Will i find the time to do aircraft maintenance technician and be a pilot?

Question

i have been interested in pilot and i want to know if ican do both

Answer 1

I do both professionally for a living.

It has been a challenge.  I have worked for smaller companies so the work tends to balance out.  Traditionally I have a very busy summer flying and doing fleet maintenance (I typically max out my hours for June, July, August, and September) and then in the winter there isn't that much flying (I've only put in 40 flying hours this year so far) but there is the major fleet maintenance, private annual inspections, and working on project planes.

It is definitely not for everyone.  What I have come up against in past companies is being stuck in the hangar (where I am the most useful) while junior pilots fly all the hours.  Then there are the companies who want to work you to death, not counting maintenance hours as part of a duty day.

Once you get past the small charter company scene, there are too many demands either as a pilot or mechanic to do both.  You will have to choose which direction you want to take.  I plan on pursuing my piloting career further and keeping my AME license current by buying, rebuilding, and selling aircraft part time.

I would definitely take JetDoc's suggestion and get you mechanics done first.  It pays far better than a low time commercial pilot's salary and costs far less.  I also used my mechanics income to get my pilot's license and I also got a job at a flight school so I got big discounts and many free hours (test flights, rescuing aircraft, etc).

Answer 2

I am a licensed pilot and aircraft mechanic (A&P.)  I used the income from my mechanic's job to help pay for my flight training.

Answer 3

If you mean by a college degree, there's nothing wrong with two of them, just as long as you have the money and time. To be a pilot, it requires plenty of money and by the time you finish earning your licenses, you'll be in loads of dept.

But if you mean by working, I don't think so. Airline pilots are usually away from home for half the month, if you choose to be a technician you have to go to work about every day. So seeing that you're gone from the region when you're a pilot and technicians are required during business days, I highly doubt that. Unless somehow the job requires only temporary work.

Answer 4

If you have your own airplane then you can do both US-FAA allows that. If commercial then it is just good to know how your maintenance (aircraft) does or correct your aircraft flight remarks written in the aircraft logbook. But in cases where there are no maintenance personnel of your airline in a foreign land you could release the aircraft while supervising work by the foreign host ex. your A330 plane has no qualified personnel on that airport and you have a trouble.