Updated September 10, 2003
1. Passing the A&P Exam is "Guaranteed".
This is a common advertising "gimmick" used by many of the the larger aviation testing facilities around the country. This is simply not true. In recent years, the FAA has cracked down on many of these institutions for running applicants through a review course and guaranteeing an A&P certificate once completed. In fact a few of these so-called "schools" have been shutdown and resulted in the revocation of the certificates that were issued by these institutions. Ask yourself this question, "Would you want to be in a situation at any time where you could lose your certificate?". It has happened in the past.
This is the reason why we offer no A&P refresher courses. In San Antonio and the South Texas region, there are legitimate training facilities that can provide you the review that you need whether it is for your Computer Testing or for the Oral and Practical Exams. If you would like assistance in getting in contact with some of these organizations, please call us, and we will direct you to proper personnel for your needs.
2. The Refresher course I want to attend has FAA Approved Instructors.
Another Gimmick. There is presently no individual FAA certification required to teach any type of Aviation Maintenance Course as a review in any way. There is such thing as an FAA Ground Instructor Rating, but that is associated with Flight Training, and has no relevance for Aviation Maintenance Technician training or testing.
Any person can conduct aviation maintenance refresher training, whether they hold and A&P or not. Explore your options when choosing your training. Ask about their experience and knowledge on all of the fields.
All of the legitimate Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (Public and Private) are operated under Federal Aviation Regulation Part 147 and are heavily scrutinized by the overseeing Flight Standards District Office for where that school resides. Most instructors at these schools must hold some sort of FAA Mechanic Rating, and special exemptions are granted for those who do not, but they can only teach general education-type courses.
3. Every DME (Designated Mechanic Examiner) is required to have a quota for failures.
Hogwash! there is no requirement for a DME to fail a certain percentage of applicants who test with them. We would love to see each applicant earn, and I will emphasize the word earn, their A&P certificate. In a perfect world that would happen, but this isn't a perfect world is it?
Every applicant we test comes from some different walk of life than the next, and each has unique amount of experiences and knowledge that he/she will apply to the test. Some are more serious about it than others. I, as a DME am entrusted by the FAA to make sure that you posses the minimum knowledge and skill for each of the subjects required for the rating that you are seeking. Show me that you can meet the minimums and you will earn your certificate, it's as easy as that.
Have a myth or rumor your need clarified, send me an e-mail at DME@sbcglobal.net