What Aerospace Engineering Technicians Do:
Aerospace engineering and operations technicians operate and maintain equipment used in developing, testing, and producing new aircraft and spacecraft. Increasingly, they use computer-based modeling and simulation tools and processes in this work

How to Become an Aerospace Engineering Technician:
An Aerospace Engineering Technician is generally expected to have at least an associate degree. It can be helpful if their degree is in aerospace or a related discipline, but this is not a requirement. As many colleges don’t offer a degree-granting program in this area, those wanting to become aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering Technicians should take whatever individual courses in flight and space that they can.

Job Outlook*:
Employment of Aerospace Engineering Technicians is expected to decrease 2 percent from 2010 to 2020.

Job Description:
The Aerospace Engineering Technician is responsible for operating, installing, calibrating, and maintaining integrated computer/communications systems consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment to launch, track, position, and evaluate air and space vehicles. They may also record and interpret test data.

This is a Non-Exempt position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• Adjust, repair or replace faulty components of test setups and equipment.
• Construct and maintain test facilities for aircraft parts and systems, according to specifications.
• Fabricate and install parts and systems to be tested in test equipment, using hand tools, power tools, and test instruments.
• Identify required data, data acquisition plans and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
• Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
• Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
• Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
• Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
• Exchange cooling system components in various vehicles.
• Finish vehicle instrumentation and de-instrumentation.
• Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities Required:
• Associate’s Degree engineering or related field.
• Experience in composite product build with the ability to work with support technicians in an R&D/Production type environment highly preferred.
• Experience with core fabrication, mechanical assembly, and composite repair preferred.
• Operation of standard mills, surface grinders, and related machine shop equipment is a plus.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings/specifications.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Aerospace Engineering Technician will frequently use hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls and sit for extended periods of time. The employee must have the ability to use fingers to grasp, move or assemble very small objects; hear sounds and recognize the difference between them; visually detect differences between colors, shades and brightness. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes.

Aerospace Engineering Technician
At A Glance:

* Data provided for Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians in all industries.