Avionics Training Programs

Avionics training Courses - This brief article looks at what to anticipate with a career in avionics, as well as the educational and training requirements that are required before one can become an avionics technician.

More and more people are taking airplanes as a regular form of transportation, which makes it so important to have workers who undergo avionics training to be able to take care of aircraft maintenance and overall performance. Basically, when a pilot flies a plane he may encounter some issues with its performance, and this is when he may consult avionics technicians to resolve the problems. Aviation mechanic training programs are often offered as diploma, certificate, and two-year campus programs, where hands-on training is built into the curriculum. Students may however take some theory and foundation courses online if they are available and offered by the individual program that one enrolls in. It is important to keep in mind that programs of training must meet the requirement that are set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) thus the importance of researching this aspect as you compare programs.

Avionics Education and Training

Avionics is short for aviation electronics which is the discipline that deals with the assembly and installation of electronic systems on all kinds of airborne vessels including planes and helicopters. Coursework usually takes 18 to 24 months to complete. To become an avionics technician certain requirements must be met, including training in areas like:

• Data Acquisition
• Basic Navigation
• Navigational Aids
• Electro Optics
• Avionics Systems Flight Test
• Instrumentation
• RADAR
• Controls and Displays

The foundational classes in avionics training that can be expected by a student will most probably cover areas such as chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics, mechanical drawing, and even electronics. In combination, all the knowledge making up these skills will be used in a practical setting. If a student enrolls in school, he may also expect to be provided with the appropriate tools and equipment to assist him in making his job easier.

Avionics Certification

This field requires people to be either FAA certified mechanics or technicians, and even non-FAA technicians. The main difference between the two is that FAA-certified technicians have probably undergone full two year or four year programs in school to specifically learn the skills while non-FAA technicians have gained their skills through work experience and on-the-job training alone.

It must be remembered however, that becoming an FAA-certified technician is more advantageous because it opens up doors to promotion and higher salary grades than lesser trained technicians. Becoming more skilled and having the certification to prove it is most beneficial for the skilled technician to move up in his career.

Licensing is done by the FAA itself as students finish certain courses and apply to be certified under the agency. Different levels of certification may be applied for from specialized courses such as in airframe and powerplant mechanics, to full courses that make an individual a full-fledged avionics technician. A big part of the certification process would be for the applicant to undergo testing and examination to measure his or her level of competency and skills.

Avionics Careers

The field of avionics basically covers all the mechanics that is involved in aircraft structure and the kind of technology used to power them. It is an important field that needs highly specialized avionics technicians to maintain, diagnose, monitor, test, and replace aircraft parts on a regular schedule. It is also a field that requires the expertise of these same technicians to troubleshoot the problems that aircraft undergo during performance.

Avionics jobs are found in Aerospace products and parts manufacturing, air transportation (including airports), and Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing to mention a few (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics - BLS). The BLS lists some of the following duties for avionics technicians:

• Test electronic instruments, using approved tools and devices
• Diagnose malfunctions and performance problems
• Assemble components, such as electrical controls
• Install instrument panels
• Repair and replace malfunctioning components
• Keep records of maintenance and repairs

In this field, a technician can expect to enter a field where job opportunity is flourishing. With the development of the aircraft industry as a major form of transportation, it is absolutely vital that avionics technicians are present at every airfield to check aircraft, make sure they are working to the maximum of their ability, and to troubleshoot problems that may occur during their performance. It may be a long hard journey in terms of avionics training, but it is one filled with learning, skills training, and great rewards for those who complete it.

Estimated Income and Projected Career Outlook

Salary levels with avionics training are quite good when speaking of avionics technicians. An avionics technician in the United States can make between $20.00 and $30.00 an hour. The BLS reports the median annual wage of avionics technicians as $52,320 for 2010. The lowest 10% of avionics technicians earned below than $36,810 while the top 10% earned over $67,560.

Employment of aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians is projected to grow 6% between 2010 to 2020 (BLS). The aircraft industry seeks technicians with new skills for new aircraft and fresh energy for the demands that the work has. With the proper avionics training, one can surely go a long way in the aircraft industry.

Avionics training programs and airframe and powerplant schools