Avionics Installation Technician

As the title suggests, Avionics Installation Technicians install and fix avionics equipment. So what exactly are avionics? They’re the electronic systems you find on planes—the systems that facilitate things like navigation, communication, and monitoring. The name is a mix between aviation and electronics, and Avionics Installation Technicians can work on anything that flies, including airplanes, helicopters, and fighter jets.

In order to be an Avionics Installation Technician, you need to be able to read blueprints, or understand an Engineer ’s instructions. These directions will let you know important things like where the new system should go and what needs to be connected to make it work. They also allow you to conform to unusual specifications a client may ask for, or any government regulations that need to be followed.

Though a lot of your work is electronic and calls for you to understand how to create a wiring map or start a computer system, you also end up using a lot of basic hand tools. This means you spend some of your time with a hammer and screwdriver, doing things like removing parts of an engine or installing sheet metal after a new system is connected.

Once a system is in place, you make sure that everything works as it should. You test different parts and systems, troubleshooting issues if you can or contacting Engineers if you find a major flaw. Any of the work you do—test results, for example—needs to be carefully recorded as well.