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Airfield Operations Specialists

General Information

Description

Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.

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Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Similar Careers

Related Military Careers

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Related MIlitary Careers X

    • Air Traffic Control Managers
      • Air traffic control managers oversee the operations of airfields and control centers, both on land and at sea, that direct the tactical employment of aircraft during combat or noncombat missions. They prepare flight operations plans and monitor the maneuvers of aircraft in and out of the airspace. They train, establish standards, and conduct operational evaluations to manage unit training and performance standards that ensure airfield operations personnel possess required job skills. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists
      • Aircraft launch and recovery specialists ensure the safety of aircraft as they launch from and return to aircraft carriers. They perform this critical work by operating and maintaining catapults, arresting gear, and other equipment used in aircraft carrier takeoff and landing operations. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Flight Operations Specialists
      • Flight operations specialists help with administrative functions that are necessary to keep military aircraft up and running. They prepare flight schedules and authorizations, administer aircrew training and qualification testing, perform airfield inspections, and maintain flight logs and other records. These specialists help ensure that both the aircraft personnel and equipment are prepared for mission accomplishment. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Search and Rescue Operations Officers
      • Search and rescue operations officers are responsible for organizing and leading rescue missions to support personnel in distress. They direct and participate in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) operations. These officers possess core survival skills, such as swimming/diving or medical aid skills, and train, develop, and assess these skills in other personnel. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Unmanned Vehicle (UV) Operations Specialists
      • Unmanned vehicle operations specialists operate, maintain, and control the Military’s fleet of unmanned vehicles. These vehicles include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), aerial systems (UAS), ground vehicles (UGV), surface vehicles (USV), and underwater vehicles (UUV). The specialists control these vehicles to perform reconnaissance and strike missions. They also operate sensors for target detection, deploy ground and air systems, and perform basic maintenance on systems as needed. Personnel normally specialize by the type of vehicle they operate. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Air Crew Members
      • Air crew members perform in-flight duties to ensure the successful completion of combat, reconnaissance, transport, and search and rescue missions. They perform inspections to ensure equipment is in working order and are responsible for properly storing cargo for flight. They operate, monitor, and perform limited maintenance on mission-critical systems. Their responsibilities may vary by type of aircraft, and include such tasks as operating mine sweeping, refueling, photography, and electronic warfare systems. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Air Traffic Controllers
      • Air traffic controllers direct the movement of aircraft into and out of military airfields. They operate communications equipment and track aircraft using navigational aids. They coordinate and communicate aircraft movement information, as well as weather and airfield conditions. They also provide critical information to direct the action of combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air operations.   Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Aircraft Launch and Recovery Officers
      • Aircraft launch and recovery officers work on aircraft carriers, where they plan and direct launch and recovery operations. They lead teams in the maintenance of catapults, arresting gear, and associated mechanical, hydraulic, and control systems. These officers and their staffs are responsible for ensuring the safe take-off and landing of military aircraft. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Airplane Pilots
      • Airplane pilots in the Military train, organize, and equip the nation’s air services to support the national and international policies of the government. They operate many different jet and propeller planes. Aircraft range from combat airplanes to supersonic fighters and bombers. In addition to flying aircraft, airplane pilots develop flight plans, check weather reports, brief and direct all crew members, and perform system operation checks to test the proper functioning of instrumentation, controls, and electronic and mechanical systems on the flight deck. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Communications Equipment Operators
      • Communications equipment operators are responsible for generating, transmitting, tracking, and routing military communications. They operate sophisticated, state-of-the-art, electronic receivers and associated analysis and recording equipment to collect airborne, shipborne, land-based Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR), and other signals within the electromagnetic spectrum. They use this equipment to communicate a wide range of information, including operational plans and the transmission of classified information. They may perform limited operator maintenance. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Flight Engineering Technicians
      • Flight engineering technicians perform aircraft inspections, including air crew visual inspection, preflight, through-flight, and post-flight inspections. They perform aircraft-related administrative tasks, aircraft maintenance, flight/ground training, internal/external cargo movement, and passenger transport. They also serve as crew members aboard military aircraft. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Military-Specific / Tactical Professors and Instructors
      • Military-specific/tactical training professors and instructors develop and conduct training related to topics such as nuclear weapons, military art and science, weapons and tactics, indoctrination, and naval science. For example, weapons and tactics instructors train aviation personnel in the weapons systems that are employed in a total threat environment. This training is conducted in coordination with ground and other aviation units. Likewise, nuclear weapons instructors conduct classes, lectures, demonstrations, and seminars that deal with various kinds of nuclear weapons.  Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Transportation Managers
      • Transportation managers oversee all procedures related to the movement of military-related personnel and material. They plan and coordinate all functions involved in the successful movement of material, personnel, or personal property via water, air, highway, rail, and multi-modal transport systems. They direct procurement efforts and assess transportation capabilities. Navigate to Military Career Page
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Salary

Salary Information

Median Salary This is the median, or the midpoint, of the salary range for this career.

$49,600

Median Military Salary Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

$115,095

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State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

Salary Range Salary varies based on years of experience, degree level and location.

$29,480
$94,890
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Education & Interests

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • Bachelor's degree 50%
  • High school 33%
  • Some college 14%
  • Master's degree 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Associate's degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Less than high school 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • First professional degree 0%
  • Post-secondary certificate 0%

Related College Majors

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PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

You may find this career fulfilling if you consider yourself to be:

  • Enterprising — You have an interest in managing, negotiating and marketing, or leading and advising others.
  • Conventional — You have an interest in following procedures and regulations to organize information or data.
  • Realistic — You have an interest in physically working with equipment, materials or structures.

Not sure what characteristics best describe you? Take the RIASEC Test.

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership

Knowledge

  • Education and Training
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Transportation
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administrative

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Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.