Trade licensing overview · aircraft mechanic (a&p)
How aircraft mechanic (a&p) licensing works — Kentucky
How this trade is regulated in Kentucky. federal-license-required The framework below describes the national pathway most aircraft mechanic (a&p)s in Kentucky follow.
Aircraft mechanics are federally licensed by the FAA, not by states. The Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certificate is issued under 14 CFR Part 65 and preempts any state mechanic licensing scheme.
Aircraft Mechanic (A&P) wages in Kentucky · BLS OES A01 2024
Wages are state-level annual figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (A01 2024). Specific aircraft mechanic (a&p) earnings in Kentucky vary by metro area, employer type, union membership, and years of experience. Verify the current state and metro figures on the BLS OES site (bls.gov/oes).
What this trade actually looks like in Kentucky
Aircraft mechanics in Kentucky work in a market dominated by the UPS Worldport hub at Louisville (the carrier's largest sort and a major maintenance footprint), DHL's Cincinnati hub at CVG (across the river but drawing Kentucky workers), Fort Campbell aviation, and a smaller GA and corporate footprint. Cargo operations set the schedule and pay floor for civilian A&P work in the state.
Where they work
Louisville (SDF UPS Worldport hub line and base maintenance, Republic Airways station, corporate hangars at Bowman Field), Hebron / Erlanger (CVG DHL Americas hub on the Kentucky side of the Cincinnati metro), Lexington (LEX corporate and regional, Calumet Farm and equine-corporate aviation), Fort Campbell (160th SOAR and Army aviation contractor support), and Owensboro and Paducah (regional GA).
Pay context
Kentucky has below-national cost of living, with Louisville and Lexington affordable by metro standards. Posted A&P wages at the UPS hub typically run above the local market and are union-shop with set scales (IAM); DHL CVG operations are similar. Smaller GA shops pay less. Pull the Kentucky row from the BLS OES 49-3011 table at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493011.htm for the current annual median figure. See https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ky.htm.
Training pathway
Somerset Community College, Louisville Aviation, and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (Louisville-area campuses) offer FAA Part 147 AMTS programs; UPS runs the AeroTech Academy and direct-hire programs from these schools. Military aviation-MOS experience from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox aviation units qualifies under 14 CFR 65.77.
Considerations
If you want cargo-airline base maintenance with union pay scales and predictable shifts, Louisville has a deep market for the trade. If you want passenger-airline mainline work, you will commute or relocate. Cargo schedules are mostly nights and weekends. State has no separate mechanic license; FAA A&P preempts.
Kentucky aircraft mechanic (a&p) snapshot
| MSA | Employed | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,850 | $78,740 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 1,120 | $75,820 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 320 | $62,730 |
FEDERAL LICENSE STATUS
The Federal Aviation Administration licenses aircraft mechanics under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 65, Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65). The Mechanic certificate is issued with Airframe, Powerplant, or both ratings; the combined A&P is the primary credential held by civilian aviation mechanics (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics). State mechanic licenses do not apply to certificated aircraft work. FAA certification preempts state licensing for maintenance performed on type-certificated aircraft (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become). A certificated mechanic may exercise privileges anywhere in the United States without state-level registration.
CFR PART 65 REQUIREMENTS
Under 14 CFR §65.77, an applicant must document 18 months of practical experience on the procedures, practices, materials, tools, machine tools, and equipment generally used in airframe OR powerplant work for a single rating, or 30 months of concurrent experience for both ratings (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65). Alternatively, graduation from an FAA-certificated Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School satisfies the experience requirement (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-147). Every applicant must pass three FAA written tests, General, Airframe, and Powerplant, followed by an oral and practical examination administered by a Designated Mechanic Examiner (https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing). The written tests are delivered through FAA-authorized testing centers.
PART 147 SCHOOLS
FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (AMTS) operate under 14 CFR Part 147 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-147). The legacy curriculum required 1,900 classroom and shop hours (400 general, 750 airframe, and 750 powerplant), and the 2022 rewrite of Part 147 moved the content to an FAA-approved curriculum model tied to the Airman Certification Standards (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics). Programs typically run 18 to 24 months. Completion substitutes for the 18 or 30 months of documented work experience required under §65.77, and graduates still sit for the three written, oral, and practical exams (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become). The DOL RAPIDS apprenticeship finder also lists registered aircraft-mechanic programs by ZIP (https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder).
IA (INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION)
Inspection Authorization is an advanced endorsement available to A&P mechanics under 14 CFR §65.91 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65#65.91). To qualify, a mechanic must hold an A&P for at least 3 years, have been actively engaged in maintaining certificated aircraft for the 2 years immediately preceding application, and pass the IA written exam. IA privileges include signing off annual inspections, performing progressive inspections, and approving major repairs and major alterations for return to service using FAA Form 337 (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics). Authorization expires March 31 of each odd-numbered year and is renewed under §65.93 by meeting recent-activity criteria (inspections performed, training completed, or re-examination) every 2 years.
AVIONICS / REPAIRMAN
Avionics technicians who transmit on aircraft radios typically hold the FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL), Element 3, issued by the Federal Communications Commission (https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/commercial-radio-operator-license-program). Avionics work on installed equipment is often performed under an FAA-certificated Repair Station (14 CFR Part 145) rather than by an individual A&P. The Repairman Certificate under 14 CFR §65.101 is an employer-specific alternative: it is issued to an individual recommended by a Part 145 repair station, Part 135 operator, or Part 121 air carrier, and its privileges are limited to the employer that requested the certificate (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65#65.101). A Repairman Certificate is surrendered when employment ends and is not portable to a new employer. BLS OOH covers aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians under a shared occupation page (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/aircraft-and-avionics-equipment-mechanics-and-technicians.htm).