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Flight Chief Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Icarus

Flight Operations Crew Chief

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$90K - $150K/yr

The Flight Operations Crew Chief owns aircraft readiness. You assemble, prepare, inspect, and maintain our aircraft so they are safe and ready every time they go to the line. You are the person the ...

Icarus

Flight Operations Crew Chief

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90K - $150K/yr

The Flight Operations Crew Chief owns aircraft readiness. You assemble, prepare, inspect, and maintain our aircraft so they are safe and ready every time they go to the line. You are the person the ...

Icarus

Flight Operations Crew Chief

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$90K - $150K/yr

The Flight Operations Crew Chief owns aircraft readiness. You assemble, prepare, inspect, and maintain our aircraft so they are safe and ready every time they go to the line. You are the person the ...

B3H Corporation

Aircrew Training Specialist

Trenton, NJ · On-site

In coordination with the Squadron DOT Flight Chief, coordinate with scheduling office, enabling them to maximize training opportunities IAW unit leadership guidance. Scheduling and training will be ...

NAC/NAMS

NAC Chief Flight Follow

Anchorage, AK · On-site

Plus, many employee discounts with major retailers POSITION SUMMARY The Chief Flight Follower assists management in monitoring the day-to-day activities of the Flight Follower to ensure a cordial and ...

B3H Corporation

Aircrew Training Specialist

Andrews, MD · On-site

In coordination with the Squadron DOT Flight Chief, coordinate with scheduling office, enabling them to maximize training opportunities IAW unit leadership guidance. Scheduling and training will be ...

AeroMD

Flight Nurse

Saint Croix, IN · On-site

Communicates educational needs to AeroMD's Program Director, Clinical Director, Base Manager and/or Chief Flight Nurse and/or Chief Flight Respiratory Practitioner. * Maintains documentation of ...

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Flight Chief information

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$33K

$124.4K

$200.5K

How much do flight chief jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for flight chief in the United States is $124,409.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $93,000.00 and $146,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a flight chief?

Flight Chiefs are senior non-commissioned officers in the United States Air Force who are responsible for leading and managing a flight, which is a unit within a squadron. They oversee daily operations, ensure mission readiness, provide mentorship, and enforce discipline among their personnel. Flight Chiefs play a key role in communicating between leadership and airmen, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and standards are met. Their leadership is critical to the success of both their team and the overall mission.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a flight chief, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Flight Chief, you need leadership experience, operational knowledge in your military specialty, and completion of relevant professional military education. Familiarity with scheduling systems, maintenance tracking software, and Air Force instructions or regulations is essential. Strong communication, decision-making, and team-building skills set top performers apart in this role. These abilities ensure effective mission execution, personnel management, and compliance with military standards.

What are the primary challenges flight chiefs face when managing their teams, and how can these be effectively addressed?

Flight Chiefs often oversee diverse teams in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, which can present challenges such as coordinating shift schedules, ensuring effective communication, and maintaining high standards of operational readiness. Addressing these challenges typically involves fostering a culture of open communication, providing consistent training, and being proactive about recognizing and resolving conflicts. Building strong relationships within the team and setting clear expectations can help Flight Chiefs maintain morale and mission success. Additionally, leveraging mentorship and ongoing professional development can support both team performance and individual growth.

What is the difference between Flight Chief vs Flight Engineer?

AspectFlight ChiefFlight Engineer
CertificationsFAA certifications, leadership trainingFAA certifications, technical training
Work EnvironmentAircraft operations, team supervisionAircraft systems, technical maintenance
Employer & IndustryAirlines, military, corporate aviationAirlines, military, cargo operations

The Flight Chief primarily oversees flight operations and manages crew, focusing on safety and compliance. The Flight Engineer handles technical systems and aircraft performance, ensuring proper functioning of equipment. Both roles are essential in aviation, often working together but with distinct responsibilities related to operations versus technical maintenance.

More about Flight Chief jobs

What job categories do people searching Flight Chief jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Flight Chief jobs are:

Flight Chief jobs near you
Infographic showing various Flight Chief job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $124,409 per year, or $59.8 per hour.

