Aircraft Maintenance License and Courses

"I just completed 5 years at ST Aero and I just got my CAAS license.
What's this fuss about LAE? I see that many of you guys are talking about earning big money. If all you want is big money from your job and nothing else, Accountancy and Banking/Finance should be your best bet.
Being an LAE from nothing is a difficult journey. This is a career that requires a lot of hands-on experience. Reading a million textbooks on aviation/aviation maintenance will not make you an LAE. So for those who think having high aviation academic qualifications means you should qualify as an LAE, you are very very wrong.
Nothing beats spending long long time with the aircraft taking things apart, figuring out why something is damaged and how to rectify it etc. These are things that you can never learn from reading. The best analogy that I can think of is you reading a million recipe books and thinking thereafter that you can be a top chef.
One thing I find missing on the pre-requisites that some guys list here is the Work Schedule, also known is Schedule of Experience(SOE). People list things like CAAS papers, Type Course but the one that takes the most times and is the most tricky is the SOE.
OK, what is SOE. SOE is this document you have to prepare to show what you do EVERYDAY. What task you perform on the aircraft, for example removing the aircraft engine or something as mundane as cleaning the Aircraft toilet tank. There are instructions published by the aircraft manufacturers on how to do these tasks. You have to document every single task you do everyday for 360 days. There are more conditions for a passable SOE but I'll not go into the details. Only then you can put it together with your CAAS paper passes, Type Course Certificates, Academic Certificates etc and submit to CAAS. Then you have to go through interviews where they'll test you on human factors, aviation legislation and the aircraft itself.
I can go on and on forever about this LAE thing. Bottom line is if you are not passionate about aircraft, don't try to be an LAE.

FYI, I graduated from NTU in 2005 and when I entered ST Aero in 2006, I resigned from a $2600 job in oil and gas to get only $1800. "



Thank you for sharing the journey... Much appreciated.
So 5 years to get the CAAS license? Is it an average duration or too long?
What are you doing before getting the License?
Any plan for your future?

Guys,I need your help.I want to know what's the annual intake from SIAEC and ST Aero for LAE trainees?

ST Aero conducts its Trainee LAE programme at Paya Lebar putting both trainees from SASCO and STA Engineering together. Intake for Mech should be around 50 and Avionics 30.
Don't quote me. It changes a lot every year but it's always an increase.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thank you for sharing the journey... Much appreciated.
So 5 years to get the CAAS license? Is it an average duration or too long?
What are you doing before getting the License?
Any plan for your future?

The original plan was 3 to 3.5 years but it took 5 due to many changes in the legislation of the licensing. But later on I was told by senior exec cum ex LAEs 5 years is the norm for places like Hong Kong and Australia.
Doing before getting license? Working on the Aircraft everyday alongside with technician and some very senior foremen.
Plans for the future? Err.. All LAEs hope to get additional types. And maybe move on overseas to be a hourly rated LAE. Overseas is the only way for high pay for LAE. Yes even for foreign LAEs. They come here so they can get paid much more. See the irony?

You are paid by how many aircraft
Type license you have and not the different license from easa or caas
Meaning, if u can sign off a380, 777 etc, you will be given additional allowance for each a/c type.

There is a slight difference for a degree
N dip holder in the route to be lae. Depends if u want to be which category license holder. You can approach a 147 sch to clarify more.

You are talking about the Degree holders with the technical degree blah blah 3 years and become Cat C engineer?
What I heard is no one actually goes by that route. It's stated in SAR66 of course but no one really go by that way. 3 years of Hangar Experience after fresh out of university and you can sign maintenance release?
If that's the case I would have gotten Cat C before Cat B1.1. Of course I forgot the other requirements.

for category C obtained through the
academic route: an academic degree in a
technical discipline, from a university
recognised by the Authority, and 3 years
of experience working in a civil aircraft
maintenance environment on a
representative selection of tasks directly
associated with aircraft maintenance,
including 6 months of observation of base
maintenance tasks.

Cat C holder ( degree holder ) are mainly capable of signing off a CRS-SMI in hangar base only and their salary are not as well paid compared to those cat B1.1 and B1.2 Engineer.

So if you are a degree holder what's the point of becoming a CAT C holder. It is just a waste of time and effort.

If you have the passion and don't mind on getting a low salary then you are most welcome to join the line.

[neilsell]

For general information, Any country who's aviation authority was pattern to FAA (USA), The person who release the aircraft to be airworthy and safe for flight was called License Aircraft Mechanic which is equivalent to LAE in EASA system (Euro)
Becoming a License Aircraft Mechanic for Airbus 320, The followings are the minimum requirements.
-Highschool Diploma
-Records of hands on experienced
-Passing of the Authority examinations (Written, Oral, Practical)
-Airbus 320 type rating course
Some of the FAA mechanic are currently working as a LAE in Singapore due to the fact that most of Aviation Authority in the entire world agreed that license could be converted to any other Aviation Authority license provided the person will pass the legislation written test ( M10 or L11 in CAAS paper).
So why the Aviation company (not the Aviation Authority) in Singapore required higher standard for the aspiring LAE? In my observation its because of economics and leverages.
ECONOMICS: Since the company will provide and invest in the TLAE Hand-on training and type rating which is very costly, Increasing the educational qualification will guarantee increase percentage of the success rate of the program.
LEVERAGES: Since the company in Singapore with capability to provide Type rating and Trainings together can be counted using only the fingers in one hand, Aspiring LAE will have no choice but to accept the bitter end of the agreement.

[neilsell]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You are paid by how many aircraft
Type license you have and not the different license from easa or caas
Meaning, if u can sign off a380, 777 etc, you will be given additional allowance for each a/c type.

There is a slight difference for a degree
N dip holder in the route to be lae. Depends if u want to be which category license holder. You can approach a 147 sch to clarify more.

The usual carrier path for the LAE will be either in Quality dept or Service Engr Dept. This is the advantage if you are a holder of Engr Degree because anytime their is a golden opportunity in the management position you will have higher chance to secure the post.