Aviation's Key Profession and Sector; AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE, Part: 2

TRAINING IN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

Summary

In this chapter; the education and training levels of managers, engineers, technologists, technicians and technicians serving in the "aircraft maintenance" profession or sector, which is also defined as "aviation maintenance" in some societies, and what are the similarities in civil and military aviation are examined.

A. Why is Education Important in Aircraft Maintenance?

Education is important for every profession. Education is also important for living in this world and in this society. Education is a skill created and developed by thousands of years of life struggle of human beings. Mankind has reached this level of civilization thanks to education.

Aircraft Maintenance is the most critical profession in the aviation world because, so to speak, "the aircraft maintainer's screwdriver points in only two directions; life and death". There is no joking with a platform that can move in three axes. All aviation flight and system safety rules have been written in "blood, not ink" since 1903.

The education and training required to become an aircraft maintainer and to develop a career in aircraft maintenance is not taken to have a title, but because the efficiency and safety of aircraft systems require it. Moreover, you are not only trained, you are also subjected to a survey to see if you can apply the training you have received to aircraft systems and receive your relevant authorization certificate. In order to engage in the aircraft maintenance profession, you need not only a diploma, but also a certificate of authorization.

Chapter: 1 covered and summarized what the aircraft maintenance system is and how it is organized. In this chapter, I will try to summarize my ideas on how the basic and advanced training of "maintainers" (managers, engineers, technologists, technicians, technicians) who will take part in the aircraft maintenance system should and must be.

The training and education given below, which may be perceived as being for civil aviation, is also required for military aviation, i.e. it is universal. In addition, we will briefly touch upon the basic aspects of aviation maintenance management in the armed forces of Turkey, USA, UK, Germany and Russia.

In other words, diplomas obtained from high schools, vocational high schools, technical high schools, vocational colleges, colleges, faculties and institutes are not sufficient for you to perform the aircraft maintenance profession. You must take part in a training that will certify your competence according to FAA/EASA/SHY regulations and obtain your certificate. In addition, you must also take on-the-job training and on-the-job training (OJT-On The Job Training) as determined by the air force and airline company you will work for. In fact, these trainings will not be enough, you will be subjected to training as long as you carry out aviation maintenance activities, that is, "training throughout your professional life". 

Before going into the training required by the Aircraft Maintenance Profession, I would like to mention a few confusing issues.

1. Do Maintenance Engineering and Aircraft Maintenance Engineering mean the same thing?

No, maintenance engineering is a general science and requires specialization in detailed areas such as aviation/aircraft maintenance engineering, ship maintenance engineering, plant maintenance engineering. However, many maintenance engineering disciplines, especially mathematical and statistical matrices, maintenance concepts, troubleshooting methods, human factors engineering, etc., find common application in each different maintenance sector.

2. Why are Technologists who study in faculties or colleges for 4 years and receive a bachelor's degree not considered as Engineers?

This is a purely academic issue, and as far as I can see, it is like this all over the world, at least in the USA. The general acceptance in the academic world is that the engineer should receive an intensive theoretical education, while the technologist receives a comprehensive education on the application of the theories of the same branch of engineering rather than intensive theoretical education. However, in the hierarchy of the engineering group, the engineer is above the technologist and has higher authority and responsibility. This situation may cause people who have received intensive education and training in societies where the title of engineer is highly valued, such as in our country, to worry a lot about not having the title and authority of engineer, although they can obtain a bachelor's degree and do master's and doctoral studies in their fields. I also did not observe that the title of technologist is widely used in our country. Frankly speaking, what is the academic title of those who study in technical disciplines in faculties and colleges for 4 years and receive a bachelor's degree? I cannot say that I know exactly. For this reason, in these lines, at least in the field of aeronautical sciences, I have considered it appropriate to characterize those who receive such education with the title of technologist/technologist, as in the USA.

3. AME and AMT are the same level professions with the same certification. This situation may cause confusion in some cultures.

AME (Aircraft Maintenace Engineer) and AMT (Aircraft Maintenance Technician) represent the same profession and certification. It is common in the British Commonwealth to refer to the entire group of technicians, technicians, technologists and engineers as engineers. This can cause confusion in societies where there is no such generalization. In the USA, for example, the title AME is not used, instead the title AMT is used and this is also stated in FAA documentation. AMT certification also represents A&P (Airfirame and Powerplant) certification.

The Aircraft Maintenance Engineering mentioned in our article is also not AME. What we mean by "Aircraft Maintenance Engineer" is the engineering discipline formed by Aeronautical and Electrical-Electronics engineers with additional training in "Maintenance Engineering".

B. Who are the people who will take part in the Aircraft Maintenance System, what is their role in the system and how should their training be?

I. Aircraft Maintenance Profession Group:

Manager (Bachelor's and Master's degree in relevant engineering science, certificate & Master's degree in management science, certificate) knowledge, experience, management experience and leadership skills,

Engineer (bachelor, master, certificate),

Technologist (bachelor, master, certificate),

Technician (associate degree),

Technician (certificate),

1. Aircraft Maintenance Manager:

Apply engineering concepts and procedures to the optimization of aircraft systems and equipment to ensure better maintenance, reliability and availability of aircraft systems and equipment.

Use engineering management theories and practices to plan and implement maintenance, troubleshooting activities, modernization of aircraft systems and equipment. This is in combination with the optimization of operating procedures to achieve and maintain the highest level of reliability and efficiency.

Aircraft Maintenance managers need to have detailed knowledge of many aircraft systems. A person working in Aircraft Maintenance Management should have in-depth knowledge or experience of aircraft systems, logistics, probability and statistics.

In Aircraft Maintenance management, knowledge of air power, the operation of aircraft as the airline's primary system, and experience in budgeting maintenance and sustainment activities is also often required. Excellent interpersonal communication and participative management skills are also desirable as the position normally requires verbal and written communication with various levels of personnel.

The Aircraft Maintenance Manager plans and implements routine and preventive maintenance programs. Regularly monitors systems to visually detect malfunctions and impending system failures before they occur. Determines the method and process and manages the process.

It also carries out the monitoring and supervision of maintenance and repair activities performed by external contractors, i.e. the service, maintenance and troubleshooting of an aircraft belonging to an airbase may be performed by another airbase, or the service, maintenance and troubleshooting of an aircraft belonging to an airline company may be performed by another airline company. In a maintenance, production or manufacturing environment, good maintenance management is essential for smooth and safe daily plant operations.

Aircraft Maintenance Managers not only monitor existing systems and equipment, but also recommend improved systems to senior management and help decide when systems are obsolete and need to be replaced. For this purpose, they collect and synthesize the ideas, evaluations and suggestions of maintenance engineers, technologists, technicians and technicians, and also exchange ideas and information with other managers.

What should be the branches and education of the managers who will work in aviation maintenance/aircraft maintenance?

Aircraft Maintenance Managers should have education and training in aircraft engineering, electronic engineering, maintenance engineering and management sciences, should have FAA/EASA/SHY Aircraft Maintenance Management certificates, and are professionals with knowledge, experience, management and leadership skills.

Aircraft Maintenance Managers should be selected from within the aircraft maintenance system. It is unthinkable for those coming from different systems and environments to manage the aircraft maintenance system.

2. Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

In this paper, we use the term engineer to describe those with academic degrees in some engineering fields.

These people are trained differently from mechanics/technicians, technicians and technologists.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are trained in the fundamentals of science and engineering (mathematics, chemistry, physics, etc.) as well as inductive and deductive reasoning techniques, statistical analysis, problem solving and systems engineering. The undergraduate education of engineers, in which they are awarded the title of engineer, is highly concentrated on theory and proofs of these theories, rather than applications. During their undergraduate education in faculties, engineers are mainly trained in the design of systems in their field of engineering. They receive training in the maintenance and operation of these systems in graduate programs and/or specialized courses.

Engineers also specialize in a particular engineering discipline, such as aircraft or electronics, and should also specialize in maintenance engineering.

Good aircraft maintenance engineering is vital to the success of any aircraft system or business operation, regardless of its size. The aircraft maintenance engineer is responsible for the efficiency of daily operations and for discovering and solving any operational problems in the aircraft maintenance system.

So, what should be the Engineering Branches and Education to take part in Aviation Maintenance?

General Airframe Systems (structural, control, landing gear, hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel, electrical, mechanical, mechatronic, weapons and ammunition systems and subsystems) and Gas Turbine Engines (turbojet, turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft, ramjet) and their systems and subsystems;

Aeronautical Engineer (Bachelor's Degree), Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (Master's Degree) and certifications in the fields specified by FAA/EASA. In addition, type certification training related to the aircraft/aircraft to be responsible for maintenance and sustainment.

Avionic Systems (autopilot, navigation, communication, mission computers, fire control, mechatronics (electronics department)

Electronics Engineer (Bachelor's Degree), Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Master's Degree) and certifications in the fields specified by FAA/EASA. In addition, type certification training for the aircraft(s) to be maintained and maintained.

Engineers cannot be involved in disciplines outside their area of responsibility, for example, an aircraft engineer is not responsible for avionics systems.

The engineer must be able to develop new and innovative procedures to study and analyze problems and understand the "big picture" to effectively arrive at an appropriate answer.

This is what engineers are supposed to do. Engineers are fundamentally problem solvers.

It takes both disciplines (engineering and maintenance) as well as specialists at all levels (engineers, technologists, technicians and technicians) to ensure that an effective and efficient maintenance and engineering organization runs smoothly.

Troubleshooting is actually a thinking process. It starts with a thorough understanding of how the system works. Know the theory of operation of the equipment or system. Know all functions and modes of operation, if there is more than one. Understand which components or circuits are common to the various modes of operation and which are unique to each mode. Understand what other systems need to operate in order for your system to receive all necessary inputs.

3. Aircraft Maintenance Technologist/Technologist

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technologists or Technologists ensure the application of aircraft, electronics and maintenance engineering principles and methods and provide leadership to technicians and technicians to carry out maintenance, repair and maintenance activities and improve the processes of aircraft maintenance systems.

Airframe and Engine Maintenance Technologist/Technologist

They are classified as Aviation Electrical and Electronics Maintenance Technologist/Technologist.

They receive a 4-year undergraduate education at Aviation Faculties or Higher Schools. Their education is not as theoretical as that of engineers, but more practical. The technologist applies basic math and engineering understanding and uses strong practical skills to complete their work. They are familiar with engineering principles and should have experience in a range of technical skills. They may subsequently pursue graduate and/or certification studies in maintenance engineering. They occupy a position between engineer and technician within the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering group.

4. Aircraft Maintenance Technician

Carries out maintenance, breakdown-repair activities of aircraft maintenance systems.

Graduates of the Aviation Vocational High School associate degree program. Subsequently, they must have a maintenance and breakdown repair certificate following the type training of the aircraft they work on. They are in a position between technologist and technician within the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering group.

Airframe and Engine Maintenance Technician

They are classified as Aviation Electrical and Electronics Maintenance Technician.

5. Aircraft Maintenance Technician

Carries out maintenance, breakdown-repair activities of aircraft maintenance systems.

Graduates of Aviation Vocational High Schools. Subsequently, they must have a maintenance and breakdown repair certificate following the type training of the aircraft they work on. They are in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering group.

Airframe and Engine Maintenance Technician

They are classified as Aviation Electrical and Electronics Maintenance Technician.

Aircraft Maintenance Group Members in the World Air Forces have a similar status and classification to the above.

C. An Overview of Aircraft Maintenance Specialization in the World Armed Forces:

In order to become an aircraft maintenance officer in the Turkish Air Force, one must graduate from the Aircraft Engineering (Aeronautical Engineering) department of the Air Force Academy. Subsequently, they undergo "Aircraft Maintenance Officer" training at the Air Technical Schools Command. Officers who graduate from this program and are assigned to air bases also receive certification training for the type of aircraft they will work on. The number of aircraft engineering graduates is very small, and these graduates can also become jet pilots; in this case, in order to meet the need for aircraft maintenance officers, aircraft maintenance officers are also recruited from electronics and industrial engineering graduates. The aircraft maintenance class is the most crowded class in the Turkish Air Force. If the Aircraft Maintenance Officer requirement cannot be met from Air Force Academy graduates, personnel are accepted from graduates of civilian universities with degrees in aircraft/aviation, electronics, industrial, computer and mechanical engineering to be trained as maintenance officers.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION TITLES IN THE TURKISH AIR FORCE:

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

1924 Lieutenant-Captain, Aircraft Maintenance Officer & 1921 Major-Colonel, Aircraft Maintenance Senior Officer-Aircraft Maintenance, Pilot

COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Pilot, 1924 Lieutenant-Captain, Aircraft Maintenance Officer & 1921 Major-Colonel, Aircraft Maintenance Senior Officer-Aircraft Maintenance

ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

Pilot, 1924 Lieutenant-Captain, Aircraft Maintenance Officer & 1921 Major-Colonel, Aircraft Maintenance Senior Officer-Aircraft Maintenance

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Pilot, 1924 Lieutenant-Captain, Aircraft Maintenance Officer & 1921 Major-Colonel, Aircraft Maintenance Senior Officer-Aircraft Maintenance

The Turkish Army and Navy also have aviation/aircraft maintenance departments. However, there is no aircraft engineering education in the Land and Naval War Schools. In the past, the Navy used to transfer aircraft maintenance officers from the Air Force, but this practice was subsequently discontinued. The Naval Forces used to recruit aircraft maintenance officers from the mechanical engineering graduates of the Naval Academy and train them at the Aircraft Maintenance School of the Air Technical Schools Command. I have not been able to examine whether the same practice continues today. In the past, the Turkish Land Forces used to put pilot officers in charge of aircraft maintenance; subsequently, an aircraft maintenance officer class was created, to which officers graduating from the mechanical engineering department of the Turkish Military Academy are assigned, and maintenance officer training is provided in-house.

Since aircraft engineering is an engineering discipline derived from mechanical engineering, many of its courses are common, and mechanical engineers can easily adapt to aircraft systems after taking the necessary differential courses. For this reason, almost all air forces (at least in the air forces of 26 countries) reinforce their aircraft maintenance organizations with mechanical engineers when the number of aircraft/aviation engineers is insufficient.

The situation is similar to ours in the US Air Force, US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Army, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway and Russia. The Aircraft Maintenance Officer is called Aerosystems Engineering Officer in the British Royal Air Force, Technical Officer in the German, Italian and Russian Air Forces, and Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the US, French, Belgian, Dutch and Norwegian Air Forces.  

In the US Air Force, 21A/M - Aircraft/Munitions Maintenance, the basic engineering branches of the Aircraft and Munitions Maintenance Officer are Aeronautical and Systems Engineering. 21AX - Aircraft Maintenance, Aircraft Maintenance Officers are recruited from Mechanical Engineering graduates and Management, Behavioral Sciences and Leadership social sciences graduates.

However, as an honorary member of the US Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Group Commanders Association and the US Air Force Aircraft Maintainers Association, I participated in many seminars and meetings, and made presentations. I remember from the presentations and conversations of the maintainers that the maintainers, who are technical people, did not look favorably on managers who did not come from a technical education background in their management, had difficulties in incorporating them into their culture, and openly expressed this. They complained that they could not get efficiency from lower-middle and upper level aircraft maintenance managers who did not have a good command of aircraft systems, and they complained about the inadequacy of the leadership of managers who did not come from a technical world like them. Anyway, this is the problem of the US Air Force. However, the US Air Force proved how valid and appropriate the general aviation maintenance principles that maintenance managers should be educated first in related engineering disciplines and then in management sciences were. It is obvious that mere management authorization from the state cannot be sufficient for leadership in such a vast field as aviation aircraft maintenance, and only those who prove themselves in that mega group will be accepted as leaders.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER BACHELOR'S DEGREE TITLES IN THE US AIR FORCE:

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

21A/M - Aircraft/Munitions Maintenance

11X - Pilot

11EX - Experimental Test Pilot

18X - RPA Pilot

62EXF - Flight Test Engineer

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

21A/M - Aircraft/Munitions Maintenance

11X - Pilot

18X - RPA Pilot

62EXF - Flight Test Engineer

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

21AX - Aircraft Maintenance

11EX - Test Pilot

MANAGEMENT

21A - Aircraft Maintenance

11X - Pilot

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & LEADERSHIP

21A - Aircraft Maintenance

11X - Pilot

I know that many years ago in the Russian Air Force, pilot officers were also aircraft maintenance officers, a MiG-29 pilot I knew was also an aircraft maintenance officer, and I observed that they later switched completely to the specialty of aircraft maintenance officer (they used the title of technical officer), but I did not have the opportunity to examine it in detail.

Conclusion:

Aircraft Maintenance Discipline is a key profession and sector in both civil and military aviation. Due to the fact that the safety of aircraft systems is primarily dependent on the lives of the people inside the air platform, and that these aircraft are very valuable and scarce machines in the defense and economy of the country; the training and education of aircraft maintainers, who are the main players of the aircraft maintenance profession responsible for the maintenance, repair and maintenance of these systems, is of great importance and meaning. In this article, we have made a special effort to present our thoughts and evaluations on how the training of these professionals is and should be in line with our knowledge and experience.