We're no strangers to best practices. With the help of several "rock star" instructors across the country, Roxanne Rosado, TBX's Head of Airworthiness, has compiled her "25 Career Principles" that have helped guide her career as an A&P. She's worked the floor, run the shop, and seen what separates the mechanics who make it from the ones who don't. If you’re a newly minted A&P or an "old hand", here are her career principles that will guide you to success as you venture out into the world of aviation maintenance.
Technical competence gets you in the door, but who you are as a person determines how far you’ll go. Respect the craft, respect those around you, and earn the respect of others. How you treat people—whether you’re honest, whether you’re the kind of person a shop actually wants to work with every day—that’s what keeps you there and moves you up. Own up to your mistakes as everyone knows you WILL make a mistake at some point. And when you do, how you handle it will say everything about the type of person you are. The best mechanics in the business are professionals: reliable, honest, humble, and easy to work with. Nobody wants to work next to a jackass, no matter how good they are with a torque wrench.
Discipline and punctuality are the first things experienced mechanics notice about a new hire. Set the standard for yourself early and keep it. If work starts at 7:00 AM you should be walking in by 6:45 to get your coffee, check your bench, and be mentally ready to work at 7:00 sharp. Slow starts delayed by chit-chat and breakfast runs aren’t just bad habits—they skew the shop’s numbers and signal to everyone around you that you don’t take the job seriously. We want camaraderie, but we do have a job to do! When there’s downtime, don’t stand around—find something useful to do. If your boss is working, you should not be sitting! Show up clear-headed and sober—don’t be the guy that calls in sick on Monday because you partied all weekend.
When you’re new, make yourself useful to the people ahead of you. Anticipate what they need. Stay out of the way when you should and step in when you can. When you have experience, pass it on to those behind you in the same way your mentors taught you. Be patient with the person who doesn’t know what you know yet— remember, you were that person not long ago.
Take pride in all your work. Show up the same way for every job and people will notice, including the people who decide what you get assigned to next. If they hand you a broom on the first day, be the best broom pusher in town. If you think a job is beneath you, you’ve picked the wrong profession. Expect it, accept it, and don’t have a negative attitude about it. Pulling panels, cleaning bearings, washing brakes, sweeping floors, ATA 38…Every one of these tasks is yours. Take pride in your work. The mechanics who came up before you did the same work. The ones who complained about it are the ones nobody wants to work with.
Lead by example: You came here to be a professional—act like one, even when others around you may not be. Your attitude is visible: to your coworkers, to your supervisor, and to the people who decide whether you’re someone they want to invest in. Shops can go south fast when the wrong attitude spreads. That guy telling tasteless jokes is not a professional. Notice it when it starts happening, and don’t let it take you with it. Learn the appropriate ways to speak up to contribute to change, and if they won’t, it’s time to find a new shop. Putting your integrity or someone’s safety at risk in order to be likeable or not wanting to cause trouble is wrong. It takes courage, but it is imperative.
Latch onto the most experienced person on the floor. Watch how they work. Ask real questions. The knowledge a 30-year mechanic has isn’t in any manual— it’s the result of decades of repetition, mistakes, problem-solving, and pattern recognition. You can’t buy that and you can’t shortcut it, but you can absorb it if you’re paying attention. Adopt the good habits and recognize the shortcuts that have likely crept in over the years. That shortcut may have stepped outside acceptable guidance and could lead to a failure.
Every time. Not most of the time—every time. Before you start a job, read the relevant procedure. The manual is your legal backing, your protection, and your professional standard. Don’t be the guy who says they “read the manual and followed the procedure” when you only skimmed it. You will get called out by more experienced mechanics. If you walk away mid-task, go back at least three steps and re-verify before you pick up where you left off. The manual (and the DOM) doesn’t care how confident you feel.
The mechanics who advance quickly are the ones who learn to navigate their own way through technical data and regulatory documents without waiting for someone to do it for them. In a busy shop, training (unfortunately!) takes a back seat: the DOM is stretched thin, experienced mechanics are working against the clock, and the airplane always needs to get out the door ASAP. Nobody is going to sit with you and walk you through every procedure. You have to be self-directed. If you don’t know something, go find the answer—in the manual, in the FARs, in an AC, in the IPC, in the manufacturer’s data, etc. If you have questions, come with possible answers—this shows the DOM that you are looking for guidance, not an order.
