Instrumentation Mechanic

About This Role

This role involves the fabrication, assembly, and maintenance of instrumentation for flight test aircraft and development projects. The work requires planning and layout where established procedures may not exist, relying on verbal instructions or engineering sketches. It suits a skilled mechanic capable of precise work and functional checks.

Responsibilities

• Plan and layout, fabricate, and assemble instrumentation provisioning for flight test aircraft and development projects where no established procedures or methods exist
• Accomplish work from verbal instructions and/or rough sketches of engineering
• May accomplish machining operations required to fabricate instrumentation details and components
• Functionally check and calibrate direct reading aircraft instruments and electro-mechanical sensing devices used for the accumulation of development test data
• Install, operationally check, calibrate, and maintain direct reading instrumentation sensing devices of an electro-mechanical nature on aircraft undergoing flight test evaluation
• Perform the layout necessary to establish locations for and accomplish the assembly and installation to provide provisioning for new and changed engineering requirements
• Hook up lines and/or electrical cables from sensing devices to termination points (either a visual indicator or the input terminals of electronic data handling systems)
• Ascertain that such hookups to this point are proper
• Develop, fabricate, assemble, modify, install, rework, and maintain direct reading instruments and electrical and mechanical test equipment for developmental research and flight test instrumentation operations and testing

Requirements

• Must be able to work any shift
• Possess at least one of the following skills:
  • Electrical: Proven experience assembling and installing electrical harnesses at both sub-assembly and aircraft levels, including routing, connector termination, and verification
  • CNC Machining & Programming: Skilled in CNC machine operation and capable of independently analyzing part geometry and creating CNC programs using GibbsCAM (or equivalent CAD/CAM) software
  • Sheet Metal Fabrication: Hands-on proficiency in raw sheet metal fabrication and bending, employing standard machine shop measuring tools (calipers, micrometers, height gauges, etc.) to produce precise components
  • Strain Gauge: Ability to assemble and perform hand soldering of wire terminals and circuit card assemblies; previous experience in PCB assembly/repair, control panel design/layout and fabrication, micro-soldering
  • Aircraft overhaul experience: Proven experience working on aircraft, including flight operations, depot or commercial airframes; proficient in reading and interpreting blueprints, electrical and mechanical