Introduction to Being An Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, regulates mechanical work on aircraft, and individuals entering this field must meet certificate conditions and particular training.

Aircraft maintenance engineers must be prepared to attentively follow FAA regulations and work long hours on emergency repairs. So what’s the compensation for making those sacrifices? How much do airplane mechanics make? The average wage in 2014 was $62,000. For helicopters the average mechanic salary was a bit lower at $56,000.

The requirements for US citizens seeking to get their A&P (Airplane & Powerplant) license:

• You must be 18
• 18 months of practical experience, in airframes or power plants; or 30 months’ practical experience doing both. You can also graduate from an airframe and powerplant schools that is FAA approved
• You must pass a practical test, an oral test, a General exam, Powerplant exam and Airframe exam.

So, now you know the requirements to secure a license, and you know how much you stand to make, but what does that even involve? A lot. In a single day you could be dealing with aircraft inspection, aircraft structural maintenance, aircraft painting, overhaul, repair, modification and even helicopter maintenance.

You work with power tools, diagnostics equipment, computers and even x-ray machines. Your job is likely to include ladder climbing, or working at height on scaffolding. Tactical aircraft maintenance involves long hours and focus.

There are 4 different checks involved in aircraft maintenance:

• A Check– this is completed every 200-300 cycles, or every 400-600 flight hours. It involves the aircraft spending 10 hours, involving 18 engineers, in the hangar for inspection.
• B Check– occurs after 6-8 months of operation, involves around 18 engineers and can take as little as 1 day, or as many as 3.
• C Check­­- this is a far more rigorous check, and it takes place every 20-24 months. This can take as long as 2 weeks and requires 6,000 man hours. It requires far more space to carry out than the previous two checks so it’s generally completed at a maintenance base hangar. The aircraft will be stripped down to inspect the majority of its components.
• D Check– the heavy maintenance visit (HMV) occurs every 6 years and is a comprehensive check that requires the entire aircraft to be dismantled for thorough inspection, before being rebuilt. There are time consuming and expensive and most airlines plan these checks years in advance. It can take up to 2 months to complete just one of these and requires 50,000 man hours. You can just imagine how a company with a large fleet would need to plan ahead.

The job responsibility of aviation maintenance technology is a big one, because they are responsible for working within the FAA guidelines while ensuring that aircrafts are operating safely. It involves record keeping for due diligence, completing scheduled maintenance as well as emergency repairs, and you also have to prepare for FAA inspections. Whether you are a helicopter mechanic or a plane engineer, the basics remain the same.