Popular Aviation Career Paths

Author: CareerSchools

Are you a technically-minded, practical person who doesn't want to live life behind a desk? Consider a career in aviation. Whether you want to be in the repair shop or in the cockpit, choosing a career in aviation offers you:

• Variety – Plenty of new challenges crop up daily.
• Stability – According to Boeing, air travel has been growing by 5% annually for the last fifty years. 
• Options – You can work for large or small airports, in passenger, cargo, or police aviation.

It's true that aviation work can involve long, hard shifts, sometimes in uncomfortable conditions. However, unlike a desk job, you never need to take your work home with you.

This guide explains some of the personal traits you'll need for success in the field. It also outlines common aviation careers you can work towards, including training requirements and job growth expectations.

Do You Have the Right Attitude?

Air travel is an incredibly safe form of transport, thanks to the collective efforts of the many remarkable people who make it possible. If you want to work in aviation, you should be:

A Hard Worker: Wherever you are in the aviation chain, the lives of many people rest on your efforts. You need to be able to put in the hours and pay attention to details.

Calm and Collected: It's important to be able to keep calm in an emergency situation. It's also important to be able to handle deadlines—and working in aviation means constant deadlines. You will always be under pressure to get planes in the air on time.

A Methodical Thinker: Everyone in aviation is bound by procedures and regulations. You need to be able to carry out these procedures and checks to assure safety, every time.

A Team Player: Ensuring the safety of air travel is a team responsibility. Whether you are a pilot or a technician, you need to be able to communicate and work effectively with other people.

For commercial and airline pilots, there are also physical fitness requirements. You'll need vision that is correctable to 20/20 and no record of health issues that would impair your ability to fly (for example, a seizure disorder).

Commercial Pilots

Commercial pilots are pilots-for-hire. They fly planes for a variety of reasons, including:

• Crop dusting
• Aerial photography or surveying
• Rescue missions
• Fire fighting
• Charter flights, e.g. sightseeing tours

Flight duties of a commercial pilot include route planning, loading the aircraft (or checking it is loaded carefully), take-off, steering, and landing, and monitoring for any problems.

Training needed: Commercial pilots must be over 18 years of age and obtain a Commercial Pilot's License from an FAA-approved training school. This involves taking a training course that includes a minimum of 250 hours of practice flying. Then the applicant must pass a written and practical examination, including a demonstration of his or her flying ability for an FAA examiner.

To increase your employability, it's useful to gain an Instrument Rating to prove you can fly in low visibility levels using just your craft's instruments.

Job Outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects national demand for commercial pilots to grow by 21% through 2020, an addition of about 6,900 jobs. Local markets may differ.

Airline Pilots

Airline pilots transport people or cargo on fixed schedules. They may work for large or small airports, for regional airlines or major multi-nationals. Airline pilots usually work in teams of two—a captain and a first officer. Both of these individuals share flight duties, but it is the captain who determines the route and gives orders.

Airline pilots are experienced flyers. This is not an entry-level position.

Training needed: Airline pilots need to obtain an airline license. This requires at least 1,500 hours of flight time, plus successful passing of an examination.

Most pilots for regional airlines have about 2,000 hours of flight time. Airline pilots working for major carriers have around 4,000 when hired. In addition to these requirements, most airline companies prefer to hire applicants with a college degree.

Licenses must be renewed periodically and regular eye tests taken. All airline pilots are required by federal law to retire at age 65.

Job Outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects national demand for airline pilots to grow by 6% through 2020, an addition of about 4,500 jobs. Local markets may differ. Competition for airline jobs is extremely stiff.

Aircraft Mechanics

Aircraft mechanics inspect, maintain, and repair the main body and moving parts of an aircraft, including the engines. Maintenance mechanics will inspect the aircraft according to a regular schedule. They will diagnose problems using sophisticated testing instruments.

Repair mechanics will use power tools and welding equipment to make repairs discovered by the maintenance crew.

All aircraft mechanics have the ability to read and understand technical documents relating to the craft they service, and they make reports detailing the damage they have found and how they fixed it. Mechanics may work at airports or in small independent shops.

Training Required: Aircraft mechanics should obtain a diploma or associate's degree from an FAA-approved school. Applicants will also need to earn an FAA Airframe and Powerplant license within two years of finishing their training program by passing written, oral, and practical exams. This gives the mechanic authorization to work on civilian aircraft.

Job Outlook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job openings for aircraft mechanics to grow by 6% nationally through 2020, an addition of about 7,800 new jobs. However, a wave of retirements may make more entry-level jobs available.

Avionics Technicians

Avionics technicians maintain the electrical systems on an aircraft, including its communication equipment and navigational systems. They are trained electricians, and will carry out tests of components with instruments such as voltmeters.

Avionics technicians may also examine flight data from an aircraft to see if any of the reporting instruments are malfunctioning. Increasingly, they may be asked to maintain computer systems.

Training Required: Avionics technicians need to have a diploma or associate's degree. There is no specific certification for avionics workers, but an A&P certificate can be helpful.

Job Outlook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job openings for aircraft mechanics to grow by about 7% nationally through 2020, an addition of 1,300 new jobs.

Aviation Inspectors

After at least three years working as an A&P licensed technician, it is possible to become an aviation inspector. These inspectors carry out routine checks to the mechanical and electronic components of aircraft to ensure they are fit to fly. These can be visual checks, or tests involving non-destructive equipment. Aviation inspectors may work on aircraft currently in service, or on test aircraft.

Aviation inspectors file detailed reports about the vehicles they inspect, certifying that each one meets regulations or making recommendations for modification. They may be called in to investigate after accidents or malfunctions.  

Training Required: At least three years of hands-on experience as an A&P licensed aircraft mechanic or technician, plus an aircraft inspector's authorization. Increasingly, employers want college-educated candidates, so completing a bachelor's degree may give an advantage.

Job Outlook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for aviation inspectors to grow by about 10,700 jobs through 2020.

Where You Should Study

Earning a degree makes you more attractive to prospective employers. Anyone interested in an aviation career should choose a school that offers FAA-approved programs. A school that has on-site FAA testing facilities is an added bonus.

Also, while simulation programs have become very advanced, it's important to choose a school that offers hands-on training. Aviation and flight schools with facilities based around airports can give you better access to practice aircraft for flying or fixing. If it's pilot training that interests you most, find out how often you will fly.

Another key statistic to look for is a college's job placement rate. This tells you the percentage of the last graduating class that found a job in the field within six months of completing the program. If you want your dreams to take flight, choose a school with a solid record of sending graduates into the workforce, not just the job market.

References:

• boeing.com/boeing/commercial/cmo/
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Airline and Commercial Pilots, on the Internet at bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/airline-and-commercial-pilots.htm (visited May 30, 2013).
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Airline and Commercial Pilots, on the Internet at bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/airline-and-commercial-pilots.htm (visited May 30, 2013).
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians, on the Internet at bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/aircraft-and-avionics-equipment-mechanics-and-technicians.htm (visited May 30, 2013).
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/aircraft-and-avionics-equipment-mechanics-and-technicians.htm (visited May 30, 2013).
• onetonline.org/link/summary/53-6051.01

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/popular-aviation-career-paths-6677551.html

About the Author

This article is presented by Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. Learn more about this Tulsa, Oklahoma flight school at www.spartan.edu.