Aviation Maintenance

TechCareers: Aviation Maintenance

By Terri Schexnayder

ISBN: 978-1-936603-13-8

Publication date: April 2012

$14.95 (softback)

Buy April 1, 2012 from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or directly from TSTC Publishing.

Each TechCareers book has three sections:

• detailed career information, necessary skill sets and  potential career pathways including salary ranges;
• overview of required degrees and/or certifications that includes sample degree plans from schools in the United States; and
• additional information including a comprehensive listing of instructional programs, major employers and industry-related websites/blogs.

Whether you’re a high school or workforce counselor looking to steer people into a career field best suited for them, a mid-life career changer, or just want to learn more about the state of the industry, the TechCareers series has the information you need.

“Think about it,” says Steve McNaughton, AMT Instructor at Texas State Technical College.“You might get to work on a Boeing 777… the size of what you are working on is so much more impressive and fascinating than most.”

 

The “sky’s the limit” when it comes to being an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT). AMTs work on every part of an aircraft imaginable. Helicopters, gliders, blimps and balloons – if it flies, AMTs will know how to work on them! AMTs gain the know-how to work on the mechanics of aircraft, to be tech-savvy, to think critically and to be highly responsible. Becoming an AMT is a lucrative and exciting path to consider, with many opportunities to work on highly complex machines.

The Godfather of Aviation Maintenance

Ever heard of Charles E. Taylor? Taylor was one of the first aircraft mechanics. He’s the one who helped the Wright brothers get their plane off the ground, and he’s also the man after whom the Federal Aviation Administration named the prestigious Master Mechanic Award, an award only received by senior aviation mechanics, acknowledging their lifetime accomplishments.

Occupational Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment is expected to increase by 7 percent during the 2008-18 period. Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and service technicians held about 140,300 jobs in 2008; about 87 percent of these workers were aircraft mechanics and service technicians; the rest were avionics technicians.

The average salary of an aircraft mechanic, as of May 2008, is $24.71 per hour – that adds up to around $51,000 a year and more than $4,000 a month! With figures like these, it is well worth the time it takes to be trained.

Career Pathways

Here are just a few job positions available as an AMT:

• Aircraft Technician – This is the job you think of when considering aviation maintenance. You’ll perform inspections, run maintenance tests and do repairs on systems and structures. You either have to have your FAA license plus two years maintenance experience or six-plus years of military AMT experience.
• Repair Technician – For this one, you have to have in-depth knowledge of tooling, fixtures and machines used for product overhauls, in-depth understanding of the operation and use of production and test equipment within an assigned production cell along with basic math and decision-making skills and an FAA license.
• Aviation Crew Chief – If you’re a chief, think big as far as responsibilities: you’ll have to perform and supervise inspections, maintain records of work and time used, maintain equipment and tools, train workers, and communicate effectively with aircraft owners and pilots about maintenance problems and repair schedules.
• Mechanic - Just like a car mechanic, these people will inspect repairs and service aircraft according to company procedures maintain accurate records and maintain equipment and tools.

Other information covered in TechCareers: Aviation Maintenance includes job descriptions, education requirements and different career paths AMTs can take.

 

About the Author

Terri Schexnayder grew up in Houston and is now a frequent contributor for austinwoman magazine, Austin Business Journal, Texas Hospital Association magazine and other regional publications. Her nonfiction family story, “Love on the Medina”, was published in Texas Coop Power magazine.

An English Literature graduate from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Terri is currently immersed in researching a book about her grandfather, Pappy, and his connections to Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Mansfield Dam in Austin.