Online Avionics Technician Training Information

Due to federal regulations, avionics technicians must have hands-on experience with aircraft electronics in order to be certified to work on aircraft. This means that only hybrid or traditional programs are available for aircraft mechanics, though some online degree programs do have avionics-related courses.

Online Avionics Training Options

Avionics, like most electronics disciplines, is a hands-on profession that requires a great deal of in-person and hands-on learning as well as mathematic, electrical and physics knowledge for the theory portion of the course. There are a few online degree or certificate programs that provide training in aircraft electronics or areas related to avionics, as well as hybrid education programs that are more specifically designed to provide for students' aircraft maintenance certification with the FAA.
Online or hybrid avionics programs are usually of two varieties. A few colleges offer fully online bachelor's degree programs that have portions involving avionics, usually terminating in a degree such as a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Maintenance. Most programs that have Internet-based components, however, are hybrid programs that offer some online classes, usually including theory classes like aviation safety, physics and mathematics or general classes required for a degree, such as American history, macroeconomics or composition.

Training Requirements For Aircraft Mechanics

Legally, aircraft mechanics must be certified by the FAA to work in the United States or on U.S. aircraft. Because of this, most avionics technicians find it necessary to seek an airframe certification or the more comprehensive airframe and powerplant certification by the Federal Aviation Administration in order to work in their chosen field.
One of the requirements for airframe certification from the FAA is that students graduate from an FAA-approved training program. Such programs are fairly common, but according to documents available on its website, the FAA does not approve full avionics training programs that don't include in-class experience, usually hands-on mechanical or laboratory experience with aircraft parts (www.faa.gov). This means that while the theory portions of an avionics education may be available over the Internet in a hybrid degree program, fully online training isn't available for avionics technicians who will actually work on aircraft.