Mt. San Antonio College

About Mt. San Antonio College
Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) is a public community college which offers a diversified program designed to develop qualities of general education essential for citizens in a democratic society. The objectives of the education program are to prepare students for transfer to baccalaureate level colleges and universities, to increase vocational competence culminating in usable and marketable occupational skills, to provide a general education emphasizing basic skills and appreciations, to promote continuing education and lifelong learning, to assist the student through guidance to know and develop his/her abilities in relation to his/her potential, and to provide community service and adult education.

The College offers courses of study through a semester system. Each semester, Fall and Spring, are 18 weeks in length. Summer sessions vary in length, ranging from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. Many courses are offered in an accelerated mode.

Instruction at Mt. San Antonio College is organized under a divisional structure with departments within each division. At present, the College has six (6) instructional divisions within which there are 36 departments.

The Aircraft Maintenance Technology Program
Mt. San Antonio College helps fill the needs for properly trained and certified aircraft maintenance technicians through a certificate program which may be combined with an associate degree. The students at the completion of our program may be tested on campus at our Sylvan test center by a representative of the Federal Aviation Administration.  Upon successful completion, an airframe and powerplant technicians licenseis awarded, and is good for life.

What are aircraft maintenance technicians?
Aircraft technicians are licensed by the FAA to perform maintenance and repair on any aircraft regardless of type.  Across the nation, a licensed technician earns an average salary from $25,000 to $55,000 a year. Those who are employed by major air carriers will be nearer the top of the wage scale along with great benefits such as low cost world travel. Other employers a successful graduate may find are: airlines of all sizes, small corporate air taxi services, overhaul shops for airframes, powerplants, or components, even airships. Self employment is also popular with some graduates who choose to open their own shops.

Future Trends / Career Outlook
Multiple recent airline merges have formed larger corporations. This, along with recently legislated reform, has lead to increased aircraft production. The statute of repose, limiting product liability past ten years, enabled Cessna Aircraft and others to again produce light airplanes. Ground traffic congestion and gridlock is increasing business travel and air travel in general is increasing exponentially.  Most large corporations such as Kellogg’s, Disney, and Apple Computers own their own aircraft with salaried pilots, technicians, and ground service personnel.  With these trends in mind, aircraft maintenance technicians should be in increasing demand.