Aviation Maintenance

[OldReliable]

I have been looking into careers and found a great school for aviation maintenance. I was just wondering if anyone here is in that field of work could to me what its like for you. What do you need to do and where to work or job outlook.

[Rocket_Bird]

I have been looking into careers and found a great school for aviation maintenance. I was just wondering if anyone here is in that field of work could to me what its like for you. What do you need to do and where to work or job outlook.

I studied aircraft maintenance and worked as an apprentice for a time.  The opportunities for jobs is great (at least it was 3 or so years ago) and plenty of operators are always open to take on new apprentices and engineers.  

The job itself may depend on your tastes.  The most important thing is your mechanical orientation.  If you are the kind of person who enjoys, for example, taking your car apart or figuring out what everything on your vehicle does, then this might be a job for you.  Honestly, from my experience, you actually need to have a "love" for turning wrenches, otherwise it might not be a job for you.  Maintenance is not an easy job, and sometimes the work days can be long. . .very long.  You may find yourself working night shifts often.  The workload will depend on what kind of aircraft you are working on.  When I was working, there were days when I would come in at 6 in the evening and work till 9 in the morning while pilots were waiting to get their planes in the air.  It can be quite stressful.  There are days when you are just pulling your hair out because of different snags on the aircraft that cannot be easily remedied.  You also get exposed to a lot of dangerous toxins from time to time.

The plus side of the field is the rewarding feeling of getting things done.  There are some great experiences too.  When I was working, I got to see an engine change on a Cessna that made a force landing onto a farmers field.  Quite a sight seeing that thing takeoff back into the air again on a highway.  

What do you do in this job?  Perhaps the best answer is that you try to keep the plane in the air.  You work on everything; from avionics, to engines, to hydraulics, to oil and fuel systems, down to the very floorboard of the planes you work on.  

Cheers!

[expat]

Well, I have been doing it for 22 years now. To be honest, it is starting to lose it's shine................mainly due to night shift. Add that to the rain/snow coming down sideways at 02:00 whist trying to change a main wheel and brake unit with numb fingers and entering my 40's last year and all around me are keen 20 something

[OVERLORD_CHRIS]

Been doing it for only 9 1/2 years and I don't mind it. Been on night shift for 9 of those years, and that is where the majority of the heavy work goes on. Nice to see all the inner workings of the plane, and gives you a better understanding of why some planes go late for maintenance issues.

But it can bee hard work depending on your plane you end up working on, the smaller the plane, harder it is to get parts back into the small places, but things tend to be lighter and not require such large equipment to work with.

But on the other hand the larger the plane, the more space you have to work with, and it provides shade during the summer, and cover when raining and snowing. But certain things might require more then one person to change or fix. But due to the space, I my self find it easier to work with, and lest frustrating, especially if you drop something.

If you like planes, then go for it, just try and get on your fav plane if you can, or helicopter.

[Thumper04]

Well, after 5 1/2 years in helicopter maintenance for the USAF, I'd agree with many of the things said so far. Maintenance can be a challenging, interesting, difficult, frustrating, and extremely rewarding job all at the same time. It's something you have to enjoy to be successful. At work we always joke that the best maintainers are the ones that "Like the Abuse". From cranky pilots, to cranky management, to cranky airplanes, it's different challenges everyday, and no two days are ever the same. Having a thick skin helps, as most mx folks have a odd, somewhat harsh, but amusing sense of humor.