FAA Aviation Mechanic - Airframe (AMA) study guide
FAA Aviation Mechanic - Airframe (AMA) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Airframe rating is one of the two ratings that make up the FAA's Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificate, and it is the one that certifies a technician to maintain, repair, and inspect aircraft structure and the systems bolted to it - sheet metal and composite repairs, fabric and dope, welding, hydraulics and pneumatics, electrical and fuel systems, landing gear, ice and rain protection, fire detection and extinguishing, cabin environmental systems, instruments, communications and navigation equipment, and the assembly, rigging, and inspection work that ties all of it together. Candidates typically reach the knowledge test through an FAA-approved Part 147 maintenance training program or through documented practical experience, and the Airframe written test is normally taken alongside the General test before scheduling the oral and practical portion with a Designated Mechanic Examiner. The FAA Aviation Mechanic - Airframe (AMA) study guide has 3 sections and about 1,121 words.
01Airframe Structures: Load Paths, Materials, and Fastening
Every structures question begins by naming the stress: tension, compression, shear, bending, or torsion. In a wing, spars are the primary bending members, ribs hold the airfoil contour and pass loads into the spars, stringers stiffen the skin, and the skin carries shear plus part of the bending in a semi-monocoque design.
373 words, about 2 min02Airframe Systems and Components: Hydraulics, Air Data, and Utility Systems
Fluid does not create pressure; resistance to flow does. The pump moves volume, and pressure rises only as the system resists.
384 words, about 2 min03Airframe Inspection: Regulations, Records, and Nondestructive Testing
Know the difference between an annual inspection (due within 12 calendar months and signed off by an A&P holding Inspection Authorization), a 100-hour inspection (required when carrying persons for hire or giving flight instruction for hire, performed by any certificated A&P), a progressive inspection, and special or conditional inspections. A pilot holding a private certificate may perform the preventive maintenance items listed in Part 43 Appendix A on an aircraft the pilot owns and operates, but may not perform an annual.
364 words, about 2 min