors, online lessons, a digital OJT logbook and more.
- 4,200+OJT apprentice opportunities nationwideA&P mechanics, shops and repair stations
- 18 / 30Months of experience for the FAA A&P18 for one rating, 30 for both
- Part-time or full-time opportunities
- A&P lessons, quizzes and certificates
Become an aircraft mechanic through apprenticeship (OJT).
Grow your aircraft maintenance business.
Compare the plans. Every membership starts free.
Free Plan
FreeBasic Plan
$29.95/monthAdvance Plan
$39.95/monthFree Plan
Mechanic Free · MX Shop FreeFreeFree to use. No credit card needed.
Aircraft Mechanic Aptitude Test
Find out if you have what it takes to become an aircraft mechanic. You get your grade and a PDF report.
Take the Free Test
A&P Apprenticeship Finder
Find A&P supervisors accepting apprentices and places to ask about OJT in all 50 states.
Search by State
Free A&P Lessons
Practical aviation maintenance lessons on FAA regulations, aircraft systems and A&P certification topics.
View the LessonsFree to use. No credit card needed.
Mechanic References
AC 43.13-1B quick references for rivet spacing, wire and circuit breaker sizing, composite tap tests and safety wiring turnbuckles.
See the References
Aircraft Tire Pressure Chart
General aircraft tire pressures in one chart. Print it and keep it in your toolbox for quick reference.
Open the Chart
Phalanx Aviation Job Board
Real aircraft owners requesting maintenance work. See the latest requests by state, aircraft and when the work is needed.
See the Latest JobsGrease Pilot
What is Grease Pilot?
Grease Pilot is an aircraft maintenance training and business platform. Grease Pilot School helps people earn the FAA A&P mechanic certificate through on-the-job training, and Grease Pilot Business helps A&P mechanics and maintenance shops start and grow their businesses. Working toward your A&P? Start with School. Already an A&P mechanic or a shop? Business is yours. Grease Pilot was founded in 2019 by Michael Sawyer, an FAA-certificated A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization.
Is Grease Pilot free?
Yes, every membership starts free. A free School account lets you build your apprentice profile and see A&P mechanics near you who train apprentices. A free Business account lets you train one apprentice, sign their hours online, and keeps you in the Phalanx Aviation directory. Paid plans add full contact details, unlimited training requests, job leads and the Aircraft Manual Reference Library: see current prices on the student plans and mechanic plans pages.
For A&P apprentices
Can I become an A&P mechanic without going to school?
Yes. The FAA accepts documented on-the-job experience instead of a Part 147 school: 18 months of practical experience for the airframe or the powerplant rating, or 30 months for both (14 CFR 65.77). You must be at least 18 and able to read, write, speak and understand English. Grease Pilot isn't a school; Grease Pilot School's platform is specifically designed to help individuals through the A&P OJT journey.
How long does it take to get an A&P license?
On the on-the-job path, it takes at least 18 months of documented experience for one rating or 30 months for both; the FAA counts full-time months, so part-time work takes longer. When your experience is ready, an FAA inspector at your local Flight Standards District Office reviews it and signs Form 8610-2. Then you pass the FAA tests.
How much does it cost to get an A&P license?
On the on-the-job path there's no tuition: you pay the fees for the three FAA knowledge tests and the examiner's fee for the oral and practical test, and on-the-job training is usually a paid job. Part 147 schools charge tuition on top of the same tests. Grease Pilot School is free to start.
How much do aircraft mechanics make?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for aircraft mechanics and service technicians at $79,870 (May 2025). Pay varies by state; each of our A&P apprenticeship state pages shows that state's figure.
How do I find an A&P mechanic to train me and get my hours signed?
Any FAA-certificated mechanic with the rating you're working toward can supervise your work (14 CFR 43.3); you don't need an IA, a repair station or a school. Grease Pilot School lists A&P mechanics, shops and repair stations across the U.S. you can ask about training, and lets supervisors find your apprentice profile. Your supervisor can sign each logged task online, and members can download signed records to show the FAA inspector.
For A&P mechanics
How do I start my own aircraft maintenance business?
You can start as an independent A&P working under your own certificate, then add shop space and mechanics as you grow. Write a business plan, form the business and register for permits, set up a bank account and bookkeeping, pick your service area, set your rates and mark-ups, line up parts vendors and insurance, then market to aircraft owners near you. The How to Start an Aircraft Maintenance Business course walks through each step.
Can an A&P mechanic work independently, without an IA or a repair station?
Yes. An A&P can maintain, repair and alter aircraft and return them to service, and with both ratings can do 100-hour inspections (14 CFR 65.85 and 65.87). Annual inspections and approving major repairs or alterations need an Inspection Authorization (IA). You don't need a Part 145 repair station certificate to work for yourself.
How do A&P mechanics get customers and job leads through Grease Pilot?
Aircraft owners search Phalanx Aviation's directory for a mechanic near their airport and post maintenance jobs for mechanics to pick up. Grease Pilot Business members get a full public listing on Phalanx Aviation and the job leads; a free account keeps you in the directory.
Do you have aircraft maintenance logbook entry templates?
Yes. The Aircraft Maintenance Forms Package has 22 ready-to-use Word and Excel forms written for aircraft maintenance, including logbook entry templates, work orders, estimates, a parts-and-labor rate sheet and a business plan. The same forms come with the How to Start an Aircraft Maintenance Business course.
What insurance does an independent A&P mechanic need?
The FAA doesn't require it, but airports and customers often do. Independent mechanics usually carry premises liability, hangarkeepers liability (for the aircraft in your care) and products and completed operations liability (for the work you've finished). The business course has a lesson on insurance, and the forms package includes a list of aviation insurance brokers.
Where can I find aircraft maintenance manuals?
Grease Pilot's Aircraft Manual Reference Library has 600+ aircraft, engine and avionics manuals for reference. It comes with the Business Basic plan for mechanics and the School Advance plan for apprentices.
How do I find and train an A&P apprentice?
Grease Pilot is free for A&P mechanics and shops who train apprentices: list your shop, see apprentices near you who are looking for someone to train them, and sign their hours online. A free account trains one apprentice at a time; Business Basic trains up to five and shows full apprentice profiles with contact details.
Maintenance manuals (MM), illustrated parts catalogs (IPC) and more for airframe, powerplant and avionics, on your phone. Don’t see one? Members request it, and the library keeps growing.
- 600+Reference manuals
- 400+Airframe manuals
- 100+Powerplant manuals
- 60+Avionics manuals
What people say about Grease Pilot, in their own words.
About Grease Pilot
Grease Pilot is an aircraft maintenance training and business platform that helps people earn the FAA A&P mechanic certificate through on-the-job training, and helps A&P mechanics and maintenance shops start and grow their businesses.
Grease Pilot was founded in 2019 by Michael Sawyer, an FAA-certificated A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization (A&P3402802IA).
More about Michael
Grease Pilot School
Grease Pilot School connects people working toward their A&P with supervising mechanics and shops, and gives them online lessons and a digital OJT logbook.
school.greasepilot.com
Grease Pilot Business
Grease Pilot Business gives A&P mechanics and shops a step-by-step business course, job leads from aircraft owners, the Aircraft Manual Reference Library and a Phalanx Aviation listing.
biz.greasepilot.com
The Grease Pilot Show
The Grease Pilot Show is Grease Pilot's podcast. From your first OJT hours to your own shop: everything to take your aircraft mechanic career to the next level.
Visit The Grease Pilot Show
