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So my 18 year old daughter just committed to the US Navy for 4 years as an Avionics Technician. Does anyone have an opinion on this job title? She scored an 86 on the ASVAB and the recruiter was really trying to steer her towards the nuclear program. My daughter's first job choice was Hospital Corpsman, but she says AT was a top 5 choice for her. I know nothing about the military and/ or related job titles. Just looking for any opinions on the matter.
I know nothing about the military and/ or related job titles. Just looking for any opinions on the matter.
I had met and got to know a few Marine Avionics Technician's while I was an Army Instructor in the 80's. There are jobs for civilian Avionics Technicians. It is basically an electronics technician which works on aircraft systems. I was working on my Avionics and A&P certifications when I was drafted...
Some work in the comfort of an Air Conditioned and Heated lab, some crawl around an aircraft removing and installing in various waether conditions, some do both. It could lead to a fruitful career, and or lead to other technical careers...
My wife and I are private pilots. We know what Avionics buttons and knobs do
As someone who flew an avionics-oriented fighter for most of my career, I'll add it's a vital skill necessary to keep today's aircraft operational. Especially for fighter-type aircraft, and while a lot of it's line-replaceable units, someone has to troubleshoot the system. It can be inside (tearing down the component to replace a sub-component) or on the flight line (or deck). The airmen I worked with who were avionics techs were really quite sharp, and I respect their know-how. Best of luck.
Avionics people in the Air Force were some of the most often seen specialists I would see around the F111s, a fighter-bomber that is now extinct but which had extensive avionics packages on board. I was a crew chief (an aircraft mechanic) on the F111 in the 1960s/70s so I saw and met with each and all specialists who came out to work on the aircraft under my charge. Some of their troubleshooting and R&R work was done on the aircraft as it sat on the flight line where the weather could be very cold or very hot but much was done in their shops that were heated and cooled.
My opinion is that avionics is an honorable and challenging military job that requires more than just a few active brain cells. Most of the avionics people I knew were pretty sharp folks.
Best of luck to your daughter and thank you and her for her service.
I'm sure today as for avionics it's a whole different world. She will vet trained in school and then to a ship. As far as planes go usually it's the same problems over and over so once she understands what box fixes what she will be good to go.
She needs to consider her life after the military. Will this lead to a decent job? My friends used to work in the civilian commercial plane repair industry but all left due to low wages and more of the planes are being sent to other countries for repairs. I would think HM is a better way to go since the medical field is more secure. It's not too late to change her mind if she wants too.
She needs to consider her life after the military. Will this lead to a decent job? My friends used to work in the civilian commercial plane repair industry but all left due to low wages and more of the planes are being sent to other countries for repairs. I would think HM is a better way to go since the medical field is more secure. It's not too late to change her mind if she wants too.
So she's already committed to Avionics? (we need to stop advising her on what she should have done)
I was a Marine instructor for aviation maintenance, Ejections Seats/AME. The Navy and Marine Aviation schools are together as Marine Aviation falls under Naval Aviation. Pretty sure she'll train at Pensacola. It's a longer school than many. It's a well-respected field.
As Poncho said she may be in a lab running testing equipment (I-level/Intermediate level) or she may be changing out black boxes on the aircraft (O-level/Organization level). There is also Depot level but that's often contracted civilians who completely rebuild the boxes. Mostly she will be supporting the aircraft and it's all about the flight hours and making the scheduled missions.
It's kind of exciting when you're troubleshooting a launch, sitting on the sidelines as a plane is being made ready for launch, waiting to see if any equipment that your shop installed on the aircraft causes some kind of problem you have to figure out in the heat of the moment.
There are outside jobs in electronics that she would have no trouble with. She will have to figure out if it's something she wants to pursue. If not she can try for recruiter or instructor and tread water (so to speak) while she figures out what else she'd like to do. If she likes it she can get her A&P license. She can test out of the Avionics portion and just take the Powerplants course.
The FAA makes everyone have an A&P license except Avionics people. Lots of good jobs there!
Anyway, fair winds and following seas. I'm at a Navy base working for NAVFAC. Love it!
Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure if a change of jobs is possible, but she is happy with her choice. She signed a 4 year enlistment and is scheduled to leave for basic training in early October then attend A School in Pensacola. For selfish reasons I like this job choice because if she is on a carrier then I will be chomping at the bit to go on a Tiger Cruise if it is available.
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Love it!
