What do aviation inspectors do?
Inspect aircraft, maintenance procedures, air navigational aids, air traffic controls, and communications equipment to ensure conformance with Federal safety regulations.
This describes a U.S. occupation, not a live vacancy. Individual employers may use different titles and requirements.
Job titles to recognize in your search
O*NET reports these titles for this occupation. Compare the responsibilities in each posting before treating titles as equivalent.
- Aircraft Inspector
- Aircraft Quality Control Inspector (Aircraft QC Inspector)
- Airworthiness Safety Inspector
- Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI)
- Avionics Safety Inspector
- Inspector
- Manufacturing Aviation Safety Inspector (Manufacturing ASI)
- Quality Control Inspector (QC Inspector)
Core tasks to compare with a job posting
- Inspect work of aircraft mechanics performing maintenance, modification, or repair and overhaul of aircraft and aircraft mechanical systems to ensure adherence to standards and procedures.
- Examine maintenance records and flight logs to determine if service and maintenance checks and overhauls were performed at prescribed intervals.
- Inspect new, repaired, or modified aircraft to identify damage or defects and to assess airworthiness and conformance to standards, using checklists, hand tools, and test instruments.
- Approve or deny issuance of certificates of airworthiness.
- Prepare and maintain detailed repair, inspection, investigation, and certification records and reports.
- Examine landing gear, tires, and exteriors of fuselage, wings, and engines for evidence of damage or corrosion and the need for repairs.
- Recommend replacement, repair, or modification of aircraft equipment.
- Start aircraft and observe gauges, meters, and other instruments to detect evidence of malfunctions.
- Examine aircraft access plates and doors for security.
- Recommend changes in rules, policies, standards, and regulations, based on knowledge of operating conditions, aircraft improvements, and other factors.
Prepare an application for this occupation
- Check the employer’s requirements, location, schedule and any licenses against your situation.
- Choose two or three tasks above that match the posting and your actual experience.
- Build a resume evidence worksheet using the skills and software relevant to that employer.
- Practice explaining your contribution, decisions and results before an interview.
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