aircraft maintenance engineer

One of the popular job in the aircraft maintenance area is the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
Aircraft maintenance engineer jobs are complex as aircrafts are complex machines with many systems and subsystems to manage the different functions of the aircraft. It has evolved from a simple single engined flying machine in the early 1900 to what it is today. Being complex, the aircraft would require a professional crews to maintain and repair the systems. The repair and maintenance are done by a group of trained personnel called ‘the aircraft maintenance engineers” or licensed mechanics.

Why the job exists.
The aircraft and its systems develop fault or break down. The faults system break down will affect the safety or the economic of flight for the aircraft and would require it to be repaired. The repair processes and the maintenance procedures are provided by the aircraft manufacturer and approved by the regulatory authorities.

The ICAO convention provides the licensing procedure to qualify the maintenance personnel.

Nature of the Job
There four basic groups of works to be done on the aircrafts:
1. testing – The systems had to check for their proper operation and the integrity. The testing can be in the simple form of the functional and operation check or full test using the specialized test equipments.

2. repair – a repair is required if the system or structure deviates from its intended function. A repair can be a major work like the structural repair required when the aircraft involved in a small collision. It can be a mundane task like changing a light bulb.

3. Overhaul – Certain components or parts require to be overhauled when the intended function hours has been reached. The limiting factors can be the flying hours, the number of landings or calenders time, depending on the nature of the equipments.

4. modification – involves a change to an existing systems or parts. It normally initiated by the aircraft manufacturer such as Boeing or Airbus and sometime the modifications are mandatory and has to be carried out at the identified time or intervals.

Main Activities
This depends on how the airline divided the works in the aircraft maintenance areas. Some airlines divided the works into Base maintenance, Line Maintenance, Workshop and Supporting Works.

The base maintenance is for major jobs at the maintenance base. It is meant for what is called the C checks and the D check. The D check is the main check carried out after about  7 years of operation, depending on the aircraft utilization. The D check is sometime known as overhaul, as the aircraft will be stripped to the metal skin, and the structure is thoroughly check for integrity.

The line maintenance jobs is about the maintenance of the aircraft in the tarmac. When the aircraft flies, it carries an aircraft log books and the pilot will record all the defect in the book. During transit, the defects have to be attended to, some faults can be deferred to a suitable time and certain defects have to be rectified immediately.

Qualification

If you are following the BCAR section L (British Civil Aviation Requirement – Licensing) then the licensing and qualification are basically divided into 5 categories: Airframe, Engine, Electric, Avionics and Radio. There are further subdivision on each of the category, for example, the engine will have, the basic without type rating, the propellers, piston engine.

Applicants Requirements - to be written

Training

The training will include the classroom sessions and the practical work. For the practical, if you work for airlines, then you will be placed to different areas for you to have an overall knowledge of the maintenance work.

If you are doing with a training college,then the work is simulated. The record of practical experience has to compiled and certified.

Salary and Benefits (Typical) …. to be written.

Example of Advertisement.

LICENSED AIRCRAFT ENGINEER (Mechanical or Avionics)