Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

An Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME), also Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME or L-AME), is a licensed person who carries out and certifies aircraft maintenance. The license is widespread internationally and is recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The American FAA recognise the qualification in foreign countries but refer to it as Aviation Maintenance Engineer rather than AME.

To meet the growing need of the passenger airlines, cargo aircrafts, private air taxi operators, business and corporate jets in United States, there exists an urgent need for AMEs. The aviation industry has two main branches: flying branch and maintenance branch. While pilots fly the aircraft, aircraft maintenance engineers are concerned with the maintenance of the aircraft.

An aircraft maintenance engineer is responsible for the control, maintenance and repair of specialised aircraft instrumentation and related parts of the aircraft. They also learn to set engine controls and to test for their correct functioning.

They play a major role among the maintenance personnel to keep the aircraft 'airworthy' at all times. The maintenance of modern sophisticated aircrafts calls for high degree of technical knowledge, competence, proficiency, dexterity and integrity on part of the concerned personnel.

Aircraft engineers research, design, manufacture and maintain aircraft. They work on any and every mechanical aspect of the craft, including airframes, hydraulics and pneumatics, engines and fuel systems and control and communications systems.

Engineers are involved in the following stages of aircraft production and manufacture: the design of new products such as components or entire engines; the manufacture and assembly of aircraft parts; research into solutions for complex engineering problems; maintenance of the finished craft to ensure safety and operational status.

In United States, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer has to obtain a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of United States (CAA).

The average yearly salary for beginner Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in New Zealand is US$60,000, which includes the basic salary as well as any bonuses that may be given to them. Entry level positions start at US$37,000 per year while most experienced engineers make up to US$120,000 per year.

There are also many benefits such as annual bonus, company shares, retirement plans and medical benefits offered to these positions.

Remarks: The information and figures provided are intended as a guideline only. For those interested, please contact the respective airline headquarters (AirlinesHQ) for further information.