Career Corner
Don’t know what to do with your A&P? Learn the most common roles for a mechanic in corporate aviation.
Gulfstreams are very cool.
Picture this: 6 a.m., hangar lights snap on, a Gulfstream G650 waits for its dawn launch. You zip your coveralls, move your toolbox to the airplane, and grin—because you can trace every step in your A&P journey to this moment. Let’s walk through where your journey will take you in corporate aviation.
Apprentice: Making the PowerPoints make sense.
Remember grinding through systems slides in A&P school, wondering if any of it mattered? Then you snagged one of those unicorn apprentice gigs at a local charter outfit. Overnight, the hydraulics chapter wasn't just a PowerPoint; now it’s actual Skydrol and real landing-gear schematics. Under a supervisor’s eye, you will install wheels and brakes, open inspection panels, and service grease while classmates are still guessing what a cotter key actually is. If an employer offers an apprenticeship, pounce—there’s no faster way to make theory stick.
Level 1 Tech: Paying dues, banking reps
You have graduated and finally passed all your tests. A&P Certificate in hand, you land that first job, your lead drops a fat stack of work cards on your toolbox. For the next six to twelve months, you’ll own every “boring” task—oxygen bottles, nav lights, compass swings. Embrace them all. The tougher the project you volunteer for, the sooner you’ll earn shots at bigger work (and better stories).
Lead Mechanic: Herding airplanes and egos
Promotion timelines vary—some shops promote leads in six months, others take five years—but two to three years is common if you hustle. Day one as a lead feels like working your normal repairs while also balancing schedules and personalities. You still wrench, but now you’re matching jobs to techs, unjamming parts delays, and coaching rookies through their first stuck fastener. Stressful? Sometimes. Satisfying? Absolutely—especially when your team releases a jet on time because you cleared the path for a smooth takeoff.
Inspector: The great privilege
With experience and an eye for detail comes the invitation to inspect. In smaller stations, you’ll use both wrenches and mirrors, but in high-volume shops, you might carry nothing but a flashlight and a pen. You will be responsible for the RTS (return to service) of the aircraft. Once you sign that logbook, you’re vouching for the entire airplane’s readiness. The first time you sign off “Return to Service,” the weight hits differently—and so does the pride.
Specialties: Picking your super-power
During your time in corporate aviation, you will gravitate towards a niche, and here are the most common:
AOG (aircraft on ground) Tech – Drop everything, fly to a stranded jet, and work miracles on a dim ramp at midnight. You are the master of your work, and by definition, all of it is important. This is a rodeo, and most techs love the pressure.
Sheet-Metal Artist – Cut, form, and rivet skins until a dented wing looks factory-fresh. You are the artist and the aircraft is your canvas, you will perform standard repairs but also design solutions that an engineer will review and once approved your work will be on the aircraft for the rest of it’s life.
Engine Specialist – Borescope hot sections, read trend data, and save owners six figures with well-timed engine swaps and overhauls.
Avionics Troubleshooter – Chase wires, tame Wi-Fi gremlins, and keep the instrument suite online.
Avionics Installer – Rip out steam-gauges, fab harnesses, and fire up brand-new glass panels.
Aircraft Painter – Spray flawless liveries (aircraft paint jobs). From basic white to a huge work of art—you will be painting the entire aircraft.
Choose one, master it, and many doors will swing open.
Director of Maintenance: Running the show
Seven to ten years of hard-won know-how plus solid people skills can land you in the DOM seat—sometimes sooner if you’re relentless. Now you’re steering budgets, audits, and human beings, making sure customers, crew, and C-suite all fly happy. Not everyone loves the role but if you do, the pay is very good and so is the satisfaction of successfully leading the hangar.
Your move
Where are you on this journey?
Still in school? Ask about apprenticeships—today.
Level 1 and restless? Grab that sheet metal job no one wants.
Eyeing inspection? Shadow a quality inspector on their next logbook marathon.
Hit reply and tell us the role you’re chasing next. We’ll share your wins in an upcoming issue. Until then, keep the coffee hot, the torque wrench calibrated, and the jets flying.
See you on the ramp.
Author: Sam Sandifer