Airfield Operations Specialists - 53-2022.00

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Airport Duty Manager, Airport Operations Coordinator, Airport Operations Manager, Airport Operations Officer, Airport Operations Specialist, Assistant Manager Airside Operations, Flight Follower, Operations Agent, Operations Coordinator, Operations Supervisor

Tasks

• Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
• Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
• Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
• Coordinate with agencies, such as air traffic control, civil engineers, or command posts, to ensure support of airfield management activities.
• Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
• Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
• Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
• Train operations staff.
• Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
• Provide aircrews with information and services needed for airfield management and flight planning.
• Maintain air-to-ground and point-to-point radio contact with aircraft commanders.
• Maintain flight and events logs, air crew flying records, and flight operations records of incoming and outgoing flights.
• Use airfield landing and navigational aids and digital data terminal communications equipment to perform duties.
• Coordinate changes to flight itineraries with appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) agencies.
• Anticipate aircraft equipment needs for air evacuation and cargo flights.
• 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.
• Receive and post weather information and flight plan data, such as air routes or arrival and departure times.
• Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
• Collaborate with others to plan flight schedules and air crew assignments.
• Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
• Post visual display boards and status boards.
• Coordinate with agencies to meet aircrew requirements for billeting, messing, refueling, ground transportation, and transient aircraft maintenance.
• Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.

Technology Skills

• Accounting software - Intuit QuickBooks
• Calendar and scheduling software - Operations scheduling software
• Data base user interface and query software - Data entry software ; Microsoft Access ; Parking access revenue control system; TRMI Airport AVI (see all 6 examples)
• Electronic mail software - Microsoft Outlook
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software - SAP
• Expert system software - Decision Support Technologies Propworks
• Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software - Internet Protocol Television Systems
• Office suite software - Microsoft Office
• Presentation software - Microsoft PowerPoint
• Project management software - Microsoft SharePoint
• Spreadsheet software - Microsoft Excel
• Word processing software - Microsoft Word

Tools Used

• Alarm systems - Security alarm systems
• All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled - All terrain vehicles ATVs
• Animal control traps - Animal traps
• Area lighting - Airfield lighting equipment
• Articulating boom lift - Bucket lifts
• Desktop computers
• Dump trucks
• Fire extinguishers - Multipurpose fire extinguishers
• Fire or rescue trucks - Emergency response vehicles; Fire vehicles
• Flares - Pyrotechnic pistols
• Forklifts - Wheeled forklifts
• Joint cleaning or refacing machines - Crack sealing equipment
• Lawnmowers - Lawn mowing tractors
• Light trucks or sport utility vehicles - Utility trucks
• Liquid crystal display LCD panels or monitors - Visual display boards
• Multi function printers - Identification card printers
• Power sanders - Paint stripping equipment
• Road sweeper - Sweeper vehicles
• Safety glasses - Protective glasses
• Security or access control systems - Airfield access control systems
• Snow blowers - Snow removal equipment
• Sporting shotguns - Shotguns
• Sporting traps - Snares
• Two way radios - Mobile radios

Knowledge

• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Abilities

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
• Speed of Closure - The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
• Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Interests

• Interest code: ECR
  • Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
  • Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Context

• Face-to-Face Discussions - 98% responded “Every day.”
• In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - 86% responded “Every day.”
• Telephone - 84% responded “Every day.”
• Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - 77% responded “Every day.”
• Contact With Others - 64% responded “Constant contact with others.”
• Work With Work Group or Team - 64% responded “Extremely important.”
• Frequency of Decision Making - 70% responded “Every day.”
• Deal With External Customers - 55% responded “Extremely important.”
• Exposed to Contaminants - 52% responded “Every day.”
• Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - 63% responded “Every day.”
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - 55% responded “Very important results.”
• Freedom to Make Decisions - 45% responded “A lot of freedom.”
• Electronic Mail - 72% responded “Every day.”
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - 56% responded “Every day.”
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - 48% responded “Extremely important.”
• Coordinate or Lead Others - 42% responded “Extremely important.”
• Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - 39% responded “Very high responsibility.”
• Structured versus Unstructured Work - 47% responded “Some freedom.”
• Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - 50% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Consequence of Error - 54% responded “Extremely serious.”
• Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - 34% responded “Every day.”
• Physical Proximity - 42% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - 43% responded “Every day.”
• Letters and Memos - 43% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Time Pressure - 33% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - 39% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
• Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - 32% responded “Every day.”
• Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - 31% responded “High responsibility.”
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - 30% responded “More than half the time.”
• Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - 28% responded “Extremely important.”
• Duration of Typical Work Week - 52% responded “40 hours.”
• Frequency of Conflict Situations - 32% responded “Once a year or more but not every month.”
• Outdoors, Under Cover - 30% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Spend Time Sitting - 41% responded “About half the time.”
• Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting - 32% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
• Exposed to Hazardous Conditions - 27% responded “Never.”

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
39%	Bachelor's degree
21%	Associate's degree
14%	High school diploma or equivalent

Work Styles

• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
• Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
• Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
• Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
• Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
• Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Work Values

• Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
• Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
• Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Wages & Trends

• Median wages (2017)
  • $25.17 hourly, $52,360 annual
• Employment (2016)
  • 9,000 employees
• Projected growth (2016-2026)
  • Average (5% to 9%)
• Projected job openings (2016-2026)
  • 900