You are the last line of defense before a part goes on an airplane, so don’t just take for granted what the parts department hands you. Fresh mechanics will often over-rely on the Parts Department and assume someone else has already done the legwork. That assumption can ground an aircraft or end a career. AC 20-62E lays out every acceptable way to establish whether a part is airworthy—learn it. Understand 8130 tags, yellow tags, serialized vs. unserialized parts, and what makes a part airworthy. For suspected unapproved parts, see AC 21-29D.
Mechanics who don’t know their tech data are inefficient at best and dangerous at worst. Graduating without knowing the ATA chapter structure is a gap you need to close immediately. ATA 20 is Standard Practices, ATA 32 is Landing Gear, ATA 71 is Powerplant, etc. Know where information lives so you can find it fast. Beyond ATA, understand what document to reach for: Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), the Aircraft Maintenance Manual, the Structural Repair Manual, the Illustrated Parts Catalog, the TCDS, the Equipment List, the AFM. Each one answers different questions.
Knowing your hardware is not a detail—it is foundational airworthiness knowledge. Know what goes where before you need to ask. This is especially true in GA, where you are often doing raw maintenance, working with fasteners, hardware, and fittings that require you to know what belongs where. What’s the correct torque? Does this require a cotter pin? Is this a castellated nut application? What’s the tolerance? Learn how to look up the answers (see AC 43.13-1B) and use an IPC. Be extra vigilant when making hardware changes from the original specification—in some cases, this might be a minor or major alteration. All too often, you’ll be told you what you need in the name of getting an airplane out the door.
Your logbook entries are a legal record and a direct reflection of your professionalism. Be consistent! Aim for succinctness and clarity. Poor grammar, misspellings, vague descriptions and inconsistent formatting are not minor issues—they signal to everyone that you don’t take your work seriously. Every entry on every aircraft deserves the same care, whether it’s a tire swap or a major inspection. Document 8130s, non-serialized parts approvals, and reference supporting technical data. Follow the guidelines of the TBX Logbook Do’s & Dont’s.
The inspector is not your backstop; you are. Before you call the inspector over, stop and look at your own work as if you were the one signing it off. Ask yourself: would I be comfortable putting my name/certificate on this? It shouldn’t go to inspection if you have any doubts that it will pass. Get into the habit of catching your own mistakes before someone else does, because in this profession, the “someone else” catching it might be a pilot at 8,000 feet. Ask yourself, would you put your family on the aircraft?
Speed will come with experience, but precision must come first. The most dangerous moments for a new mechanic come when 1) you think you understand a task that you really don’t and 2) when you feel rushed to keep up. There’s going to be moments where you will feel the pressure to get an aircraft out the door and the temptation to rush the job—don’t. If something is critical (flight controls, engine work, rigging, torques), slow down deliberately. Nobody remembers who finished first, but everyone remembers the mistake.
If it’s not safe, legal, or right—don’t put your name on it. Never sign for work you didn’t personally complete/verify or let someone pressure you into cutting corners. Beware of assuming that somebody else must have checked something. The consequences for making intentionally false statements can be severe, including jail time, and the FAA will hold YOU accountable, not the shop, not your supervisor. See also: ASAP/ASRS reporting processes.
Rules don’t prevent accidents, people do. You have an innate sense when something isn’t right. If something feels wrong, stop. It could be a fastener that doesn’t feel right; a system that sounds off; a repair that technically passes but bothers you. Aviation does not give you a chance to go back and fix it after the fact. Know the human factors that affect safety (i.e., “The Dirty Dozen”). Unfortunately, in some shops, safety takes a backseat to revenue, meaning you may need to assert yourself. Nobody is going to thank you for flagging a concern that turned out to be nothing. They will remember it if you don’t.
Aviation maintenance is a team sport—if you see something, say something. Poor communication causes missed steps, duplicative work, unsafe conditions, and confusion on the shop floor. People aren’t mind readers: it’s on you to flag a potential issue or concern. If you need help, get someone involved. If something’s changed, tell someone. Silence and assumptions can increase risk faster than lack of knowledge on its own.
If you’re unsure, ask a licensed IA or your DOM —not a chatbot. The FARs, ACs, and manufacturer documentation should be your first choice. AI is a tool and must be used correctly. Regulation doesn’t care what an AI told you. Go to the primary source and read it yourself to make sure you understand it. AI tools often confuse aviation with generalized maintenance practices—and unless they happen to get it right, and you can’t tell when they’re wrong unless you already know the answer!
