What does an Aircraft Mechanic do?

According to people in this career, the main tasks are...

TaskImportance
Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
89%
Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
89%
Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
86%
Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
86%
Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
85%
Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
84%
Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
84%
Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
84%
Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.
83%
Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.
82%
Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.
82%
Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.
82%
Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
82%
Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.
81%
Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts, such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, or seals.
80%
Measure the tension of control cables.
79%
Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.
79%
Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.
78%
Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.
77%
Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.
77%
Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.
75%
Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.
74%
Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.
74%
Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.
74%
Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.
73%
Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.
72%
Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades or cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.
72%
Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
72%
Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.
72%
Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.
71%
Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.
71%
Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.
68%
Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.
68%
Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.
66%
Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.
62%
Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.
61%
Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.
61%
Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.
59%