Aircraft Mechanic (A&P) Resume: Free Template, Example and Guide
An A&P resume is usually read twice. A recruiter screens it first, often with a keyword search in an applicant tracking system. If it passes, the director of maintenance or hiring manager looks for three things: your certificate, the aircraft and engines you have actually worked on, and proof you can be trusted with a return-to-service signature. Make all three easy to find.
On this page: what recruiters and hiring managers look for, an example, section-by-section tips, keywords, common mistakes and FAQs.
Free, no account needed. Last reviewed October 2026.
What recruiters and hiring managers look for in an A&P mechanic resume
Your certificates and authorizations
Put your FAA Airframe & Powerplant certificate first, and your Inspection Authorization (IA) right beside it if you hold one. Add any type-specific training, borescope or NDT certifications, and an FCC license if you hold one and do avionics work. Your certificate number is optional. Employers can verify it, so including it is fine.
Aircraft and engines you have touched
"Gulfstream G550 with Rolls-Royce BR710" tells a hiring manager far more than "corporate jets". List airframes and engine families, because shops hire to match their fleet.
The regulatory environment you worked in
Say whether the work was under Part 145, Part 135, Part 121 or Part 91, and which manuals you worked from (AMM, IPC, SRM, wiring diagrams). It shows you already understand the paperwork side of the job.
Results, not duties
Phase inspections completed, repeat write-ups reduced, AOG events turned around, ADs complied with. Use numbers you can support.
Match the job posting, line by line
Maintenance postings repeat the same phrases. Here is what each one is asking for and how to answer it on your resume, using only what is true for you.
Airline mechanic posting
“2 years of aircraft maintenance experience, including 1 year on heavy jet aircraft (12,500 lbs or more)”
Show dates for each job and name the aircraft. Write "Boeing 757" or "Airbus A320" in the scope line so heavy jet experience is obvious and countable.
“Checks, repairing, overhauling and assembling aircraft, engines, instruments, electrical and hydraulic systems”
Cover the systems you actually touched by name: flight controls, landing gear, hydraulics, electrical, engines. One bullet per area, not one bullet for everything.
“Read and comprehend maintenance manuals, wire diagrams and log write-ups”
Say which documents you worked from: AMM, wiring diagrams, task cards, SRM, MEL. Use the exact names.
“Write accurate summaries of work accomplished on required forms and sign to verify”
Mention the records you complete: task cards, logbook entries, discrepancy sign-offs. Say what you are authorized to sign, and nothing you are not.
“Fast-paced environment under deadlines to meet the flight schedule”
Put in a real number if you have one: turn times, aircraft per shift, AOG events cleared, on-time releases.
Field or mobile technician posting
“Troubleshooting, repairs, inspections and modifications on customer aircraft with minimal supervision”
Describe work you did alone: write-ups you cleared, aircraft you released, and the customer type (operators, FBOs, owners).
“Extensive regional travel”
Put the travel in the scope line, for example "traveled to customer aircraft across the Southeast". Do not invent percentages.
“Different shifts and weekends; outstanding attendance”
State the shifts you have worked in the scope line. Attendance comes up in the interview and with your references.
“Verify material shelf life and tool calibration before use”
Use the phrase in a bullet: verified shelf life and calibration due dates before use.
“Confined spaces, heights, non-climate-controlled conditions”
Do not list this as a skill. Show it through the work: wing tanks, hangar and ramp work in weather.
Task-level bullets: weak and strong
Boeing 757 flight controls
Weak: Responsible for flight control maintenance.
Strong: Rigged ailerons, rudder and elevators on Boeing 757 per the AMM, then performed operational checks and signed the task card.
Walk-around and GVI
Weak: Did inspections on aircraft.
Strong: Performed walk-around and general visual inspections on Boeing 757 transit and A-checks, documenting findings and corrective actions.
Landing gear
Weak: Worked on brakes and tires.
Strong: Replaced main wheels and brake assemblies on Boeing 737NG per the AMM and completed leak and operational checks.
Troubleshooting
Weak: Fixed aircraft problems.
Strong: Troubleshot hydraulic system leaks using AMM fault isolation procedures, replaced the faulty component and returned the aircraft to service.
Engines
Weak: Helped with engine work.
Strong: Assisted with a CFM56 engine change, installing the engine, connecting controls and performing the ground run checks under a certificated mechanic.
The builder has a Task builder that writes bullets like these from the aircraft, system and work you pick.
Use the right maintenance terms
- Walk-around / transit check
- A general look at the outside of the aircraft and its servicing. Use it for line and turnaround work, and say which aircraft.
