Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance
Aviation is a sector that requires multidisciplinary work. Today, aircraft and spacecraft have high-tech body and engine structures. Developing technology reveals the need for expert technical staff. Purpose of Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department; institutions or organizations concerned with aviation maintenance personnel to meet the needs of necessary knowledge and skills with the air vehicle is to train maintenance staff.
Aircraft Maintenance and Repairment Department is a department where detailed knowledge of maintenance practices, piston engines, aircraft structures, aircraft material and equipment information, gas turbine engines, aircraft maintenance terminology, aircraft hydraulic and pneumatic systems expertise is learned and at the same time, it is a department where the basic theoretical courses of the works such as inspection, maintenance and repair of the learned structures and systems are supported by practical trainings.
Graduateds of Aircraft Maintenance and Repairment Department can work in many areas such as aircraft maintenance and repair centers of civil aviation organizations, institutions that produces aircraft parts, defense industry. They carry out maintenance and repair works in the aircrafts' body, structural components, engine and engine-related systems in the maintenance hangars of airports and airline companies. Graduateds of this department can work as an aircraft maintenance technician in aviation related institutions / organizations such as Turkish Airlines, Turkish Air Force, Air Supply Maintenance Centers, myTECHNIC, TUSAŞ (Turkish Aviation and Space Industry), ASELSAN, TEI and Pegasus.
Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE) Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you're an aspiring technical professional in the aviation industry, here's everything you need to know about the Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department at Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE).
1. When was your department established, and what is its main goal? The Iskenderun Technical University Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department was established in 2020. Our primary goal is to train highly qualified technical personnel who can perform maintenance and repair according to the high standards of the aviation industry, at an international level.
2. What educational opportunities does your department offer, and how is practical training conducted? Our department actively provides module training determined by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM). Our students receive hands-on maintenance training on Cessna 172 and Cessna 185 aircraft located in our department's hangar. Additionally, we offer a contemporary education with modern technical infrastructure in our mechanical, avionics, and computer laboratories. This hands-on approach ensures our students solidify their theoretical knowledge on real aircraft and become industry-ready.
3. What is SHY-147 certification, and why is it so important? SHY-147 is an official authorization issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) that guarantees the quality and standards of maintenance training organizations. This authorization certifies that a school's training standards comply with international (EASA Part-147) norms.
Graduating from an SHY-147 approved school offers two significant advantages for graduates in the process of obtaining an SHY-66 Aircraft Maintenance License:
-
Exemption from Module Exams: Students graduating from an SHY-147 approved school are exempt from the 17 basic knowledge module exams required for the SHY-66 license. This eliminates the need for them to take and pass these challenging module exams individually.
-
Reduced Compulsory Experience Period: The practical maintenance experience period required to obtain the license is significantly shortened:
-
For B1.1 (Turbine Engine Aircraft) and B2 (Avionics) licenses, the required period decreases from 5 years to 2 years.
-
For the B1.2 (Piston Engine Aircraft) license, the required period decreases from 3 years to 1 year. These advantages mean graduates save 2 to 3 years in their careers, allowing them to enter the industry as fully authorized personnel much faster.
4. What is the SHY-147 status of Iskenderun Technical University's Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department, and what happens to graduates if this authorization is not yet in place? Our department's SHY-147 authorization process is ongoing. Once this process is completed, our department will have the authority to conduct its own module exams.
Currently, although our department provides module training, we do not yet have the authority to conduct module exams. Therefore, our graduates are entitled to take the module exams organized by other institutions that have SHY-147 authorization to obtain their SHY-66 license. Graduates who successfully complete these module exams can obtain an official maintenance technician certificate and work in the industry with this document. It's important to remember that graduates from a school without SHY-147 approval must take all 17 module exams organized by SHGM individually and accumulate a longer practical experience period (3 to 5 years) to obtain the SHY-66 license.
5. What are the internship and employment opportunities for students? How do your graduates fare in the industry? In addition to compulsory summer internships, our students participate in the On-the-Job Vocational Training (İME) program during their final semester. İME is a critical practical training process where students gain hands-on experience under the supervision of expert technicians and engineers in aviation companies or maintenance hangars before graduation. This process helps students apply their theoretical knowledge in a real work environment and adapt to the industry.
Interns from our department state that they possess a more equipped knowledge base compared to students from the same department at other universities, and they provide positive feedback in this regard. This highlights the quality of our education.
Our graduates are employed across a wide range of positions as technical maintenance personnel in leading firms within the aviation industry, including airlines, maintenance and repair organizations (MROs), aircraft manufacturers, civil aviation authorities, and similar sectors. The success of our graduates in prominent aviation companies demonstrates that firms' awareness of ISTE's education quality is increasing day by day. The presence and performance of our successful interns and graduates reinforce the value of the education our department provides and the competencies it instills in our students.
6. İskenderun Technical University requires a medical board report issued within the last 6 months by a fully equipped hospital (not a single physician report) at the time of enrollment for these departments, indicating that the student has no health problems such as color blindness or hearing/vision impairment. This report must include the statement: 'There is no medical obstacle for the student to enroll in the relevant department.
7. What are your department's student quota and base score information? Our department's annual student quota is 45. 2025 YKS base scores and quota information can be followed on the official websites of ÖSYM and our university.
8. How can I contact your department or get more information? Current announcements and contact information for our department are available on our faculty's official website. For more information or any questions, please feel free to contact our department secretariat.
