Eventho you have an LWTR, you're not yet an LAE until you got your type-rating.

The FAA issues certificate (equivalent to EASA license, DCA LWTR) and the qualified person would be called an aircraft maintenance technician (equivalent to AME, LAE).

But there is one important thing to understand here. It doesn't matter if it's DCA license, EASA license or FAA's, the function of a license is to fulfill one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to grant the qualified person the power/privilege/responsibility to release an aircraft to service.

lol i guess that what happens if we let ourselves get too carried away trying to give a technical answer.

Well this thread did start out as a question post on how to be an LAE. And with all the newbies that keep coming around here, repetitive questions are bound to happen.

I can only imagine it's gonna be kinda hard considering they have to go thru all the requirements of B1 and B2 licenses first. Unless there is a shortcut of straightaway getting a C license that i don't know of.

Yes, a degree holder can apply for C license without having B1 or B2 license or any prior experience.

But still, the exams will cover the B1 and/or B2 aspects as well. That is why I said it's going be tough because eventho a degree holder can straightaway apply for cat C; they still need to go thru B1 or B2 in the exams. Comparing with someone who already have years of experience exercising B1 or B2 license(s), it’s going to be very hard for the degree holder don’t you think?

Just to make sure if i understand this correctly, we can't say that we have an AMEL until we got our type-rating, am i right?

Because from what i already understand is that, when we passed the exams with DCA, we only going to get the LWTR, correct? And in order for us to have full privilege of an LAE or to have a "full license" so to speak, we must obtain our type-rating first, do we not?

Or is this AMEL thing is a new concept implemented by he DCA? Or has DCA started to follow EASA?

Yes, i know. Type course can only be offered by the company. And the chances for you to be sent for your type course immediately after getting your LWTR are higher if you join those small companies like Berjaya. While with the big ones like MAS, it could take a while since there are many LWTR holders but the spot for LAE that they can offer is only a few.

Most probably you gotta have the 5 years of experience. Unless somehow they recognize your training course. And there is still no Part-147 approved training organisation in Malaysia.

There is no such thing as shortcuts in civil aviation. It is highly regulated. Everything must be done according to the proper procedures.

lol yea a lot of reading. and some memorizing also can go a long way. especially the ATA chapters. i remember how them fastener sizes gave me headaches the first time around. luls

QA is there for a reason. And that is to make sure that the required maintenance standards are met.

But that's the case when a person has worked with the same aircraft for years. Yes, the correct way is for you to refer to amm first before rectifying the problem as regulation wants you to. however for some who have worked with the same type of aircraft for like 5-10 years, they wouldn't even bother to look at the amm to do simple rectifications as they are already familiar with the aircraft and the type of defects. One thing's for sure tho, the won't do it that way when QA's around.

A belated congratulations to you.

How's life now that you already became one? Easier? Harder? lol