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Date: 07/17/2025

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.
    • Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
    • Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
    • Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.
    • Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.
    • Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.
    • Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.
    • Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.
    • 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.
    • Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
    • Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
    • Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
    • Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
    • Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.
    • Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.
    • Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.
    • Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
    • Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.
    • Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
    • Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.
    • Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.
    • Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.
    • Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.
    • Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.
    • Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.
    • Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
    • Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
    • Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.
    • Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.
    • Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.
    • Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
    • Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.
    • Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.
    • Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
    • Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
    • Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.
    • Measure the tension of control cables.
    • Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
    • Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.
    • Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.
    • Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
    • 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, or seals.
    • Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.
    • Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.
    • Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.
    • Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.
    • 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.
    • Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
    • Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.
    • Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.

    Skills

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 78870/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 37.92/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 3,570
    • Yearly Projected Openings 260

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Persistence
    • Self Control
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Air compressors
    • Aircraft pushback or tow tractors
    • Alignment jig
    • Ammeters
    • Ball peen hammer
    • Bastard cut file
    • Borescope inspection equipment
    • Box end wrenches
    • Cable splicing kits
    • Calibrated resistance measuring equipment
    • Calipers
    • Circuit tester
    • Cold chisels
    • Combination wrenches
    • Compasses
    • Desktop computers
    • Diagonal cut pliers
    • Dial indicator or dial gauge
    • Digital testers
    • Drill bit set
    • Drill press or radial drill
    • End cut pliers
    • Feeler gauges
    • Flat nose pliers
    • Forklifts
    • Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Go or no go gauge
    • Goggles
    • Ground power units for aircraft
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Hand clamps
    • Hand trucks or accessories
    • Heat guns
    • Hex keys
    • Hoists
    • Hold down clamps
    • Inspection mirror
    • Integrated maintenance information systems
    • Jacks
    • Ladders
    • Laser printers
    • Lifts
    • Locking pliers
    • Magnetic particle examination equipment
    • Magnetic tools
    • Mallets
    • Manlift or personnel lift
    • Manual press brake
    • Metal cutters
    • Micrometers
    • Microprocessors
    • Mill saw file
    • Multimeters
    • Needlenose pliers
    • Nibblers
    • Notebook computers
    • Ohmmeters
    • Open end wrenches
    • Oscilloscopes
    • Paint sprayers
    • Personal computers
    • Pneumatic drill
    • Pneumatic impact wrenches
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power riveter
    • Pressure indicators
    • Pull spring balances
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Putty knives
    • Pyrometers
    • Ratchets
    • Rectifiers
    • Respirators
    • Rivet tools
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Scaffolding
    • Scales
    • Screw extractors
    • Screwdrivers
    • Scribers
    • Shears
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Slip or groove joint pliers
    • Socket sets
    • Sockets
    • Soldering iron
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Speed sensors
    • Squares
    • Stripping tools
    • Tablet computers
    • Tape measures
    • Target or reconnaissance drones
    • Templates
    • Tinners snips
    • Torque wrenches
    • Touch pads
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Ultrasonic examination equipment
    • Utility knives
    • Vibration testers
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Wearable computing devices
    • Welder torch
    • Wire cutters
    • Wire lug crimping tool
    • Wire twister
    • X ray radiography examination equipment

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Compiler and decompiler software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Facilities management software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Internet browser software
    • Inventory management software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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