Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Typical job duties performed with this occupation include:

TASK DUTIES
Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.
Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.
Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.
Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.
Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.
Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.
Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.
Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades and cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.
Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.
Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.
Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.
Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.
Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions such as sticking or burned valves.
Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.
Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, and seals.
Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.
Measure the tension of control cables.
Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.
Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.
Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.
Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.
Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.
Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.
Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.
Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and lubricating moving parts.
Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.
Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, and ammeters.
Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.
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*Note: Not all occupations will have a full list of Task Duties or associated programs

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Training for this occupational program or those in a similar family of programs can be located at the following postsecondary institutions in the State of Kansas. Please check with a program advisor at the postsecondary institution for more information on the particular focus of each program listed. Programs nearest the local area appear first. Click on the program to find more information.

INSTITUTION NAME	CITY	INSTITUTION TYPE	PROGRAM TITLE	AWARDS	HOURS
Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology	Wichita	Public	AIRFRAME MAINTENANCE	Two-year Technical Certificate - CERT	58
Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology	Wichita	Public	AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY	Associate Degree - AAS	109
Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology	Wichita	Public	POWERPLANT	Two-year Technical Certificate - CERT	56
Hutchinson Community College	Hutchinson	Public	AGRICULTURAL DIESEL MECHANICS	Associate Degree - AAS	68
Hutchinson Community College	Hutchinson	Public	AGRICULTURAL DIESEL MECHANICS	One-year Technical Certificate - CERT	38
Pratt Community College	Pratt	Public	AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS & DIESEL POWER TECHNICIAN	Associate Degree - AAS	64
Kansas State University	Manhattan	Public	AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY	Postsecondary award/certificate/diploma(< 1 academic year) - CERT	20
Kansas State University	Manhattan	Public	AVIATION MAINTENANCE	Associate Degree - AAS	70
Kansas State University	Manhattan	Public	COMPOSITE REPAIR	Postsecondary award/certificate/diploma(< 1 academic year) - CERT	10
North Central Kansas Technical College	Beloit	Public	AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY	Associate Degree - AAS	68
Fort Scott Community College	Fort Scott	Public	AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY	Associate Degree - AAS	67
Garden City Community College	Garden City	Public	AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY (AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS AND EQUIPMENT/MACHINE TECHNOLOGY)	Associate Degree - AAS	68

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