Complaint Review: AIM

I attended for a year,  one of the best deals around for Aviation Maintenance: George T. Baker Aviation in Miami, FL, during high school (part of the Dade County Adult Education system; back in the 70s the A&P at Baker cost about $500). I only finished the basic and did not go back for Airframe or Powerplant.

Many years later, during a period of unemployment, I attended Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, and completed the Airframe. Due to the high cost (less than AIM) I transferred and completed the Powerplant at JCC Center for Aviation Excellence in Jax, FL (much weaker instruction than Embry Riddle but very cheap). Both served their purpose, as I passed the A&P tests immediately upon graduating from each, respectively.

That said, the only job offers I got were for $15/hr for Jet Blue as a temp in Avionics shop (I have BSEE and Avionics experience from the military), and $18/hr from a repair station in Sanford. I interviewed for an instructor position at AIM in Tampa and they could not even come up with $15/hr salary.  At end of 2015, I called AIM to inquire about their "avionics program".

The receptionists where clueless, uninformed or just did not care. I never got a straight answer except that they do NOT offer Avionics Line Maintenance but rather some kind of electronics technician program, which can be learned for pennies on the dollar at your local evening Adult Education school, or a handful of very good Avionics programs in the US (Cochise College in Arizona, Embry Riddle, Broward College in Ft Laud, and many others). 

In closing, do your homework and attend AIM ONLY if it aircraft maintenance is the career you want, it iIS THE ONLY location/game in town, and you have made the commitment to study/read all books and manuals (because their instruction alone might not be enough to pass the A&P exams) and not to drop/repeat any classes. As for hours missed and make-up hours, the FAA establishes their criteria and even AIM cannot bend those rules.