Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
P-8A organizational maintenance of airframes, hydraulics, environmental controls, and power plants directly overlaps aircraft mechanical maintenance.
How to prepare: Gather records of your airframe and power plant work and ask the FAA to evaluate them for mechanic certificate eligibility. Certification requires age 18 or older, English proficiency, passing knowledge, oral, and practical tests, and either 18 months of appropriate experience for one rating, 30 months concurrently for both, graduation from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School, or completion of the military JSAMTCC training course; not every airline mechanic job legally requires the certificate, although air carriers often require it for hiring.
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.
- Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.