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Military Experience Mapper

See roughly how your hands-on military maintenance experience lines up with FAA mechanic experience requirements, and what to do next. Takes about 3 minutes.

Orientation only: the FAA decides eligibility

This tool gives a rough estimate only. It is not an FAA determination, does not guarantee eligibility to test, and does not replace a review by an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector at a Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). MOS/AFSC descriptions are general and may not match your actual duties. Your documented, verifiable experience is what counts.

This tool does

✓ Organize your experience by FAA subject area
✓ Show likely gaps and the paperwork to gather
✓ Give you a checklist to bring to the FSDO

This tool does not

✕ Decide whether you're eligible to test
✕ Replace an FAA inspector's review
✕ Send your inputs anywhere (they stay on this device)

Reference: 14 CFR 65.77 ↗requires 18 months of practical experience for Airframe or Powerplant, or 30 months of concurrent experience for both.

Select your military aviation specialty

Choose your branch and MOS/AFSC/rating, then the certificate you're working toward.

Branch

MOS / AFSC / Rating

Certificate goal

Airframe & Powerplant (A&P)Airframe onlyPowerplant only

Log your relevant experience & hours

Estimate hours you personally performed or directly assisted with. Rough numbers are fine; a full-time month is about 160 hours.

Total logged hours

0 hrs

Experience categoryWhat it coversHoursStatus

General

Basic electricity & wiring

Circuits, meters, wire repair, schematics

hrs

Not yet

Ground handling & servicing

Towing, jacking, fueling, servicing fluids

hrs

Not yet

Maintenance records & publications

Tech orders, IETMs, logbooks, work cards

hrs

Not yet

Cleaning & corrosion control

Inspection, treatment, paint, sealants

hrs

Not yet

Materials, hardware & fluid lines

Fasteners, safety wire, torque, hoses, fittings

hrs

Not yet

Weight & balance

Weighing, CG computation, loading

hrs

Not yet

Airframe

Sheet metal & structures

Riveting, structural repair, fabrication

hrs

Not yet

Composites & non-metallic structures

Bonded/composite repair, transparencies

hrs

Not yet

Hydraulic & pneumatic systems

Actuators, pumps, accumulators, bleed air

hrs

Not yet

Landing gear, wheels & brakes

Gear rigging, struts, tires, brakes

hrs

Not yet

Flight controls & rigging

Cables, rotor/flight control rigging, tracking

hrs

Not yet

Aircraft electrical systems

Generators, power distribution, lighting

hrs

Not yet

Instruments, comm & nav

Avionics LRUs, pitot-static, antennas

hrs

Not yet

Environmental, fuel & fire systems

ECS, oxygen, airframe fuel, ice/rain, fire detection

hrs

Not yet

Powerplant

Turbine engines

Removal/install, inspection, borescope, hot section

hrs

Not yet

Reciprocating engines

Piston engine overhaul/inspection (less common in military)

hrs

Not yet

Engine fuel, ignition & starting

Fuel controls, igniters, starters

hrs

Not yet

Engine lubrication, instruments & APU

Oil systems, engine indicating, APUs, drivetrain

hrs

Not yet

Propellers & rotor drive

Props, governors, gearboxes, rotor drive systems

hrs

Not yet

Categories marked typical are common for your specialty. "Covered" means 40+ hours. Hours are your estimates; an FAA inspector reviews your documentation.

Your checklist & results

Updates as you type. Save a copy to bring to your FSDO or education office.

For orientation only. The FAA alone determines eligibility. Nothing below is an FAA determination or FAA policy.

Your checklist

Select your branch and specialty
Log hands-on hours in each area for your goal
Log 40+ hours in at least half of the relevant categories
Logged hours roughly add up to 30 months of full-time work

Then, on your own

Gather proof of experienceDD-214, training records/transcripts, JST (Joint Services Transcript), task/qualification records, and a supervisor-signed letter describing duties and dates.
Check for a military Certificate of EligibilitySome military specialties qualify for a Joint Services Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council (JSAMTCC) Certificate of Eligibility. Ask your education office and check DoD COOL for your MOS/AFSC/rating.
Get FSDO review (FAA Form 8610-2)An FAA inspector reviews your documented experience. If approved, you receive a signed 8610-2 authorizing you to test.
Pass the knowledge testsGeneral, plus Airframe and/or Powerplant, at an FAA-approved testing center.
Pass the oral & practicalScheduled with a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME). Budget for the examiner fee and travel.

Experience by category

A category counts once it has 40+ hours logged (our rule of thumb).

Log some hours in step 2 to see your coverage by category.

Rough time logged≈ 0 of 30 months

14 CFR 65.77 requires 18 months (one rating) or 30 months (both) of practical experience. Converting hours to months (~160 hrs ≈ 1 month) is our assumption, not an FAA conversion.

Show rough estimate percentage

0%estimate only

Estimate only. This number comes from our own simplified formula, which mixes logged time and category coverage. It is not FAA policy, not an eligibility determination, and doesn't guarantee you can test. An FAA inspector at your FSDO makes that call based on your documented experience.

This tool provides an estimate based on your inputs. Final eligibility is determined by the FAA at your local FSDO.

Not saved

0 hrs · 0/4 checklist

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