Professional Activities
* You might repair private aircraft, or inspect Boeing 747s.
* If you work for an airline, you might specialize in one system, or you might be the line mechanic who looks at the big picture and decides which specialists are needed.
* You might decide if a plane is airworthy by inspecting it after a hard landing or heavy turbulence to determine if it has been damaged.
* You might specialize in avionics--the sophisticated electronic systems used in the aviation industry.
* You might inspect, modify and maintain civil aircraft.
Pilots who have an in-depth knowledge of their aircraft's structure and systems are at a premium in the airline industry. So if you're training to become a pilot, your A & P (airframe and powerplant) expertise will put you on the leading edge.
Andrews University houses the Adventist Aviation Center and operates an FAA Part 147 approved maintenance school and a certified repair station at its own airport.
Futures
* United Airlines needs 7,000 new mechanics in 1995 for its new Indianapolis maintenance facility.
* It is estimated that 60,000 new maintenance jobs will be available within the next eight years.
* The number of job openings is expected to exceed the supply of qualified mechanics through the year 2005.
* Mechanics who keep up to date on technological advances in electronics, composite materials, and other areas will be in the greatest demand.
* There are presently about 125,000 aircraft mechanics working in the U.S.A.
As an aviation maintenance student, you'll be trained in 45 subject areas such as hydraulics, avionics, environmental systems, inspection, airframe modifications, sheet metal applications, electronics and helicopters.