Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
AN experience assisting with aviation maintenance provides an entry point for developing civilian aircraft maintenance skills.
How to prepare: Compile records of your maintenance duties and practical experience for FAA review to determine whether additional training is needed. For FAA mechanic certification, applicants must be at least 18, meet English-language requirements, pass knowledge, oral, and practical tests, and qualify through 18 months of appropriate experience for one rating, 30 concurrent months for both ratings, an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School, or the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council training course; certification is not an FAA requirement for every airline mechanic job, though air carriers often require it.
What the civilian work involves
- 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.