Airfield Operations Specialists
Airfield operations specialists ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Their 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.
Airfield management specialists are responsible for the entire airfield area of an airport, including hangers, runways, fences, lighting equipment and fuel storage areas. They ensure safe take-off and landing of aircraft, and their duties include supervising maintenance personnel, implementing airfield safety procedures, performing inspections, using landing and navigational aids, monitoring and maintaining flight records, applying knowledge of weather information, monitoring wildlife activity, and communicating with air traffic control. They also direct emergency response units and offer first aid during airfield emergencies. Thus, airfield operations specialist training is a must.
An associate's degree or apprenticeship is required to be eligible for airfield management. The airfield operations job requires skills in customer service, maths, public safety, communication systems, teamwork and knowledge of aviation regulations. Good technical skills regarding accounting, databases, spreadsheets and email are needed to write progress reports, read weather charts and enter data on computer software.
Airfield specialists work in control centres and the outdoors and are exposed to hazards like fumes, dangerous machinery, loud noises, and bad weather. In case of emergencies or potential hazards, they may be required to operate fire trucks, jeeps, dump trucks, sweeping machines and pickup trucks.
As airfield management is a demanding career, to be successful one should be able to think on their feet and make time-sensitive decisions to earn a decent airfield operations specialist salary.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- MBA Airport Management
- BBA Aviation
Tasks
- Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
- Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
- Coordinate with agencies, such as air traffic control, civil engineers, or command posts, to ensure support of airfield management activities.
- Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
- Maintain air-to-ground and point-to-point radio contact with aircraft commanders.
- Train operations staff.
- Relay departure, arrival, delay, aircraft and airfield status, and other pertinent information to upline controlling agencies.
- Procure, produce, and provide information on the safe operation of aircraft, such as flight planning publications, operations publications, charts and maps, or weather information.
- Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
- Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
Progression Routes
READY FOR MORE?
Subscribe to our Premium package and you'll unlock a wealth of extra information about your favourite careers and gain access our library of immersive 360° VR careers experience.
As a Premium user you'll find out more about the day-to-day demands of any career, what you could earn and, importantly, receive expert advice on study routes, preparation expenses, and where & what to study to fulfil your potential.