Common Questions About SUU’s Aircraft Maintenance Program
Posted: May 04, 2021 | Author: Jaidyn Crookston | Read Time: 10 minutes
I’ve seen a lot of questions from potential students asking about Southern Utah University Aviation’s aircraft maintenance program. It’s important to know all about a maintenance program before committing to one, so below are the answers to the most common questions.
Everything You Need to Know About SUU Aviation's Aircraft Maintenance Program
SUU Aviation is Located in Cedar City, Utah
SUU Aviation is located in Cedar City, Utah. Cedar City is a small city in southern, rural Utah, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great place to live. I’ve lived in Cedar City for over three years now, and I love it. I was worried about moving to somewhere small after growing up in a larger city, but now that I’m here, I love Cedar City and everything around.
Cedar City is about three hours south of Salt Lake City, about 40 minutes north of St. George, and 2.5 hours north of Las Vegas.
Cedar City is close to several national parks and has lots of different outdoor recreation options. Within just a few hours, you can find national parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Capitol Reef, and the Grand Canyon. Even closer to Cedar City there are plenty of places to go hiking, biking, climbing, fishing, and so much more.
Many students ask whether they’ll be able to commute from northern Utah or the Las Vegas area. Honestly, it‘s definitely best to move to Cedar City during your training. It will be quite difficult to commute more than an hour or so from anywhere because you’ll most likely have classes several days a week, and commuting a long distance several times a week is simply not feasible.
Your first semester of training can be done online if this option works better for you, but the rest of your training will be in person. You’ll probably want to move to Cedar City during most of your maintenance training. There are plenty of apartment and housing options available for students and families, so finding a place to stay won’t be difficult.
Not only will it be pretty easy to find housing, but Cedar City also has a very low cost of living compared to the rest of Utah and surrounding states. It’s a lot cheaper to live in Cedar City than many other places in the state, so you may be able to save money and live on less than you would living somewhere else.
SUU Aviation is Part of Southern Utah University
While there are some aircraft maintenance technician schools that aren’t part of any university, SUU Aviation is a university maintenance school. SUU Aviation is attached to Southern Utah University, a four-year accredited university.
Because SUU Aviation is part of a university, you’ll be able to earn a degree along with your A&P license. This means you’ll have to pay university tuition and take some general courses, but having a degree will help you stand out when looking for a job and will better prepare you to maintain all kinds of aircraft.
You Can Get an Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s Degree
Since SUU Aviation is part of a university, you’ll be able to earn a degree with your A&P license. At SUU Aviation, you can earn an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.
You don’t need a degree to work as a maintenance technician, but it will set you above the competition and better prepare you to enter the workforce.
An associate degree will take about two years to complete and by the end of these two years, you’ll have your A&P license and can get a job. However, you can also choose to continue your education and get a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
SUU Aviation is unique in that you can earn your associate degree in aviation maintenance, and then go on to earn a higher degree in another field of study. This means that you can get your A&P license and also have a bachelor’s degree in something like business, finance, history, science, or art. You can combine two of your interests, which will prepare you for the future in case you are ever unable to work as a mechanic and need another career to fall back on.
The Program Only Takes 18 Months to Complete
That’s right, you can be a licensed aircraft maintenance technician in 18 months. At SUU Aviation, it only takes five semesters to earn your A&P license and an associate degree. Once you’ve earned your license and associate degree, you can either enter the workforce and start earning money as a mechanic, or you can continue your education and get a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Each further degree will add another two years to your training.
You’ll Get Experience with Several Aircraft
When you’re ready to enter the job industry, it’s important to have maintenance experience with several different kinds of aircraft. This can mean having both rotor and fixed-wing training, but it can also just mean having training with several types of airplanes or several types of helicopters. The more aircraft you’re able to expertly service, the easier it will be to get a job as a technician.
SUU Aviation has several types of aircraft that you’ll learn and practice on. You’ll practice on retired aircraft and on the flight school’s own fleet of helicopters and airplanes. By the time you graduate with an associate degree and your A&P license, you’ll be ready to get a job and start working as a technician.
SUU Aviation Has Many Connections in the Aviation Industry
SUU Aviation knows that it’s important to build and keep connections in the aviation industry. That’s why they work extremely hard to connect with other companies, flight schools, and organizations. This provides students with several benefits, like making it easier to find internships, jobs, and extra training opportunities. Having connections in the aviation industry not only comes with lots of benefits for the AMT students, but for the whole university as well.
