Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Organizational apprentice-level maintenance across H-60 aircraft variants provides directly relevant experience for civilian aircraft maintenance work.
How to prepare: Gather records of your military maintenance duties and duration for FAA evaluation toward Airframe and Powerplant ratings. Certification requires age 18 or older, English proficiency, passing knowledge, oral, and practical tests, and either qualifying practical experience of 18 months for one rating or 30 months concurrently for both, graduation from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School, or completion of the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council course.
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.