What Is an Aircraft Maintenance Manager and How to Become One

An aircraft maintenance manager is responsible for evaluating, performing, and managing aircraft maintenance. In this career, you oversee the repair of an aircraft and ensure the plane is ready for flight. You service the airplane’s engine, ensure the aircraft meets aviation compliance regulations, and oversee technical and engineering support. Other duties include communicating with the airline and maintaining relationships with vendors. Your responsibilities also include troubleshooting technical discrepancies and performing regular inspections. An aircraft maintenance manager controls the maintenance schedule and manages the aircraft maintenance technicians.

To become an aircraft maintenance manager, you must have plenty of experience maintaining various aircraft. Qualifications include the ability to read, write, and communicate in English, and excellent hand-eye coordination. To get a job as an aircraft maintenance manager, you must have at least 18 months of experience working on power plants or airplanes or 30 months of experience working on both. In place of this experience, you can graduate from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School. To earn FAA certification, you must pass a written, oral, and practical test.

It takes several skills to become a successful aircraft maintenance manager. You must be good at using tools and repairing complex machinery. You should also be able to maintain equipment and determine when equipment needs repairs. An aircraft maintenance manager must also be excellent at complex problem solving and critical thinking. You need quality control experience since maintaining the quality of the aircraft is at the core of your job. You must also be great at monitoring technicians and providing guidance and feedback. Aircraft maintenance managers are excellent at systems analysis and evaluation.