Definition
An FAA-certificated school, operating under 14 CFR Part 147, that provides the formal classroom and shop training required to qualify graduates to take the FAA written, oral, and practical tests for an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) certificate with Airframe and/or Powerplant ratings.
Plain English
A school approved by the FAA to train aircraft mechanics. Finishing the program qualifies the student to take the FAA tests needed to become a certificated mechanic.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance career discussions, FAA training requirements, and references to Part 147 mechanic training programs.
Derivation
Technician comes from a Greek word meaning skill or craft. That helps because an aviation maintenance technician is not just someone who studies airplanes; the person is trained in the practical craft of inspecting, fixing, and maintaining them.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on AMTs to keep their aircraft airworthy. Knowing that a mechanic trained at an FAA-certificated school has met a defined standard of instruction helps pilots understand the qualifications behind every signed-off inspection and repair.
Intuition Check
Do not read school here as any place that teaches airplane repair. In this context, it means a school that meets FAA requirements for training future aircraft mechanics.
Example Sentence 1
After graduating from an Aviation Maintenance Technician School, she scheduled her FAA practical test for the Airframe and Powerplant ratings.
Example Sentence 2
Graduates of an Aviation Maintenance Technician School must still pass the FAA exams before they can sign off on aircraft maintenance records.