Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

1. Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.

2. Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.

3. Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.

4. Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.

5. Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.

6. Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.

7. Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, and seals.

8. Measure the tension of control cables.

9. Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.

10. Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.

11. Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Equipment Selection - Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$40,080 for entry level workers, and $57,730 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 4,320 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 4,550  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 20 job(s) each year, and a total of 40 job openings each year.

Kids' Club - Animated, educational and interactive games on the site teach children about exploring space, building and launching rockets, keeping airplanes on schedule, how a comet travels through the solar system, and more.

Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and service technicians - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

NASA's Celestia Exploration Activity - Explore the wild and natural wonders of our celestial neighbors. Soar freely through the Solar System with NASA's Learning Technologies Celestia Exploration Activity. This highly interactive, richly engaging, and scientifically accurate website based on the Middle School National Science Education Standards for Solar System science

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Aviation Challenge Mach III - Aviation Challenge Mach III is for those 15-18 year olds who want to take their interest in aviation to another level. This program teaches you land and water survival, the principals of flight, and will allow you to engage in flight simulations & competition!

Aircraft Mechanics - Visit this link for information on this career in the military.

NASA's Kids' Club - NASA's Kids' Club has animated, educational and interactive games on the site that teach children about exploring space, building and launching rockets, keeping airplanes on schedule, how a comet travels through the solar system, and more.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Aviation Challenge Mach II - It takes a special kind of person to fly high performance jets. Are you cool under pressure, focused, intelligent and confident in your abilities? If so, you are the perfect candidate for the Aviation Challenge Mach II program for 12 to 14 year olds!

Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and service technicians - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Southwest Airlines Adopt-A-Pilot - Ready to Earn Your Wings? The Southwest Airlines Adopt-A-Pilot program is a four-week program that packs math, science, geography, history and creative writing into a sky-high educational adventure for hundreds of classrooms across the nation. The program unites students with Southwest Pilots. The students track their adopted Pilot's journey and complete curriculum developed in cooperation with the Smithsonian?s National Air and Space Museum, the National Association of Teachers of Math and Science, and other education specialists.

Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and service technicians - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

NASA's Get Into EdSpace - Edspace is the web site of NASA's Educator Astronaut Program. The site invites you to walk in the shoes of an astronaut to experience virtual training exercises and get behind the scenes to learn more about the people on Earth who make spaceflight possible. At Edspace, you can learn about how astronauts prepare for spaceflight, what it's like to live in space, and even take part in online projects.

Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics - Do you ever wonder how airplanes fly? How does a pilot control the movement of the airplane? Why are the engines on an airliner different from the engines on a fighter plane? The information at this site is provided by the NASA Glenn Educational Programs Office to give you a better understanding of how aircraft work. Each page at this site describes a single topic related to basic airplane aerodynamics, propulsion, rockets, or kites.

Summer at RPI: The Magical World of Flight - Explore the world of flight and will learn about how objects fly using model airplanes. In addition to designing and building a model airplane, participants will observe wind tunnel and flight tests.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Aviation Challenge Mach I - Aviation Challenge Mach I is non-stop aviation excitement! Master a high-performance jet fighter and learn the basics of flight dynamics, wilderness survival and teamwork. Experience the same training all fighter and test pilots go through.

Elevator Installers and Repairers - Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.

Automotive Master Mechanics - Repair automobiles, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Master mechanics repair virtually any part on the vehicle or specialize in the transmission system.

Automotive Specialty Technicians - Repair only one system or component on a vehicle, such as brakes, suspension, or radiator.

Farm Equipment Mechanics - Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.

Rail Car Repairers - Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.

Mechanical Door Repairers - Install, service, or repair opening and closing mechanisms of automatic doors and hydraulic door closers. Includes garage door mechanics.

Industrial Machinery Mechanics - Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems.

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers - Assemble, fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers - Construct, assemble, or rebuild machines, such as engines, turbines, and similar equipment used in such industries as construction, extraction, textiles, and paper manufacturing.