Who are Avionics Technicians

Aerospace Engineering – one of the broadest engineering fields, dedicated to design, manufacture, operate and develop air and spacecrafts. On a wider aspect, this engineering discipline has been divided into two major branches - aeronautical and astronautical engineering. However, to be more precise, this field is the result of combined interaction between other related fields such as aerodynamics, avionics, material science, mechanics and structure. Today's discussion summarizes only one of the above-mentioned fields; that is avionics.

The term avionics is derived from Aviation Electronics. As the name suggests, avionics relates to designing and installing electronic systems, specific to space crafts and related probes, such as satellites. Developing aviation electronic system was not considered to be a distinct specialization earlier. All spatial electronic devices were manufactured separately and were lodged to function individually. This did not work well for military security measures, as it left huge areas of encroachment. Thus, there was a need for systems, that functioned as a single assembled unit. Hence, avionics aroused as a specialized field under aviation engineering. Presently, avionics does not only cater to military needs. It also extends to developing systems that drove greater customer satisfaction on commercial airlines.

Job description of Avionics Technicians: 

Perhaps, most of you can infer job duties of these professionals from the introductory section above. However, on a broader prospect, this section elaborates job roles associated with this profile. 

Avionics engineers install and troubleshoot all airborne electronic systems. It is their responsibility to ensure smooth functioning of all aboard and navigation equipment required for secured flying experience. For this purpose, any aircraft manufacturing company or airlines maintain a team of professionals who work in different specialization fields of avionics.

Line avionics operators are mostly seen trouble shooting minor problems on a flying craft. Many of you have come across technicians working on black box to ensure that the flight can take off and land on scheduled hours. They are none other than line technicians. Although, most of the work related to repair and maintenance of aboard equipment are done much ahead of the scheduled time, these technicians are required to be present in the terminal,to take care of any emergency.

Hangar technicians are those who conduct regular maintenance inspection on aircraft coming to the hangar. They review reports coming from line technicians and other crew members. They then work to solve all issues before the craft returns to flying. This maintenance and repair period duration extends for 7 to 10 days per airplane.

Specialized avionics technicians working on navigation and communication equipment are known as Bench technicians. They may also work on autopilot and radar antennas. They need to work on modern integrated circuits and perform reliable soldering on extremely delicate components. Highly experienced avionics technicians work as System trouble shooters.

Job requirements:

Avionics technicians need to possess a two or four-year degree in avionics from any FAA certified aviation schools. The Federal Aviation Administration board has certified 170 flight schools in the USA that need to deliver at least 1900 instructional class hours to all students. The course ware comprises of both theoretical and practical exposure on various materials and techniques used for developing electronic airframes.

Every avionics technician needs to have a certified mechanic license. For this purpose, these candidates need to pass some oral, written and practical exams.

Job outlook and salary:

Job prospects in this field are likely to increase by 7 percent in the near future. Latest BLS reports show an expected salary package for these professionals to fall between $56,370 to $103000 depending on the qualification levels and years of experience.

Source : articlesbase.com