The main focus of the school is to train licensed Federal Aviation Administration airframe and powerplant technicians.

Students who successfully complete the school's technical programs are allowed to take their FAA certification examinations without further qualification.

The school's present main campus, which was completed in 1958, occupies an entire city block at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 36th Street.

In October 2000, the school also opened an extension campus at John F. Kennedy International Airport, referred to as "the Annex".

The school occupies a whole block near the New York City Subway's 33rd Street–Rawson Street station, along Queens Boulevard.