Aircraft Body Repairer

Dings, dents, scrapes, and divots—airplanes take their share of abuse! From the smallest crop duster to the major commercial airliner, planes require the specialized knowledge of Airplane Mechanics to keep the engines humming, and the skills of Aircraft Body Repairers to repair damage to the exterior.

Similar to an Automotive Body Repairer, an Aircraft Body Repairer uses plungers and Bondo to work out the dents. In contrast to their rock-chipped friends, however, aircraft require a bit more muscle. After all, replacing a 30-foot-long panel not only requires special tools, but also a Crane Operator.

A typical day as an Aircraft Body Repairer starts with reviewing the work order. While one plane might have a scrape the length of one side, another might have extensive damage. You create a plan for how to approach each project, order necessary parts, and offer cost and time estimates. Then you break out the industrial-sized crescent wrenches and sockets, and get to work.

To get the job done, you typically remove large panels, hammer out dents, and replace parts as necessary. Your specialized tools allow you to cut, drill, shape, and fabricate parts until they look like new. You guide the Crane Operator while he lifts or lowers the piece, and send the project on to the Aircraft Painter if you don’t perform painting jobs yourself.