Where can I find A&P apprentices to hire in Iowa?
Grease Pilot lists 1 aircraft mechanic apprentice profile in Iowa. This apprentice is actively seeking on-the-job training with an FAA-certificated mechanic or repair station — under 14 CFR 65.77, the supervised hours they log in your shop count toward their A&P certificate, so you can hire and train them without being a Part 147 school.
Updated September 4, 2026
A&P Apprentice Profiles in Iowa
- Goal: Airframe & Powerplant (A&P)
- Mech. Experience: Less than 1 year
- Willing to relocate: No
- Skills: Other Mechanical, No Relevant Experience
Want to train one of these apprentices?
Supervising an A&P Apprentice in Iowa
Your shop can grow its own mechanics. Under 14 CFR 65.77, the supervised hours an apprentice logs under your certificated A&Ps count toward their mechanic certificate — no Part 147 school required. You document the training as it happens; when your apprentice is ready, FAA Form 8610-2 goes to the FSDO below — the local FAA office that verifies their supervised experience and authorizes them to take the mechanic tests.
Des Moines Flight Standards District Office
- FAA page: faa.gov FSDO page
- Address: 3753 SE Convenience Blvd., Ankeny, IA 50021 (by appointment only)
- Phone: (515) 289-3840
Apprentice Pipeline: AMT Schools in Iowa
FAA Part 147 schools are one pipeline for apprentice candidates in Iowa — students and recent graduates often look for shops where they can keep logging experience. Some of the Part 147 aviation maintenance schools in Iowa include:
- Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs)
- Indian Hills Community College (Ottumwa)
- Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids)
You don't have to wait on a school pipeline: every profile on this page is a candidate already seeking on-the-job training your certificated mechanics can supervise under 14 CFR 65.77.
Common Questions
Why hire an A&P apprentice in Iowa?
Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins) is an avionics manufacturer headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where it is the region's largest employer. 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.
Are there Part 147 schools in Iowa to recruit from?
Yes — three: Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs), Indian Hills Community College (Ottumwa), and Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids — FAA-certificated in 2023). School students and graduates are one recruiting pipeline — but under 14 CFR 65.77 your hires don't need school at all; supervised experience in your shop alone qualifies them to test.
Does Iowa offer apprenticeship tax credits?
From what we've researched, Iowa's apprenticeship incentives are grants rather than tax credits: the Iowa Apprenticeship Act grant (paid pro-rata to sponsors statewide) and the Registered Apprenticeship Development Fund (up to $25,000 toward establishing a new program). Both require a DOL-Registered Apprenticeship Program — informal 14 CFR 65.77 OJT doesn't qualify. Confirm current windows and eligibility with the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship at Iowa Workforce Development.
How do I track and manage an A&P apprentice's hours for OJT?
Keep a dated, task-level log, signed as the work happens. The FAA's own guidance for the experience review lists an “AMT log signed by your supervising mechanic” and a statement from your employer among the documentary evidence an inspector accepts — and the more evidence, the better. Note that time spent in training doesn't count; practical experience means actually performing maintenance. Grease Pilot's OJT tracking does this for you: it logs each task by FAA ACS subject, captures your digital supervisor sign-offs, and exports an FAA-ready PDF package when your apprentice is ready to apply. Grease Pilot also generates signed employer verification letters — the employer statement the FAA lists as accepted evidence — to back up the log.
Cities in Iowa
About hiring A&P apprentices
In Iowa, the state employs about 330 aircraft mechanics and service technicians, earning a median wage of about $69,890/year (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025). Entry-level pay starts near $33,740/year and experienced mechanics earn up to about $93,130/year. A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) mechanics are certificated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 65, and documented on-the-job experience under your certificated mechanics is a recognized route to certification eligibility — see the FAA experience requirements. Employers can also formalize training through the U.S. Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship program, and the BLS profile for Aircraft Mechanics (49-3011) covers the hiring market.
Forty-one percent of U.S. certificated mechanics are already over 60, and more than 45,000 will reach retirement age within the next ten years — the average FAA-certificated mechanic is 54, twelve years older than the average American worker (ATEC & Oliver Wyman, 2025 Pipeline Report, analysis of FAA airmen certification data). Training an apprentice is how a shop replaces that bench before it retires.
Job boards list openings for apprentices to apply to. This directory lists the apprentices themselves — the supply side of the same marketplace where shops nationwide post A&P apprenticeship opportunities.
Want local apprentices to find YOUR shop?