Hire A&P Apprentices in Kamuela, Hawaii

Kamuela — the postal name for Waimea, in the heart of the Big Island's paniolo ranch country — has its own airfield at Waimea-Kohala Airport, with Kona International's airline and cargo traffic down the coast and Hilo International across the saddle. On an island where nearly everything and everyone arrives by air, the Grease Pilot directory lists no certificated repair stations on Hawaii Island itself — a mechanic trained here fills a gap the Honolulu maintenance bases never will. Demand for certificated mechanics is strong — training an apprentice under 14 CFR 65.77 lets your shop grow its own A&Ps instead of competing for them.

You set the wage — there's no mandated apprentice rate. For context, entry-level aircraft mechanics in Hawaii start near $62,570/year and certificated mechanics statewide earn a median of $90,830 (BLS, May 2025) — among the highest in the country. An apprentice starts below the entry-level figure and grows into it as their signed-off hours build — on an island where recruiting a mechanic usually means flying one in, growing your own is the cheaper path by far.

You do — but there's less than people expect. You document the supervised training as it happens (Grease Pilot's records system does the tracking and signatures); nothing is filed with the FAA until your apprentice is ready to test. At that point FAA Form 8610-2 goes to the Honolulu FSDO — the office serving all of Hawaii, shown with its address and phone in the section above. Most of the process is records and signatures, so being an island away matters less than it sounds.

Yes — repair stations are exactly where this works. Your apprentice performs work under the supervision of your certificated mechanics (14 CFR 43.3(d) covers supervised work), and every logged hour counts toward the experience requirement — 18 months for airframe or powerplant, 30 months for both, under 14 CFR 65.77. With no certificated repair stations listed on Hawaii Island and every experienced A&P a plane ride away, training your own mechanic is the only pipeline the island offers.

Check the relocation line on their profile — apprentices state whether they're willing to relocate, and many will move for the right training opportunity. To maximize the quality of apprentice recruits, fill out your supervisor listing inside your account — once published, it shows to apprentices across the Grease Pilot network.