Airfield Operations Specialists

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.

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, and 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, and weather information.
• Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
• Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
• Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
• Receive and post weather information and flight plan data, such as air routes and arrival and departure times.
• Maintain flight and events logs, air crew flying records, and flight operations records of incoming and outgoing flights.
• Coordinate with agencies to meet aircrew requirements for billeting, messing, refueling, ground transportation, and transient aircraft maintenance.
• Collaborate with others to plan flight schedules and air crew assignments.
• Coordinate changes to flight itineraries with appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) agencies.
• Anticipate aircraft equipment needs for air evacuation and cargo flights.
• Provide aircrews with information and services needed for airfield management and flight planning.
• Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
• Use airfield landing and navigational aids and digital data terminal communications equipment to perform duties.
• Post visual display boards and status boards.
• Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.

Abilities

• Oral Comprehension

  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Oral Expression

  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Problem Sensitivity

  The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

• Deductive Reasoning

  The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

• Written Comprehension

  The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Speech Clarity

  The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

• Inductive Reasoning

  The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

• Near Vision

  The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

• Written Expression

  The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service

  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• English Language

  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Transportation

  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

• Education and Training

  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

• Public Safety and Security

  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

• Computers and Electronics

  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• Clerical

  Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

• 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.

• Critical Thinking

  Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Active Learning

  Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Speaking

  Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Monitoring

  Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Writing

  Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• Instructing

  Teaching others how to do something.

• Judgment and Decision Making

  Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Coordination

  Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

• Complex Problem Solving

  Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

• Learning Strategies

  Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

• Social Perceptiveness

  Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Detailed information about this career can be found at the ONET Online website.