Airplane maintenance mechanic

 Airplane maintenance mechanic
aviation maintenance agent, runway mechanic
In aeronautics, a breakdown always has serious consequences. The aircraft maintenance mechanic takes care to prevent them by maintaining the planes in good condition. He works for an airline company, a flying club... or even the army. Its role is essential; this is why it is important to have composure and great technical mastery. Constant updating of knowledge is mandatory

Professional life
Concentrated in two regions
Manufacturers, maintenance companies, flying clubs, airlines or the army: sky mechanics are spoiled for choice but one in two jobs are located in the Paris region, one in four in Midi-Pyrénées (Toulouse) and Aquitaine.
Construction and maintenance
At manufacturers, mechanics assemble the parts that make up the planes. In maintenance companies, they dismantle and check these same parts. The largest users of skilled labor are airlines. Air France therefore recruits workers trained in its own apprentice training center.
Promotion possible
If the beginner carries out simple assembly and disassembly, after two years of practice, he can take care of more complex operations by assisting the developer. When his experience is solid, he in turn becomes a developer and intervenes alone in troubleshooting. He can then be promoted to team leader, then to foreman.
Beginner's salary
From the minimum wage, with a CAP.
Working conditions
From the workshop to the track
In the workshop or in a maintenance hangar, each mechanic concentrates on an operation or repair for which he is personally responsible. If he intervenes on an aircraft on the runway, he brings the measuring devices on board and interviews the flight crew to draw up a report on the malfunctions observed.
Within a team
He works surrounded by other specialists. The program agent, at the level of a senior technician, divides the plane into zones (tail, wings, hold, cabin) and establishes a rotation of the different teams for maintenance in each of the zones. Team leaders and controllers check the work carried out and the sensitive points of the device.
Conditions depending on location
Workshop hours are generally regular and during the day, but include restrictions (working on public holidays, nights and weekends) and sometimes restrictive work rhythms (density of technical controls). The mechanic sometimes goes to the slopes where he is exposed to climatic variations. He may also be required to travel abroad.
SKILLS
Composure and technical mastery
Rigor and a sense of responsibility are essential qualities in the exercise of this profession. A good mechanic must be focused on his mission, careful and meticulous. If the red button, a signal indicating a malfunction, lights up in the cabin of an aircraft ready to take off, it must react quickly and calmly.
In continuing education
Mechanical assemblies are giving way to electronic and electrical systems, and the appearance of parts made of composite materials requires new specialists. The mechanic must therefore adapt to changing technologies and constantly update his knowledge.
Multiple qualities
Furthermore, the mechanic must necessarily be proficient in English to understand the technical documentation but also be able to consider working on sites abroad. He must also be in good physical condition to resist noise, bad weather on the slopes, etc.
Nature of the work
Objective: zero breakdowns
Guarantor of passenger safety, the mechanic plays a triple role: controlling, diagnosing and repairing to achieve zero breakdown. For this, he has diversified skills with specializations: in airframe, engine, electricity, on turboprops and electrical equipment, on-board instruments, on the structure (external envelope of the aircraft), etc.
On light aircraft
Most often in a flying club, he conducts regular inspection visits and ensures the complete review of 2,000 flight hours. Versatile, it works on all structures, from the electrical and hydraulic circuits to the powertrain.
On transport planes
It ensures maintenance which is carried out at regular, strictly regulated deadlines. This maintenance extends from functional tests to general overhauls. On a daily basis, during stopovers, he examines the fundamental parts of the aircraft, carries out minor maintenance, inspects, measures performance, etc.
Training to enter the profession
The aircraft maintenance mechanic has at least a CAP in his pocket, but most often a professional baccalaureate. He may have followed training