Aviation structural mechanic

Aviation structural mechanic (abbreviated as AM) is a United States Navy occupational rating.

They fabricate and repair metallic and nonmetallic materials; perform aircraft daily, special, hourly, and conditional inspections, supervise operation of airframe work centers; maintain aircraft metallic and non-metallic structures including fuselages, fixed and moveable flight surfaces, tail booms, doors, panels, decks, empennages, and seats (except ejection seats); flight controls and related mechanisms; hydraulic power storage and distribution systems including main (primary and secondary), auxiliary (utility), and emergency systems; hydraulic actuating subsystems; landing gear systems including wheels and tires, brakes, and emergency systems; pneumatic power, storage and distribution systems; hoists and winches, wing and tail fold systems; launch and arresting gear systems; hydraulic component repair and test.

[1] Aviation Structural Mechanics, Safety Equipment (AME) maintain safety belts, shoulder harnesses and integrated flight harnesses in aircraft, inertia reels, seat and canopy ejection systems, gaseous and liquid oxygen systems, life raft ejection systems, fire extinguishing systems excluding fire detection systems, portable fire extinguishers, emergency egress systems, air-conditioning, heating cabin and cockpit pressurization, ventilating and anti-G-systems, visual improvement systems, other utility systems and associated lines, fittings, rigging, valves and control mechanisms; replenish liquid and gaseous oxygen systems; remove and install oxygen system valves, gauges, converters and regulators; inspect, remove, install and rig ejection seats, shoulder harnesses, lap belts and face curtain mechanisms; inspect, remove, install and adjust firing mechanisms and cartridges for ejection seats, lap belts and canopies; operate and maintain liquid nitrogen and liquid and gaseous oxygen shop transfer and recharge equipment; perform daily, pre-flight, post-flight and other periodic aircraft inspections.

Aviation Structural Mechanics may be assigned to sea or Shore Duty in any place in the world, so their working environment varies considerably.

The AMH was for hydraulic systems (landing gear, brakes, flight controls and all related).

Aviation structural mechanics perform routine maintenance on an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter
Aviation structural mechanic performing maintenance on an EA-6B Prowler