- GVI (general visual inspection)
- A visual check of an area or item to find obvious damage, wear or leaks.
- DVI or DET (detailed visual inspection)
- An intensive examination of a specific item or assembly, using aids such as a mirror, magnifier or light. Manuals and task cards usually write DET, and some shops say DVI.
- SDI or NDT
- A special detailed inspection (SDI) or nondestructive testing (NDT) using eddy current, ultrasonic, dye penetrant or X-ray. List only the methods you are qualified to perform.
- Operational check
- A check that a system or component works, with no measured tolerance. Example: cycle the flaps and confirm they move and the indications agree.
- Functional check
- A quantitative check that a function is within published limits. Example: measure control surface travel and cable tension against AMM values.
- Rig / adjust
- Setting control travel, neutral position and cable tension to the manual. Name the surfaces: aileron, rudder, elevator, flap, spoiler, trim.
- Remove and install (R&I)
- Taking a component off and putting a serviceable one back on. Add the check you did afterward and the manual you used.
A&P mechanic resume example
This is sample content to show structure and wording. Replace every detail and number with your own, and only claim what is true for you.
John Smith
A&P Mechanic · Orlando, FL · (555) 010-0142 · john.smith@example.com
Summary
FAA-certificated A&P mechanic with 7 years maintaining Gulfstream G550 under Part 145. Scheduled inspections, troubleshooting to the AMM and WDM, and complete return-to-service records. Seeking a A&P Mechanic role.
Certificates & ratings
Airframe & Powerplant (A&P)
Aircraft experience
Gulfstream G550 · Cessna Citation CJ3 · Bombardier Challenger 350 · Boeing 737-800 · Airbus A320
Education & training
A.S. Aviation Maintenance Technology · FAA Part 147 program · 2018
Experience
A&P Mechanic · Example Aviation Co. · 2021 to Present
- Performed C-check task cards on Gulfstream G550 under 14 CFR Part 145, closing an average of 60 non-routine cards per check to the AMM and SRM with no RII rejections
- Served as the sole A&P at a Part 135 base, completing every phase inspection on Gulfstream G550 on schedule for three years with no missed dispatch
- Troubleshot and replaced 25 or more LRUs per month on Gulfstream G550 during overnight line checks using the FIM, AMM and WDM, with deferrals entered per the MEL
- Responded to 40 AOG dispatches as a mobile technician, returning Gulfstream G550 to service under the repair station certificate with complete work orders
How to write each section
Summary
Two or three lines: certificate, years of experience, the aircraft families you know best, and the kind of role you want next.
Experience
Most recent first. Start each bullet with a verb, name the aircraft, and add a number where you honestly can. Three to five bullets per job is plenty.
Training
List your Part 147 school or military technical training, plus factory courses (Gulfstream, Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada and so on). Recent factory training is worth listing.
Keywords to include (when they are true for you)
Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for these terms in A&P mechanic job postings. Work in the ones that honestly describe your experience, ideally inside your experience bullets rather than only in a skills list.
- A&P
- Airframe and Powerplant
- FAA Mechanic Certificate
- IA
- Part 121
- Part 135
- Part 145
- Part 91
- line maintenance
- heavy maintenance
- base maintenance
- MRO
- AOG
- phase inspection
- A-check
- C-check
- transit check
- troubleshooting
- AMM
- IPC
- WDM
- FIM
- SRM
- MEL
Common A&P mechanic resume mistakes
- Describing duties ("responsible for maintenance") instead of naming the aircraft, systems and outcomes.
- Burying the A&P certificate or leaving it off entirely.
- Skipping the regulatory context (Part 145, 135, 121) that tells a hiring manager where you have worked.
- Using tables, text boxes or two columns, which many applicant tracking systems scramble.
- Running past two pages. One page is right for under ten years of experience.
A&P mechanic resume questions
Should I put my A&P certificate number on my resume?
You can. Employers can verify it, and some ask for it. If you would rather not publish it, list the certificate and say the number is available on request.
How do I write an A&P resume with no experience?
Lead with your certificate, your Part 147 school or military training, and any hands-on projects, internships or FBO line work. Name the aircraft you trained on and list the skills you practiced, such as inspections, rigging, borescope and sheet metal repair.
Should I list my IA on my resume?
Yes, if you hold a current one. An IA lets you perform annual inspections and approve certain major repairs and alterations for return to service (14 CFR 65.95), so employers look for it. Put it with your certificates at the top, and mention the inspections you have signed off in your experience bullets.
How long should an A&P mechanic resume be?
One page if you have under ten years of experience, two pages for senior technicians or leads with a long aircraft list and training history.
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