Hangar Hiring

Do your ground work to join the field of aircraft repair and maintenance, writes Usha Albuquerque

Today, there are more and more people flying than ever before, yet we seldom think about how safe we are in the air.

In recent years, many new airlines companies have been set up, and many more are in the pipeline. More airlines means more planes and also more people travelling in planes. Yet do we think about how safe we are up there? What would happen if the plane were to develop some problem? Well, it almost never does, thanks to the aircraft maintenance engineers.

Flying is normally associated with being a pilot or an airhostess, never with aircraft maintenance engineers who play the most important role in the aviation industry. Aircraft maintenance engineering is still a low- profile career, but they are the ones that ensure the smooth running of the aircraft and check if the aircraft is fit for flying.

Aircraft maintenance engineers work in the engineering and maintenance department of an airline and ensure the availability of safe and airworthy aircraft for an airline. The job provides opportunities to work in sophisticated aircraft systems, performing a number of scheduled and un-scheduled maintenance tasks so that the aircraft is airworthy. Before a plane takes off, aircraft maintenance engineers, along with a team of engineers from different disciplines certify that it is airworthy, has been maintained well and is capable of proper functioning. Maintenance includes activities like overhauling the grounded aircraft at airports, hangars and workshops, replacing plane parts, treating corrosion and checking tyres, instruments, wheel flaps. There are also diagnostic and mechanical duties covering repair, maintenance, overhaul, troubleshooting, in addition to performing inspection and modification on the aircraft. A mechanical engineer looks after the servicing and overhauling of engines, an aeronautical engineer looks after the maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment, while the flight engineers look after the internal and external checks and system checks while air-borne. Careers in this field also include support services in terms of technical services, engineering planning, quality assurance and logistics.

Engineers are trained in a manner so that they are well equipped to handle some of the most sophisticated aircrafts. A student from the science stream with a minimum of 50 per cent, some institutes require 60 per cent, in class XII is eligible to join the course. You need to undergo a 3-year certificate course on aircraft maintenance engineering, conducted by training schools approved by the Director-General of Civil Aviation. The course is a rigorous 3-year programme open to men and women, which includes avionics and the art of maintaining an aircraft. The subjects taught include aerodynamics, or theory of flight, metallurgy, electronics, handling sophisticated equipment such as gyroscopic instruments, and practical work in machine rooms and on aircraft engines. The first year is basic information about aircraft rules and regulations. In the second year, it is divided into general engineering and maintenance.

In the third year, there are specific categories such as light aircraft, heavy aircraft, piston engine, jet engine or the helicopter.

Apart from this, candidates are required to undergo structured aircraft type courses in the mechanical or avionics stream. At the end of the programme, you are awarded the Basic Aircraft Maintenance Training Certificate. This is followed by the examination conducted by the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) after which you are issued a license to service the aircraft, or BAMEL. The examination conducted by the DGCA covers the mechanical stream Category A and Category C of the aircraft maintenance engineering licence examination. Avionics covers Category E (electrical), I (instrumentation), and R (radio). You are also required to obtain regulatory licences or approvals on a type of aircraft. If it is an Airbus passenger plane or a Boeing 737 you have to obtain an individual licence to service that particular type of aircraft.

There is a distinct difference between aerospace/aeronautical engineering and aircraft maintenance engineering. The former teaches you designing and manufacturing of the aircraft, while the latter teaches you the servicing of the aircraft for its proper functioning. With a licence, as an aircraft maintenance engineer you are authorised to inspect the aircraft and sign it fit for flying.

You can also join this field as an aircraft mechanic with a B.Sc degree or diploma in engineering. You would be able to work in the maintenance of aircraft frame, engine, electrical systems and other ancillary fittings. You can then work either as a line mechanic handling any necessary emergency and other required repair of an aircraft, as well as the complete inspection of the aircraft prior to take off, or as an overhaul mechanic in charge of carrying out the routine maintenance after the required number of flying hours are completed.

The aircraft maintenance engineering course can be pursued at institutes like the School of Aviation Science & technology, Delhi Flying Club, New Delhi, Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Dehra Dun, and the Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology, Chennai, and several other institutes. The list of recognised institutes offering the AME programme is available on the DGCA website - www.dgca.nic.in

As more and more airlines start operations there will be an increase in demand for aircraft maintenenace engineers and mechanics, whether with the national airlines, or private and international ones. With the DGCA licence, students are absorbed in airlines as maintenance engineers and are among the highest paid, as AMEs have the authority to sign an aircraft as being airworthy before flying. It is an enormous and highly critical responsibility requiring high intelligence, good analytical ability, physical stamina, and a strongly responsible attitude to work. You need to be alert, keep upgrading your skills, and have a passion for your work. Keep in mind that while you can repair a car at any time if it has technical problems, high up in mid-air you can't afford a repair.

So, if you love airplanes and tinkering with mechanical tools, then you can enlarge your hobby to an exciting career in aircraft maintenance.