Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Organizational-level maintenance experience on F/A-18E/F aircraft provides a direct foundation for civilian aircraft maintenance work.
How to prepare: Ask the FAA to review your military maintenance records for credit toward Airframe or Powerplant mechanic certification. Certification requires age 18 or older, English proficiency, knowledge, oral and practical tests, and either qualifying practical experience of 18 months for one rating or 30 concurrent months for both, graduation from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School, or completion of the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council course; air carriers often require certification, though it is not an FAA requirement for every airline mechanic job.
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.