Darrell's weblog

I am now, officially, an FAA-certificated* Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. I just flew back from a two-week crash course in Nashville (and boy are my arms tired!) and I have to say that I have never studied for anything so hard in my entire life. Ever. I must have gone through 30 Tylenol tablets. I aced the three required written tests (total of 250 questions), then I memorized about 700 oral questions before finishing up on Thursday and Friday with a nine-hour oral and practical test. As it turns out, it was an extremely difficult two weeks for me. Not the tests, those turned out to be a piece of cake. The studying, however, was the most grueling thing I think I have ever done. Ugh. But I’m all done now, since the license never expires.

*The FAA uses the term “certificated” rather than “certified”, and I have no idea why. Probably some long legal reason. But they seem to mean the same thing.