Aircraft Electrician (15F)
- Enlisted
- Active Duty
- Army Reserve
Hundreds of Army missions depend on aircraft for transport, patrol and flight training. Instruments, lights, weapons, ignition systems, landing gear and many other aircraft parts are powered by electricity. It’s up to the members of the aircraft electrician team to ensure that the electrical systems on airplanes and helicopters are properly maintained and repaired.
The Aircraft Electrician is primarily responsible for supervising, inspecting and performing maintenance on aircraft electrical systems. Some of your duties as an Aircraft Electrician may include:
- Diagnosing and troubleshooting malfunctions in electrical and electronic components
- Repairing aircraft instrument systems
- Applying principles of electricity/electronics, hydrostatic motion, pneumatics and hydraulics to the repair of aircraft instrument systems
- Removing, installing, repairing, adjusting and testing electrical/electronic elements of assemblies
- Troubleshooting aircraft electrical systems using test equipment
- Repairing or replacing defective generators and electric motors
- Inspecting and maintaining electrical systems
- Replacing faulty wiring
- Soldering electrical connections
- Repairing or replacing instruments, such as tachometers, temperature gauges and altimeters
- Reading electrical wiring diagrams
Training:
Job training for an Aircraft Electrician consists of nine weeks of Basic Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 19 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in repairing electrical systems. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field. Some of the skills you learn are:
- Electrical theory
- Troubleshooting procedures
- Soldering techniques
- Electrical system maintenance
Helpful Skills:
Helpful attributes include:
- An interest in mathematics and shop mechanics
- An interest in solving problems
- An interest in electricity and how electrical equipment works
- An ability to work with tools
Advanced Responsibilities:
Advanced level Aircraft Electricians supervise and train other Soldiers. As an advanced level Aircraft Electrician, you may also be involved in participating in maintenance test flights as required.
