What is an Airfield Operations Specialist?
Job 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.
List of Airfield Operations Specialist Job Duties
- Procure, produce, and provide information on the safe operation of aircraft, such as flight planning publications, operations publications, charts and maps, or weather information.
- Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
- Train operations staff.
- Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
- Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
- Maintain air-to-ground and point-to-point radio contact with aircraft commanders.
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Airfield Operations Specialist Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Airfield Operations Specialists say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Other Airfield Operations Specialist Job Titles
- Ground Operations Superintendent
- Airport Operations Coordinator
- Airport Operations Specialist
- Airport Duty Manager
- Flight Operations Coordinator
Is There Going to be Demand for Airfield Operations Specialists?
In the United States, there were 8,900 jobs for Airfield Operations Specialist in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 800 new jobs for Airfield Operations Specialist by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 900 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Airfield Operations Specialist are Nevada, Utah, and Iowa. Watch out if you plan on working in Nebraska, Minnesota, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Airfield Operations Specialists Salary
The salary for Airfield Operations Specialists ranges between about $27,760 and $91,730 a year.
Airfield Operations Specialists who work in Arizona, Nevada, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
How much do Airfield Operations Specialists make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $56,490 |
Alaska | $71,290 |
Arizona | $75,610 |
California | $58,300 |
Colorado | $60,190 |
Connecticut | $58,870 |
Florida | $53,920 |
Georgia | $56,620 |
Hawaii | $50,490 |
Indiana | $46,880 |
Iowa | $50,570 |
Kansas | $45,630 |
Kentucky | $52,480 |
Louisiana | $54,460 |
Massachusetts | $53,970 |
Michigan | $53,660 |
Minnesota | $57,040 |
Missouri | $39,120 |
Montana | $44,530 |
Nebraska | $49,150 |
Nevada | $80,320 |
New Jersey | $68,270 |
New Mexico | $56,350 |
New York | $58,630 |
North Carolina | $37,070 |
Ohio | $41,360 |
Oklahoma | $45,750 |
Oregon | $50,400 |
Pennsylvania | $69,280 |
South Carolina | $42,260 |
Tennessee | $39,790 |
Texas | $62,920 |
Utah | $48,910 |
Washington | $66,660 |
Wisconsin | $38,320 |
What Tools & Technology do Airfield Operations Specialists Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Airfield Operations Specialists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Word processing software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Linux
- FileMaker Pro
- Extensible markup language XML
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Oracle software
- Microsoft operating system
- Apache Webserver
Becoming an Airfield Operations Specialist
Individuals working as an Airfield Operations Specialist have obtained the following education levels:
What work experience do I need to become an Airfield Operations Specialist?
Who Employs Airfield Operations Specialists?
The table below shows the approximate number of Airfield Operations Specialists employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Those who work as an Airfield Operations Specialist sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol via U.S. Air Force photo
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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