|
|
Career Training>
Aviation Maintenance Technician Careers
|
Aviation Maintenance Technician Careers
|
Post
Aviation Maintenance Technician Jobs.
Aviation Maintenance Career:
Aviation maintenance staff are responsible for
inspecting, maintaining and repairing aircraft
of all sizes, from a single engine airplane to a
commercial jet. They carry out the regular
servicing and repair of the aircraft engines,
bodies and mechanical and electrical systems.
They inspect parts for wear and tear and ensure
that all technical records relating to
inspection and repair are maintained correctly
and that the maintenance is carried out to the
correct standards. If faults are found on
testing, they may need to troubleshoot to
identify the source and cause of the problem so
it can be diagnosed correctly. Remedial action
in the form of repair or replacement is then
carried out to solve the problem.
Aviation
Maintenance Technicians (AMT) and Aviation
Maintenance Technical Engineers (AMTE) need to
be experts on electrical wiring, landing gear,
metals, turbines, and flight controls to name
just a few hardware items. However, they may
choose to specialize in particular areas of
aviation maintenance such as hydraulics, fuel,
or pneumatics. Airframe Maintenance Technicians
work with airframes or similar structures and
will be involved in assembling, repairing,
rigging and carrying out inspections on a
variety of control systems. Avionics focuses on
the inspection and repair of electrical aviation
systems such as communication and navigation
systems, flight recordings and autopilot among
others.
Powerplant Maintenance Technicians
specialize in the maintenance of engines or
turbines. Some aircraft engineering technicians
or engineers may be involved in the research and
design stages of components and may also have an
input into the improvement of existing parts.
Educational Requirements:
There are many educational institutions that
offer courses in aviation maintenance at varying
levels from certificate to degree level. A
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
certification program can be undertaken in a
minimum of 18 months. This combines work
experience with the completion of a number of
courses. You can then earn an Airframe,
Powerplant or Avionics Certificate. However, to
earn a certificate that combines all three
areas, you will need to complete at least 30
months of work experience. Many aviation
maintenance personnel enter the industry with a
certificate and then gain further qualifications
as they work. You may wish to select programs
that qualify you as an Aviation Maintenance
Technician (AMT) or an Aviation Maintenance
Technical Engineer (AMTE).
Degree courses such
as Associate of Applied Science degree in
Aviation Maintenance Technology or Associate of
Occupational Science in Aviation Maintenance
Technology are also available. Some positions
may require you to have a HGV license.
Other Skills Required:
To succeed in the field of aviation maintenance,
you will need to have mechanical aptitude
coupled with excellent mathematical and
computing skills. You will need to be a logical
thinker who is capable of analyzing information
and troubleshooting problems. While effective
teamwork is important, you will often be called
on to work independently and make decisions on
your own. It is therefore essential that you are
a thorough, methodical and detailed-oriented
worker who will always adhere to the highest
standards.
You will often be required to work at
speed so must be able to remain calm under
pressure. The work can involve heavy lifting and
working with high noise levels and so can be
very physically demanding. You will need good
hearing and eyesight as well as excellent
hand-eye coordination. Aviation maintenance work
is likely to involve working at unsociable hours
while the aircraft are not in use.
Certification:
All aviation maintenance personnel need to have
completed programs certified by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) or the Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA). The National Center
for Aircraft Technician Training (NCATT) is an
organization which accredits courses that meet
industry established standards so you can be
assured that schools or programs accredited by
them will provide you a high standard of
education. You should also ensure that the
program you complete is certified or recognized
by the regulatory bodies in your own country.
Career Opportunities:
There is a huge demand for qualified, licensed
aviation maintenance technicians and jobs are
available in cities all over the world. Most
commercial airlines employ their aviation
maintenance staff directly. However, you can
find employment in companies of all sizes in the
private sector. Alternatively, you may find work
with the Armed Forces or other government
departments / agencies. Regulatory bodies such
as the FAA or the CAA also require qualified
aviation maintenance staff. |
|
You are here: Tech Career Training> Aviation
Maintenance Technician Careers
|
|
|