SUU Aviation Focuses on Rotor Maintenance Training Just as Much as on Fixed Wing Training
If you want to be a helicopter technician, then SUU Aviation is definitely the place to be. Most AMT schools only offer a course or two in rotor maintenance and charge you extra for this training. At SUU Aviation, you’ll get advanced rotor maintenance training. In fact, your training will focus on rotor maintenance just as much as it does on fixed-wing maintenance. As far as I’m aware, this is the only AMT school to focus so much on rotor maintenance.
SUU Aviation Also Has a Flight School
SUU Aviation isn’t just an AMT school. It’s also a flight school. Having a flight school attached to the AMT school benefits both parties. SUU Aviation employs its own team of maintenance technicians to maintain all the flight school’s aircraft in-house. As an AMT student, you’ll have the opportunity to help with this maintenance, and may even be able to get a job as a mechanic at the flight school once you’ve graduated.
SUU Aviation Was the First AMT School Authorized By the FAA To Train Students Using an Updated Curriculum and New Materials
Recently, SUU Aviation noticed a problem in the way technicians are trained. Because of outdated rules by the FAA, AMT schools are only allowed to train students using an old curriculum and outdated materials and technology. Instead of learning new navigation systems and learning to repair new materials, AMT students are being taught using the old systems.
When SUU Aviation realized that these rules hadn’t been updated since 1962, they decided to seek FAA exemption from these outdated rules. In 2018, SUU Aviation wrote a new bill updating FAA curriculum requirements for earning an A&P Mechanic license, which was successfully passed by Congress.
As an SUU Aviation student, you’ll be one of the only students trained on this new technology right out of AMT school. This will definitely set you ahead of the competition when looking for a job, because an employer won’t have to waste time or money retraining you on the new materials and technology.
You’ll Have Great Instructors and Individual Instruction
SUU Aviation employs great instructors. Each instructor takes a personal interest in each student’s training and does their best to train that student in the best way for him or her.
Not only that, but class sizes at SUU are extremely small. The average class size for the regular university classes is less than 20 students, but the class sizes for aviation maintenance classes are even smaller than that. This means that your instructors and professors will have time to work with you personally if you’re struggling or have questions. SUU Aviation wants you to have a personalized, individual experience, and one way they do this is by having small class sizes.
The Price is All-inclusive
When you attend SUU Aviation, you won’t have to worry about hidden fees or random charges. You’ll be given the price of the program up-front and will be charged this amount. On top of the price of the AMT program, you’ll also pay SUU tuition. The amount you pay for tuition depends on whether you are an in-state or out-of-state student and how many credits you take each semester.
SUU Has Very Affordable Tuition
If you’re worried about having to pay university tuition on top of paying for the AMT program, don’t worry too much. Compared to other universities, SUU has very affordable tuition. In fact, in 2019, SUU was ranked at #22 in lowest student debt out of all the public universities in the United States, and the average student loan debt for SUU students is half that of the national average.
There Are Lots of Financial Aid Options and Scholarships Available
As a university student, you’ll have access to thousands of scholarships, as well as federal financial aid and loans. You can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year and find out if you’re eligible for federal pell grants and student loans.
Don’t let the idea of finances hold you back from becoming an aircraft technician. I’m not training to be a technician, but I’ve still been able to pay for all of my schooling with scholarships and Pell grants, so it isn’t impossible! You just need to be proactive and seek out every funding opportunity you can find. You can find a way to pay for AMT school if you look for opportunities and take out student loans if you need to.
You’ll be Job-Ready Right out of School
In order to work as an aircraft maintenance technician, you need to have an A&P license. To get an A&P license, the FAA requires that you pass a written, oral, and practical exam after attending an FAA-approved AMT school.
At SUU Aviation, you’ll be taught everything you need to know to pass these exams and will have the chance to take the exam at the school. Once you’ve earned your A&P license you’ll be ready to get a job and start working as an aircraft mechanic.
SUU Aviation is one of the best AMT schools to prepare you for your future and your career. With so many benefits, you really can’t go wrong when you train with SUU Aviation! To learn more about this amazing AMT program, you can request information or come in for a tour. If you’re ready to get started, apply to the program today to secure your spot.
Produced by SUU Aviation
The university's fleet includes 16 airplanes, 23 helicopters by the end of 2020, and state-of-the-art maintenance training facilities. SUU Aviation offers advanced and relevant flight training in the safest and most efficient way possible. The program continues to be on the cutting edge of the industry, training tomorrow's aviation leaders. With SUU Aviation's aircraft maintenance program, you’ll get a high-quality education and have the experience needed to get a job in the aviation industry.
Tags: Aviation
