About This Career

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.

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.

A person in this career:

• Performs pre-flight and post flight inspections of aircraft and systems
• Monitors and operates complex aircraft instrumentation systems during flight, including airborne communications, radar, computer, electronic protection, weapon, and electronic warfare systems
• Observes warning indicators and lights for fire, overheating, depressurization, and system failure; reports abnormal conditions to pilot and recommends corrective action
• Executes operations such as search and rescue, launch and recovery, nuclear security, and mine countermeasures
• Detects, analyzes, classifies, and tracks surface and subsurface contacts; operates advanced sonar systems utilizing sonobouys and imagery devices
• Administers aircrew operations, including flight and ground training, internal and external cargo movement, medical evacuations, passenger transport, aerial gunnery, and small arms handling
• Conducts planning and execution of tactical missions such as air-to-air refueling, assault support missions, rapid ground refueling, low level flight, transporting hazardous cargo, aerial delivery, and battlefield illumination
• Supervises cargo/passenger loading and off-loading operations; directs the placement of material handling equipment to accomplish cargo on/off loading operations; ensures cargo/passengers are placed according to load plans
• Computes and applies aircraft weight, balance, and performance data; determines and verifies passenger, cargo, fuel, and emergency and special equipment distribution and weight; computes takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing data
• Provides passenger briefings to include the use of emergency equipment, evacuation procedures, and border clearance requirements

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Moving the arms, legs and torso together when the whole body is in motion
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overnight travel
• Rotating shift work