About This Career

Ensures the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Systems/Infrastructure Planning, Management and Regulation pathway.

A person in this career:

• Inspects airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
• Implements airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
• Conducts inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
• Assists in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
• Initiates or conducts airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
• Manages wildlife on and around airport grounds.
• Coordinates communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
• Performs and supervises airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
• Plans and coordinates airfield construction.
• Monitors the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.

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.
• 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
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• 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

• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work