This month’s aviation career highlights that of an airway transportation systems specialist. The airway transportation systems specialist is part of the technical operations team. They are the “safe-keepers of the systems and equipment that keep airways safe.” The job of an airway transportation systems specialist is essential to the safety and efficiency of flight operations.
A Day in the Life of an Airway Transportation Systems Specialist
A multitude of equipment and systems are in place to keep the airways safe. Airway transportation systems specialists are responsible for installing, operating, maintaining, and repairing those systems, which include:
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Radar
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Communications
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Naviational aids
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Airport lighting
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Backup power
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Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
Airway transportation systems specialists work both indoors and outdoors in locations in every state and US territory to manage the hardware and software systems that keep our flight operations running safely and smoothly. Like with many aviation careers, the need for a specialist on the job is 24/7, which means specialists may work at night or during the daytime.
How to Begin a Career as an Airway Transportation Systems Specialist
The ideal entry-level candidate has a major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of fields such as computer science, mathematics, physical science, electronics, telecommunications, information management, engineering, and other related fields.
The candidate must have work experience that provides basic knowledge of electronics, computers, aeronautics, mathematics, or other related subjects or theoretical and practical understanding of the operation, integration, management, and maintenance of automated systems.
Salary
Salaries for airway transportation systems specialists range from more than $46,000 per year up to around $133,00 or more a year. The average salary for an FAA-employed airway transportation systems specialist is around $81,000 a year.
More than 4,000 airway transportation systems specialists work in the United States. The competition for this job field is tough but rewarding if you feel this is your calling. Each of the major universities in Mississippi offer great study programs for the fields mentioned to qualify for this career position and our community colleges offer wonderful two-year programs to help begin your studies. Visit your favorite college’s website to learn more about their programs.
