Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Also called: A & P Mechanic (Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanic), A & P Technician (Airframe and/or Powerplant Technician), A&P Mechanic, Aircraft Accessories Mechanic, Aircraft Air Conditioning Mechanic

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Varies

estimated salary

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

  • Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
  • Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
  • Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
  • Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
  • Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
  • Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.
  • Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
  • Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.
  • Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.
  • 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, or seals.
  • Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
  • Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.
  • Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.
  • Measure the tension of control cables.
  • Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.
  • Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.
  • Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
  • Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.
  • Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.
  • Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.
  • Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.
  • Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.
  • Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.
  • Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.
  • Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.
  • Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.
  • Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.
  • Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.
  • Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.
  • Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.
  • Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
  • Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades or cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.
  • Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.
  • Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.
  • Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.
  • Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.
  • Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
  • Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Read technical information needed to perform maintenance or repairs.
  • Interpret blueprints, specifications, or diagrams to inform installation, development or operation activities.
  • Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning.
  • Maintain repair or maintenance records.
  • Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems.
  • Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems.
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Knowledge

Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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.
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Skills

Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Equipment Maintenance
  • Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting
  • Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Operation Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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Abilities

Written Comprehension
  • The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Finger Dexterity
  • The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Control Precision
  • The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Office suite software
  • Microsoft Office Hot Technology
Operating system software
  • Microsoft Windows Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
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