Flight Operations Crew Chief

Icarus

El Segundo, CA • On-site

$90K - $150K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

This job post has expired 2 days ago. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere.
The Flight Operations Crew Chief owns aircraft readiness. You assemble, prepare, inspect, and maintain our aircraft so they are safe and ready every time they go to the line. You are the person the team trusts to say the aircraft is ready to fly. When something is wrong with the airframe, you are the one who finds it and fixes it.
Mission
Re-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere.
What you'll do
Prepare the aircraft
  • Assemble, configure, and prepare aircraft for flight, including mechanical assembly, avionics connections, and payload setup.
  • Run preflight inspections and checklists, and make the call on aircraft readiness.
  • Set up and verify ground support equipment, power, and the physical test site.
  • Own the configuration and condition of the aircraft from the hangar to the line.

Maintain and troubleshoot
  • Diagnose and fix mechanical, electrical, and software issues on the aircraft in the field and in the hangar.
  • Perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repairs, and replacements.
  • Refurbish and reset the aircraft between flights and prepare it for the next sortie.
  • Maintain positive control of tools and hardware to keep the aircraft safe.
  • Follow directions and intent from engineering personnel to make required adjustments on the fly.

Document and improve
  • Keep accurate maintenance records, squawks, and configuration logs.
  • Feed findings back to engineering to drive the next iteration of the aircraft.
  • Build and improve the standard operating procedures that make aircraft readiness repeatable and safe.
What we're looking for
  • 3+ years of hands-on aircraft, UAS, or RC maintenance experience, or equivalent military experience as a maintainer or crew chief.
  • Holds or willing to quickly obtain FAA Part 107 certification.
  • Demonstrated ability to assemble, inspect, maintain, and sign off on an aircraft's readiness.
  • Strong hands-on troubleshooting across mechanical, electrical, and software systems.
  • Disciplined approach to checklists, documentation, and configuration control.
  • Sound judgment on airworthiness and a willingness to ground an aircraft that is not ready.
  • Comfort taking direction from engineers and translating it into a flight-ready aircraft.
  • Willingness to travel frequently to remote test sites across the world.
  • Strong communicator, non-negotiable.
  • High trust, extreme ownership, no ego.
Bonus
  • FAA Airframe and Powerplant license or military aviation maintenance background.
  • Familiarity with the Linux command line for debugging and troubleshooting.
  • Experience with developmental flight test or build-up test programs.
  • Background building RC or UAS aircraft (SAE Aero, Design Build Fly, or serious hobbyist).
  • Aviation-adjacent military specialty with "air sense" (JTAC, CCT, etc).
  • Experience operating in austere or remote field environments.
Why Icarus
  1. Meaningful equity
  2. Top market salary and bonuses
  3. Health, dental, and vision insurance
  4. Factory in El Segundo
  5. Real ownership, real hardware, real flight
  6. Small team, massive responsibility
  7. High signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture
  8. Dream desk setup
  9. Daily lunch
  10. Unlimited celsius
This is not a normal flight ops job
  1. We are pioneers, not corporate managers. Icarus deliberately optimizes for a high signal (engineers) to noise (management) ratio, where engineering, flight, and execution matter more than process, politics, or management overhead.
  2. You will work side by side with engineers, not behind a wall from them. You will own aircraft readiness end to end. Build it up. Inspect it. Fix it. Hand it off ready to fly.
  3. We expect full extreme ownership. This is a high-trust, no-BS team, and everyone pulls their weight, especially in the field.
  4. We want operators, not bystanders. No fake projects. No watching others work. Just real aircraft, real test sites, and real flight.
  5. You must thrive under pressure, learn fast, and produce in the field. We move fast. We go to Mojave at 4 am in the morning. We expect results and an obsession with quality and speed.
  6. You will be the person the team trusts to say the aircraft is ready. If you want the thing you prepared to climb to 60,000 ft and come home, this is it.

No tourists. No bystanders. Only builders.
Hiring process
  1. Phone screen
  2. Hands-on readiness and troubleshooting assessment
  3. Meet the flight and engineering team in-person
US salary range
$90,000 - $150,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Icarus' total compensation package.
We're an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

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