The mechanics who grow the fastest are the ones who keep learning after their shift ends. Study the systems you worked on that day—electrical schematics, hydraulic diagrams, and landing gear logic. There are no shortcuts to competence, but the mechanics who study the systems, not just the tasks, build confidence and understanding much faster than those who only learn on the job.
The discipline of doing small things right is the same discipline that keeps you sharp on the big things. If they ask you to replace a piece of carpet, make it look factory-installed. Every inspection and maintenance action is a chance to improve reliability, precision, and safety. Continuous improvement is rarely the result of one big breakthrough—it’s the result of doing the small things correctly, consistently, over a long period of time. Doing things the right way every time is what separates great mechanics from the rest of the pack.
Your tools are extensions of your judgment: ensure they are accounted for. Make calibration a habit, not a formality. An out-of-calibration tool can quietly introduce errors that may not be caught until it’s too late. Know the schedule, check the stickers, and don’t assume someone else handled it. If a tool feels off, tag it, remove it from service, and get it checked. If you lend a tool out, make sure it’s returned before the shift ends.
Your certificate is a license to learn. What you build on top of it is up to you. Whenever you’re offered training or the chance to learn something new, take it. Learn beyond your role, understand how the operation works, and build skills others overlook. No matter where you are in your career—day one or year ten—stay curious, ask good questions, and keep pushing to become a well-rounded technician.
Your workspace reflects the quality of your work: leave it better than you found it. Keeping it clean and organized helps prevent mistakes like mixing parts, damaging documents, or losing tools. Consider foam shadowing your toolbox as it will help keep you organized and avoid misplacing (or losing) tools. As you wrap up a project, especially if you’re handling final paperwork or serving as Chief Inspector, presentation matters. Dirty or disorganized documents can undermine otherwise quality work.
Don’t get caught up in the toolbox arms race and bury yourself in debt with the tool truck—just buy what you need. Don’t rush to copy mechanics who have spent decades building their boxes, but also don’t become the shop’s tool borrower. “If you use it twice, it’s time to buy it” is a good rule of thumb. Keep tool loan balances low so you don’t lose your last paycheck if you leave.
Never lose sight of the responsibility attached to your certificate. Behind every maintenance action is someone flying behind your work—a family on vacation, a medevac crew, a student pilot, or another mechanic on a post-maintenance check flight. Aviation is unforgiving of carelessness, complacency, and ego. Take pride in the fact that this profession still depends on craftsmanship, judgment, and integrity. The work may become routine, but the consequences never do.
It is no secret that we lack qualified aviation mechanics (see the TBX Annual Survey) and to make matters worse, there is evidence that newly minted A&Ps are struggling with some of the maintenance responsibilities post-hire, leading to high turnover. Hopefully, these rules might help start a conversation in your classroom or your shop around expectations and how one continue to develop themselves into the "full mechanic". Are there any of these that ring true to you or your shop? (We'd love to hear which ones!)
Aviation maintenance has—and will always be—a mentorship profession. As educators, we do our best to put in place a strong curriculum and meet each student where they are in the coursework, but even more important than this is the guidance we give them in becoming full-fledged individuals with the maturity and self-awareness to make the right decisions. To paraphase an old saying: good maintenance is doing things right; leadership is doing the right thing.
What makes a good mechanic? Someone with a facility for analysis and an even greater talent for synthesis. Someone who can dive into the details but also understands the larger picture. A mechanic who reflects on facts objectively, who questions assumptions, shortcuts, and hangar folklore. Someone who takes pride not just in achieving technical mastery, but in developing consistent habits that lead to continuous improvement. Someone with a working knowledge of manuals, regulations, systems, and people. Someone who knows how to communicate clearly, mentor others, and carry themselves professionally on the shop floor. Someone with honesty, integrity, humility, accountability, and the judgment to pull the "safety card" when something doesn’t feel right. Someone who protects their A&P certificate, owns up to their mistakes, keeps learning long after the shift ends, and remembers that every maintenance action carries human consequences.
By Roxanne’s rules, the best mechanic is never just a skilled technician—they are a trustworthy professional, a disciplined technician, and above all, a good person.
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