A professional who makes preflight, inflight, and postflight inspections, adjustments, and minor repairs to ensure safe and efficient operation of aircraft. Respnsibilities include:

• Inspects aircraft prior to takeoff for defects, such as fuel or oil leaks and malfunctions in electrical, hydraulic, or pressurization systems, according to preflight checklist.
• Verifies passenger and cargo distribution and amount of fuel to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met.
• Monitors control panel to verify aircraft performance, and regulates engine speed according to instructions of airplane pilot, commercial.
• Makes inflight repairs, such as replacing fuses, adjusting instruments, and freeing jammed flight control cables, using handtools, or takes emergency measures to compensate for failure of equipment, such as autopilot, wing heaters, and electrical and hydraulic systems.
• Monitors fuel gauges and computes rate of fuel consumption.
• Keeps log of fuel consumption and engine performance.
• Records malfunctions which were not corrected during flight and reports needed repairs to ground maintenance personnel.
• May perform repairs upon completion of flight.
• Must be licensed by Federal Aviation Administration.
• May be required to be licensed airframe-and-power-plant mechanic or airplane pilot, commercial.