What is a line technician? An airport line technician in Dayton, OH is charged with a variety of tasks meant to ensure aircraft are safe for their flights. These line technicians are on the ground at airports performing basic maintenance checks, including making sure the aircraft has enough fuel to get through its flight. While they are not typically certified mechanics for aircraft, and thus do not perform any electrical or instrument repairs, they still play an important role in maintaining aircraft and ensuring the efficiency of pre-flight work, alongside other airport staff.
Here’s an overview of some of the responsibilities of an airport line technician in Dayton, OH and the services they provide.
Fueling and general maintenance
In between flights and when in hangars, airport line technicians check the fuel levels of the aircraft and perform fueling as needed to ensure the aircraft have sufficient fuel supplies to get to their destination. This goes beyond just adding fuel to the planes themselves—they must also keep all fuel trucks stocked and prepared to distribute fuel to the planes if they are to run an efficient operation that keeps flights running on time.
Other general maintenance tasks a line technician will perform include checking the oil level and performing oil changes as needed, performing quality control checks for safety and efficiency and reporting any signs of visible damage they see on the aircraft. They’ll also quickly survey to make sure all internal and external lights for the aircraft are off when not in use, and that there is sufficient water supply.
Directing aircraft
If you’ve ever been in a plane and seen people on the ground waving glow sticks, those people are often airport line technicians. They often have responsibilities for parking, towing and guiding aircraft on the ground, and organizing arrivals and departures from gates and ramps. This means they’ll need to be trained in the operation of airport towing vehicles and luggage carts, and will need to learn the appropriate hand signals for directing pilots.
Terminal maintenance
Airport line technicians may also be asked to help maintain terminals, hangars and the grounds around the airport. While they are not janitors, they are partially responsible for maintaining clean premises. When working in hangars, they help to make sure the facility is safe and clean for planes to be stored in overnight or for longer periods of time, and may help to maintain walkways and steps during periods of inclement weather for the safety of passengers.
Customer service
Line technicians don’t frequently interact with passengers, but they are still responsible for performing customer service as needed. They handle luggage and might provide transportation between gates for guests with mobility problems. They are also frequently asked for directions by patrons, and may need to interact with other airport staff and lobby attendants in the course of their duties.
Interested in learning more about the services provided by airport line technicians in Dayton, OH? Contact the team at First Flight Aviation today with any questions—we’ll be happy to provide more information.