Aircraft Maintenance

Aircraft maintenance deals with any aircraft repairs and the prevention of damage, which might be caused from wear and tear or sabotage. Aircraft maintenance technicians need to be competent in mathematics, aviation knowledge and the principles of flight. They also need to have good practical skills such as using hand tools, using a rivet gun, soldering equipment, welding equipment and arc-welding tools. Knowledge of research compilation is very important as well.

The professionals usually work in an industrial setting and specialize in one specific area for an aircraft such as flight controls or hydraulics; these would then come under the umbrella term avionics. Each area requires a different skill set, so they will be trained in that field, and licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to the BLS (2016), aircraft mechanics and service technicians work on both fixed-wing aircrafts and helicopters. The average annual salary for aircraft maintenance and service workers was $58,240 in May 2015. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians held about 215,500 jobs in 2014.

Most aircraft utilize aluminum alloys which require special care when being worked upon due to their desire to corrode when exposed to moisture. Maintenance technicians must ensure the aircraft is completely dry before performing any maintenance on it. Maintenance technicians also have to be aware of the compatibility of different metals when working on the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants licenses for aircraft maintenance to professionals. Licenses include airframe, power plant and lighter-than-air which are obtained after finishing a course at an accredited school, or working as a trainee under someone who already has these licenses. The FAA also allows technicians to further specialize in order to receive more specialized licenses. To do this they must meet the criteria by taking extra coursework and training session hours; they can then re-test after completing the requirements. The FAA licenses the maintenance technicians to perform specific tasks on an aircraft. In order for maintenance technicians to be able to function on an aircraft, they must be able to understand how it operates and what can be done to make it run better. The FAA requires certain standards from a maintenance technician before they can work on any aircraft. This is why the FAA has many rules in place in regards to the security of any aircraft. For example, most mechanics have to have at least a bachelor's degree or higher, while other certifications may be required depending on their specialty.

The Airline Transport Association (ATA) represents more than 700 carriers who fly in the United States and 400 partner international airlines flying more than 1 billion passengers every year worldwide. In 2011, the ATA estimated that airlines will spend $3.5 billion to upgrade their fleets to meet the evolving security and safety requirements of their customers.

In 2015, the FAA carried out more than 8,000 aircraft maintenance inspections each week.

Certification is required by the FAA before maintenance technicians can start working on aircraft. Certification requires 1 year of training and testing at an accredited school or college followed by 5 years of experience and then tests in each specialty field until one passes. After all testing is passed one must take a final test for certification. The certification includes a knowledge test (knowledge examination), practical test (aircraft inspection) and oral interview. The knowledge test is a one-hour multiple choice examination that covers five subjects: Airframe, Powerplant, Avionics, General and Supplementary Subjects. To pass this test one must get a minimum of 70% or higher. The practical test is based on the aircraft the student is going to be certified in and they are judged by three FAA inspectors. When one passes both of these tests he or she will then undergo a background check if they are not already cleared. Once this has been completed, one will then take the oral interview with an FAA inspector who will decide whether or not one is qualified for certification.

The ATA has created a program called "ATA Certified Technicians". This program is a voluntary program that helps improve customer satisfaction and the quality of service provided to the airlines by the technicians. The ATA Certified technician is trained in various aspects of aircraft maintenance such as safety and security issues. This program is being administered by the ATA in conjunction with the FAA.

In 2013, there were about 10,000 licensed aircraft mechanics, 1,200 flight engineers and 2,100 certified aircraft inspectors in the United States. There are also about 6,000 unlicensed aircraft workers.

Although not required for most jobs within this career field, a High School Diploma or GED is strongly recommended to show that you have a certain level of education.

There is a large variety of training options available to potential service technicians on the internet and in a local community college.

The main programs that are offered include the following:

Aircraft maintenance workers are usually employed by private employers. The largest number of jobs (over 34,000) were actually in the airline industry with 13,900 working for private companies. Some employers require workers to have a High School Diploma or GED as part of the job application process, or as part of their continuing education requirements. Many companies also require passing a drug test before being hired to work on their aircraft.

In addition to passing the FAA certification, many schools ask that students maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least a 2.5 or higher. The GPA shows that you are successful in your coursework and have what it takes to become an aircraft maintenance technician. The average annual salary for aircraft maintenance workers in 2011 was $50,650. Aircraft mechanics and service workers earned an average hourly wage of $24.70 in May 2015.

"This article incorporates material from the Federal Aviation Administration document "FAA-H-8083-23A", January 2006.

"This article incorporates material from the FAA document, "FAA Order 8150.1", January 2001."

In addition to the ATA Certified Technicians Program there is also a program called the "ATC Technician Program". This program focuses primarily on aviation security and safety issues for aircraft maintenance technicians who are already working in the industry. Maintenance technicians in this program have to be employed by a qualified private entity that can provide benefits for their employees. The position must be approved by the FAA before it can be started though. This position focuses on training and other educational services that are not covered by any of the other programs mentioned above. For example, it can be used to provide training for specialized equipment in a specific area.

The FAA is an important group that helps maintain the quality and safety of aircraft throughout the United States. They are responsible for ensuring that every aircraft is inspected and maintained properly by highly trained service technicians. This ensures that each airline is safe and up to standard and meets the requirements of all passengers on board. These technicians also help repair any damage to aircraft if it occurs during a flight, which allows flights to continue with minimal disruption of service and no impact on customer safety.

Conclusion

Pilot and flight attendant training are regulated by the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation, but general aviation personnel and maintenance have no specific regulation since they fall outside the scope of Federal Air Transportation Administration (FAA) jurisdiction.

For private pilots, the FAA traditionally provides initial flight training in an FAA-approved training center (or "flight school"), often at a flying club, rather than providing a certificate directly. However, the FAA has recently renewed their effort to reduce pilot shortages by making it easier to learn to fly. In 2012, they relaxed their approval rules for small flight schools who can now train up to 10 students per day using an approved syllabus of FAA-approved training materials.