Aircraft maintenance engineers or mechanics are highly skilled technicians responsible for making sure aircraft is safe to fly. You'll perform inspections, maintenance, repairs and modifications on various aircraft systems and components.

Just as pilots are trained and then licensed to fly, aircraft maintenance engineers are trained and licensed to maintain the aircraft to industry standard.

There are two types of maintenance:

• line duties such as pre-flight checks, refuelling and minor avionics, electrical and mechanical tasks

• base maintenance in an aircraft hangar, when you’d do more stringent checks, fault diagnosis and repairs

If you work in mechanics, you’ll service the fuselage, engines, landing gear and airframe systems including any electrics associated with those systems.

If you focus on avionics, you’ll check the electrical and electronic systems used for navigation, communications and flight control.

Your tasks might include:

• carrying out inspections, disgnosing and identifying any faults or issues

• performing maintanence tasks, including replacing parts, lubricating components and adjusting systems

• carrying out repairs to any defective or damaged parts of aircraft

• collaborating with teams, working with other maintenance personnel

• documenting maintenance activities and complying with aviation regulations

You could work on commercial or private aircraft or work on military aircraft for the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy or the Army.

Green job

In this job you could be doing work to help the environment. You could:

• maintain aircraft engines to improve their fuel efficiency

• handle and process waste materials onbaord, to make sure they're disposed responsibility

• retrofit older aircraft with new, more fuel-efficient technologies

Find out more about green jobs.

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