About This Career

Inspects aircraft, maintenance procedures, air navigational aids, air traffic controls, and communications equipment to ensure conformance with Federal safety regulations.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster Governance pathway.

A person in this career:

• Inspects work of aircraft mechanics performing maintenance, modification, or repair and overhaul of aircraft and aircraft mechanical systems to ensure adherence to standards and procedures.
• Examines maintenance records and flight logs to determine if service and maintenance checks and overhauls were performed at prescribed intervals.
• Inspects new, repaired, or modified aircraft to identify damage or defects and to assess airworthiness and conformance to standards, using checklists, hand tools, and test instruments.
• Approves or denies issuance of certificates of airworthiness.
• Prepares and maintains detailed repair, inspection, investigation, and certification records and reports.
• Examines landing gear, tires, and exteriors of fuselage, wings, and engines for evidence of damage or corrosion and the need for repairs.
• Recommends replacement, repair, or modification of aircraft equipment.
• Starts aircraft and observes gauges, meters, and other instruments to detect evidence of malfunctions.
• Examines aircraft access plates and doors for security.
• Recommends changes in rules, policies, standards, and regulations, based on knowledge of operating conditions, aircraft improvements, and other factors.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel