Structures Mechanic

Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.

Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, and seals.

Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.

Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.

Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.

Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.

Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.

Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.

Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, and ammeters.

Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.

Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.

Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.

Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.

Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.

Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.

Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades and cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.

Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.

Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and lubricating moving parts.

Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.

Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.

Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.

Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.

Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.

Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.

Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.

Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions such as sticking or burned valves.

Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.

Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.

Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.

Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.

Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.

Measure the tension of control cables.

Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.

Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.

Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.

Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.