Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Mechanical)
What the work is
Inspects, tests, repairs and installs hydromechanical and flight system components and engines, subassemblies, and components in aircraft, including space vehicles.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Inspects and tests aircraft hydromechanical and flight systems and components to identify any faults, wear, defects or damage, and ensures aircraft are functioning within safety regulations and standards
- Repairs or replaces faulty or damaged aircraft hydromechanical and flight systems or components
- Installs new aircraft hydromechanical and flight systems, including engines, ancillary motors, brakes, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, airframes and subassemblies
- Performs and documents regular maintenance and servicing of aircraft hydromechanical and flight systems
- May manufacture aircraft hydromechanical, flight system and subassembly components
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional regional airline hangar, where aircraft come in for scheduled checks and overnight fixes. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- An aircraft you signed off takes off on time and carries a full load of passengers
- You track down a stubborn fault that two shifts had given up on
- A quiet night shift where everything is in its place and the paperwork is clean
Hard days
- A part is on back order, an aircraft is on the ground and the airline wants it back
- A night shift in a cold hangar with a defect that does not make sense
- Being asked to sign off something you are not yet certain about
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 332132, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.