If you’re considering a career in aviation maintenance, you’ll need to earn a Certificate of Completion from an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technology school. To make the best decision for your education, it’s important to understand what it means when an aviation maintenance technology school is FAA-approved.
What Is an FAA-Approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School?
What Is an FAA-Approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School?FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician (AMT) schools operate under regulations and standards set out by the Federal Aviation Administration. Specifically, the school must comply with FAA Regulation Part 147.
Part 147 sets strict requirements for curriculum content, instructor qualifications, hands-on lab equipment, and total instructional hours. Doing so ensures consistency across FAA-approved schools, so every approved program teaches the same core competencies, regulations, and safety practices. Without this approval, a program has no official recognition from the FAA, and its graduates lack the standardized foundation employers and the FAA expect.
Unlike other trades and industrial programs, FAA-approved AMT schools are subject to FAA oversight and periodic inspection. Only graduates of an FAA-approved program are eligible to sit for the FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification exams without first accumulating extensive on-the-job experience. (1)
Where Can You Enroll in a Program at an FAA-Approved Aviation Maintenance School in California?
SJVC is FAA-approved to offer an Aviation Maintenance Technology program in California at our Fresno Trades Education Center. Check out our Aviation Maintenance Technician Career Guide to see if working in the aviation industry is right for you.
Why FAA Approval Matters
FAA approval plays a vital role in ensuring students receive high-quality instruction with an emphasis on practical skills and safety. Completion of a program at an FAA-approved school prepares students to sit the FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification, (2) a professional mechanic credential that verifies your ability to maintain, repair, and inspect civil airplanes in the United States.*
What to Look for in an FAA-Approved Aviation Maintenance School
When looking for FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician schools, insist on the following:
- FAA Part 147 approval
- Hands-on aircraft maintenance training
- Airframe & Powerplant curriculum
- Industry-experienced instructors
- Advanced learning environment and facilities
- Student support
Interested in a career in Aviation Maintenance? Click here to request more information on the SJVC Aviation Maintenance Technology program.
*Completion of the program does not guarantee certification or licensure.
Resources
- Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools, 14 C.F.R. pt. 147 (2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-147 a
- Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). Become a certificated aviation maintenance technician. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become a