In my last job I was a C-17 Aircraft maintainer. I wanted a position that was on the flight line and was a good balance with working on school. The job description is very vague because the aircraft has so many systems and components that if you listed them the list would go on and on. The general job description does well in describing the activities that would happen fairly often. In the maintenance world, there is always something to do whether it is aircraft servicing (fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, or oxygen), just like you car you occasionally have to fix minor details until you hit a huge milestone, then the aircraft gets a complete overhaul which is called depot. The best way to refer to the position it’s a car mechanic for airplanes. The thing that I found out about the job compared to the description is for most part we ran the diagnostics (since the airplane is mostly electronics) and did most labor, but rarely hand is over to the specialist. It was a great job if you don’t mind long days and getting dirty.
Job description: We do everything we can to keep our aircraft in peak condition at all times. Conducting pre- and post flight inspections, Airlift/Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance specialists ensure that all our aircraft are operational and ready to fly. Primarily responsible for general maintenance, these technicians also determine when repairs require the focus of an individual systems specialist so the aircraft are ready to go whenever they’re needed.
One reply on “Blog Post: Job Descriptions”
Hi Kyle,
Its interesting that you said that the amount of work surprised you! I can’t imagine that my part-time job is any similar to yours, but the manual labor I have to do at times also surprised me. There’s nothing quite like being pushed out of your comfort zone like that, and I imagine you have more confidence in yourself because of the work.
Thanks!