Eric Gessler
That’s a great question — and it shows you’re taking the PMP® eligibility requirements seriously, as you should.
From what you’ve described, your experience seems very much aligned with what PMI looks for.
The key is being able to demonstrate that your role involved project management responsibilities across the five process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
PMI doesn’t require that your projects be formally titled or from a specific industry.
What matters is that they were temporary initiatives with a defined start and end, delivering a unique result, and that you were responsible for leading or directing project work — not just performing operational tasks.
In your case:
- Aircraft modification with a unique scope per customer clearly qualifies as project work.
- Your mention of milestone scheduling, analysis, coordination, and risk mitigation points directly to core project management practices.
- If you had a leadership or coordination role (rather than simply executing tasks), then this experience should be considered valid.
When you complete your application, I’d suggest focusing on:
- The business value delivered by each initiative,
- The project lifecycle stages you were involved in,
- And the decisions or responsibilities you held that influenced outcomes.
Avoid using overly technical or operational language — instead, frame your work in terms of project management actions and results.
Best of luck on your PMP journey — it sounds like you’re well on your way!
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