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.
Technology Tools
Key Tasks
- Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
- Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
- Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
- Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
- Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
- Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
- Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
- Coordinate with agencies to meet aircrew requirements for billeting, messing, refueling, ground transportation, and transient aircraft maintenance.
- Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
- Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
- Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
- Use airfield landing and navigational aids and digital data terminal communications equipment to perform duties.
- Train operations staff.
- Coordinate with agencies, such as air traffic control, civil engineers, or command posts, to ensure support of airfield management activities.
- Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
- Maintain air-to-ground and point-to-point radio contact with aircraft commanders.
- Procure, produce, and provide information on the safe operation of aircraft, such as flight planning publications, operations publications, charts and maps, or weather information.
- Relay departure, arrival, delay, aircraft and airfield status, and other pertinent information to upline controlling agencies.
- Provide aircrews with information and services needed for airfield management and flight planning.
- Anticipate aircraft equipment needs for air evacuation and cargo flights.
- Post visual display boards and status boards.
- Receive and post weather information and flight plan data, such as air routes or arrival and departure times.
- Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
- Collaborate with others to plan flight schedules and air crew assignments.
- Maintain flight and event logs, air crew flying records, and flight operations records of incoming and outgoing flights.
- Coordinate changes to flight itineraries with appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) agencies.
- Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.
- Monitor and manage the operation of drones within the airport airspace to ensure safe aircraft operations.
- Issue notices to advise flight crews of airfield status.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
98%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
98%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
97%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
95%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
95%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
94%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
94%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
93%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
92%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
91%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
91%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
86%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
85%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
85%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
84%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
83%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
81%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
80%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
78%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
75%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
75%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
73%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
72%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
71%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
67%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
66%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
66%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
65%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
64%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
63%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
60%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
58%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
57%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
53%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
52%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
51%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
49%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
47%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
46%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
42%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
40%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
40%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
39%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
31%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
31%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
28%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
22%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
22%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
19%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
18%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
17%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
17%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
15%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
15%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
14%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
9%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
4%
Education
Bachelor's degree
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Interests
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Work Styles
Work Values
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