Not sure if i should post this here but here it is. I am going to Aviation Mechanic school after boot camp so i was wondering what types of things do aviation mechs do on day to day basis. I know there is a big diffence between fixed wing and rotary, so for example lets say i am in fixed wing and maybe work on a harrier or something what kinds of things would i do. i know there is a lot more to it then what i am giving you just wondering if there is any general insight.

I was told the samething by my recruiter, "you'll be an aircraft mechanic, cool huh?" I became an aviation SUPPORT EQUIPMENT mechanic, which means I worked on everything BUT the aircraft. So be prepared for that possibility.
Now on to the good part, I loved what I did. It was almost like a nine to five job, except for the uniform inspections, PT, field days, etc.

Squadrons usually work three crew;Days, nights, and mids. Normally 9- 10 hrs., unless flight schedule or maintenance requires longer. Usually 5 days a week, but can be straight thru the week without wkend off. Again, depends on flight op's and maintenance. If your work center is undermanned, you can figure on longer hours. Also, there's duty section weekends that may have you working when everyone else is off.
Main thing is, the mission and flight schedule comes first. IT AIN"T NO 9 to 5, 5 day a week job. Your in 24/7 365! Alot of sweat, bruises, aching backs, and bone tired slaving for those mechanical monsters. Its also great fun and memories. So, give it allyou've got, and get all you can out of it.

"semper Fi"

TOP I was explaining what it was like with my squadron (Mals-26.) Yes I pulled a couple of weekends on duty section, but not having aircraft we did not have three shifts. Everyone worked from 0600 to 1600. While there were times that we worked late, the majority of the time we did not. Thus my 9 to 5 statement.

Tops got it right. I did it for 22 years.

S/F
Tipath

With the Av8A's we did 12 on 12 off 5 to 6 days a week unless deployed then there wher no days off. Flight hours, Flight hours, Flight hours, Flight hours,

we always had two... day and night crew. day crew from 645-1630. but there's a reason why the term "day crew stay crew" was coined. night crew worked from 1500 until their work was done. sometimes we'd find them still there in the morning when we showed up.

neither here nor there.. ya do what is required, period.

WE did that too.....We had a WO1 from Gruntville via the Drill Field become our AVI OIC and Asst MMCO Officer. He changed the show up time to 6am from 645 without consulting the powers to be in the Squadron. Well after a few days of all of the Squadron who dined at the Chow Hall missed morning chow someone had there rear handed to them and the hours went back to 645.....

What are the best birds to work on/with.

quote:

Originally posted by JeSTeR21707:
What are the best birds to work on/with.

RF-8B Crusader. Pretty easy to get to most everything, except the ejection seat was a real bear to put in and out. Now, I wouldn't know, they've got these new fangled flying machines that can tell ya where their hurtin, etc, and just about fix themselves.

New from the factory are the best ones, they (the Zero's) have not broke them yet....Make sure Jester you get your set of keys for every bird in your unit.....

Same here. I worked with A-6E's. They were a great aircraft, but a mechanical nightmare. sometimes it was like an 8 hour/ 5 day a week schedule. Most of the time, we had more sorties the next day than aircraft and we put in alot of hours to bring up the inventory. It also depends on where your duty is. When I pulled Carrier duty, it was go to work one day and come home 3 days later after all the work-ups and fixing what the zeros broke. Then once your at sea, it's 12 on, 12 off everyday.

Hey, it was a pain **** then. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world now. Each day was a heck of an accomplishment to be proud of.

quote:

Originally posted by TomHansen:
New from the factory are the best ones, they (the Zero's) have not broke them yet....Make sure Jester you get your set of keys for every bird in your unit.....

I will agree with you to a point. In 1985 we received 2 new A-6's from the factory. We never seen one before, that was usually a Navy priviledge. One of them, 161684, was awesome. The other, 161688, was the biggest pile of crap we had and it was until 1988 when we shipped it off to get our new F-18D's.

During the wing crisis in the mid 80's, we received a number of refurbished aircraft that sat at the boneward for years because of damage received during Vietnam. You could read their log books for hours at the damaged they received in rocket attacks... Anyway, they discovered that they had low wing life and sent them to NARF for refurbishment and then sent them to us (bunos ranged from 149### to 152###). They were the best flying aircraft we had. Each time they flew, it was daily/turn and ready agian.

I hear ya Joe, being from the Harrier side of things just prior to your time we did not get l***y to get a refrubed from the bone yard. Or even a new AV8A, lol. The best we got was refrubs from NARF 3-5 times a year. But for Jesters sake what about the Keys to the A/C? Did you get your set of keys like we all did?

I got keys to some of the newer one's (that i forgot to return on discharge), but most of ours were so old and keys were lost for years, so we had to use a flathead screwdriver.

My recruiter said my mos is 6200, he also said that is fixed or rotary mechanic. he did say that i could either work on the aircrafts itself which is O level or i could work on stuff for the aircraft which is I level. ?is this true. ? any light on what jobs are in the 6200 field.

It may not be your choice, it all depends on where they need you. If you want to work on airplanes then O level is what you want. You will remove and replace only at the O level. I level you might break it down are repair depending on the componet, some maybe under warrenty and you send it to the vendor to fix. 6200 is Powerplants and or Plane Captian. Most become Plane Captians, some so both at some time....no you not an officer as a Plane Captian. don't forget to ask for your keys before you start your schools, they will not let you touch them (aircraft) unles you have your keys. How would they know your qualified to work on them if you don't have your keys?...

quote:

any light on what jobs are in the 6200 field.

6200 Field MOS's
6211 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Mechanic-Trainee
6212 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Mechanic, AV-8/TAV-8
6213 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Mechanic, EA-6
6214 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Mechanic
6216 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Mechanic, KC-130
6217 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Mechanic, F/A-18
6222 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Power Plants Mechanic, F-402
6223 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Power Plants Mechanic, J-52
6226 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Power Plants Mechanic, T-56
6227 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Power Plants Mechanic, F-404
*6242 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Flight Engineer, KC-130
*6243 Fixed-Wing Transport Aircraft Specialist, C-9
*6244 Fixed-Wing Transport Aircraft Specialist, C-12
*6246 Fixed-Wing Transport Aircraft Specialist, C-20
*6247 Fixed-Wing Transport Aircraft Specialist, UC-35
6251 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Airframe Mechanic-Trainee
6252 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Airframe Mechanic, AV-8/TAV-8
6253 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Airframe Mechanic, EA-6
6256 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Airframe Mechanic, KC-130
6257 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Airframe Mechanic, F/A-18
6276 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Crew Chief, KC-130
6281 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic-Trainee
6282 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic, AV-8/TAV-8
6283 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic, EA-6
6286 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic, KC-130
6287 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Safety Equipment Mechanic, F/A-18
* Identifies a skill designator MOS.

Thanks for all the information all of you have been really helpfull. I am not sure about the keys, sounds like you guys are screwing with me lol. Thanks.

Don't forget about the vortex generator servicing kit also......