How to Become an Airfield Operations Specialist

What do Airfield Operations Specialists do?

An Airfield Operations Specialist would typically need to:

• Maintain a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft in accordance with the airport and aviation administration safety requirements.
• Monitor weather conditions, wildlife activity, maintenance operations, and runway conditions to ensure airport safety; keep maintenance employees and aircraft crew informed.
• Provide information on aircraft safety through flight planning documents, operations publications, and pertinent charts and maps.
• Inspect all airport sites, such as fences, hangars, runways, fuel storage places, and lighting equipment, to verify they pass all needed safety tests and receive necessary maintenance.
• Coordination of aircraft arrival, departure, delays, fueling, loading, and parking with the flight crew and ground staff
• Assist in aircraft and medical crises; maintain airport ground animals; plan and organise airfield building; and manage mobile airfield activities.
• Respond to emergencies by driving fire vehicles, jeeps, dump trucks, sweeping machines, and pick-up trucks.
• Coordination between air traffic control, civil engineers, maintenance staff, and command posts is required to ensure that airport management activities are supported.
• Maintain effective communication between air traffic control and maintenance workers; train operating personnel

Standard Work Environment

Airfield Operations Specialists spend their time working in an office or outside, at and around the airport. Face-to-face interactions and teamwork are common occurrences in a routine workday.

Work Schedule

Although you may expect a conventional workweek of 40 hours, it is more realistic to assume an erratic work schedule that will be determined by weather conditions and customer demands.

Employers

To ensure you acquire the job that matches your professional talents and ambitions, ask your network for referrals, contact potential employers directly, use job search sites, leverage social media, and inquire at staffing agencies.

Airfield Operations Specialists are generally employed by:

• The Government
• Support Activities for Air Transportation
• Scheduled Air Transportation
• Non-Scheduled Air Transportation
• Management of Companies and Enterprises
• Technical and Trade Schools
• Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
• Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services

Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional associations and organisations, such as The International Air Transport Association (IATA), provide members with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to potential employers.

Workplace Challenges

• Irregular work schedules; meeting with strict deadlines; dealing with angry or unpleasant people; working in a cramped environment inside a closed vehicle
• Responsibility for others’ health and safety; having to be exact and accurate; high probability of bringing home stress from work
• Strong likelihood of working in bad weather; exposure to potentially harmful fumes, dangerous machinery and loud noises

Work Experience Suggestions

College internships and apprenticeships approved by your local regulatory board will provide you with valuable on-the-job training and experience in airport security, dispatch, and maintenance.

Recommended Qualifications

Although a high school diploma may get you an entry-level position, most employers prefer applicants with an associate degree in aviation technology or aviation management. Degrees and certificates in aviation law, weather, aviation safety, airport management, and aircraft systems are available from universities, community colleges, and technical schools.

A certificate course in air traffic control is worth mentioning because it has the ability to launch your career.

In high school, make sure you take accounting, algebra, English, chemistry, physics, pre-calculus, and trigonometry classes. Knowledge in car and diesel mechanics, industrial technology, manufacturing systems, metalworking, and transportation technologies will also be beneficial.

Certifications, Licenses and Registration

Voluntary certification in customer and personal service, as well as business English, from a reputable and objective organisation, can help you stand out in a competitive job market and boost your prospects of promotion.

Expected Career Path

Airfield Operations Specialists advance in their careers based on their performance, experience, and professional certifications. Employees who have demonstrated their abilities on the job may be promoted to the positions of Air Traffic Controller, Machine Supervisor, Operations Manager, Logistics Manager, and Freight Conductor.

Job Prospects

Participating in apprenticeship programmes, earning knowledge, and obtaining experience will improve an Airfield Operations Specialist’s job prospects.

Beneficial Professional Development

A qualified Airfield Operations Specialist typically requires two to three years of on-the-job training. CPD in public safety and security, administration and management, customer and personal service, and transport will improve individual skills and competency and help you advance in your career.

Conclusion of Airfield Operations Specialist

Managing airport infrastructure is just as important as managing the people who work in them. Airfield Operations Officers do both and act as liaisons with anyone who requires valid access to their airfield.

Advice from the Wise

“You’ll need good spatial awareness and the ability to remain calm under pressure.”

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