A day in the life of an aviation technician

Most importantly, aviation technicians keep aircraft in peak operating condition. This requires performing scheduled maintenance, making repairs when necessary and completing mandatory Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspections of aircraft. Some alternate titles for aviation technicians are aircraft mechanics, powerplant mechanics and avionics technicians.

Preventative maintenance, or the process of finding potential problems before they occur, is a common specialty among aviation technicians. This involves inspecting many components of an aircraft, including:

• Engines
• Landing gear
• Instruments
• Pressurized sections
• Brakes
• Valves
• Pumps
• Air-conditioning systems

Aviation technicians are also responsible for replacing these parts if necessary. They maintain and update maintenance records for all components of the aircraft and its engine. There are three ways of scheduling maintenance for an aircraft:

1. Based on how many hours the aircraft has flown
2. Based on the number of calendar days since the aircraft’s last inspection
3. Based on operation cycles

Aviation technicians spend their entire workday with aircraft, so their work environment is wherever these planes are kept. This could be in a hangar or other indoor space, as well as outdoors, occasionally in inclement weather. Many technicians also work under pressure so as not to delay airline flights and their passengers, and to adhere to strict safety standards.

Aviation technicians commonly disassemble the entire engine to repair or replace the defective parts, which can involve lifting heavy objects. The job often demands working in awkward positions while standing, kneeling or lying down, sometimes high above the ground on scaffolding or ladders. After technicians have repaired and replaced engines or other parts, they must test the equipment to make sure it is working properly. There are typically loud noises and strong vibrations in these work settings so technicians will need to wear ear protection regularly.

Some aviation technicians work with a wide variety of aircraft while some specialize in only one or two types. Common aircraft specializations are jets, propeller-driven airplanes and helicopters. Some other technicians specialize in a particular section of an aircraft, for example, the engine, hydraulics or electrical systems.

Increasingly, avionics systems are an important aspect of aircraft and their operation. Avionics systems include aircraft navigation systems, radio communications systems and weather radar systems. Avionics technicians specialize in repairing and maintaining these electrical systems.