Opportunity

Do you love flying, engineering and working as part of a team? A career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as an Avionics Systems Technician carries the responsibility of maintaining all electronic systems onboard CAF aircraft.

Overview

As part of the Aircraft Maintenance Team, the Avionics Systems Technician is responsible for first-line servicing operations in launching and recovering all types of aircraft. The primary responsibilities are:

• Carrying out performance tests, and preventive/corrective maintenance and calibration of the following systems and their associated components:
  • Aircraft communication
  • Intercom
  • Search radar
  • Fire control radar
  • Acoustic sensing
  • Infra-red radar
  • Electronic warfare
  • Navigation
  • Compass
  • Flight control systems
  • Automatic flight control systems
  • Electrical wiring interconnection system
• Setting up and operating test equipment to maintain the above systems
• Operating and maintaining computer-controlled automatic test stations
• Serving as an instructor in field technical training units, training squadrons or basic training units
• Preparing and maintaining aircraft forms and statistical data
• Operating aircraft support equipment
• Performing first-line servicing tasks such as marshalling, parking, towing, starting, refuelling, cleaning and de-icing

To be eligible to apply to the CAF, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada
• Be at least 18 years old (17 years old with parental consent), except:
  • For the paid education programs you may be 16 years old (with parental consent)
  • For the Primary Reserve you may be 16 years old (with parental consent) and must be enrolled as a full-time student
• Have completed at least Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Quebec (some jobs need higher levels of education)

Paid Education Options

Non-commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Program

Because this position requires specialty training, the CAF will pay successful recruits to attend the diploma program at an approved Canadian college. Non-commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Program students attend Basic Training and on-the-job training during the summer months. They receive full-time salaries, including medical and dental care, along with full pay in exchange for working with the CAF for a period of time. If you choose to apply to this program, you must apply both to the CAF and the appropriate college.

Work Environment

Avionics Systems Technicians are employed primarily at air bases in aircraft maintenance organizations, in maintenance hangers, in airborne aircraft, in lab environments and on the flight line. Technicians will sometimes be required to work shifts and periods of overtime and can work in CAF wings and bases within Canada, the Arctic, and locations around the world in response to NATO and UN commitments.

Basic Military Qualification

The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, or through various training establishments across Canada from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. One main goal of this course is to ensure all recruits maintain the CAF physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding but achievable. Avionics Systems Technicians Training

Avionics Systems Technicians attend training at the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE) in Borden, Ontario, where they complete Common Core: eight weeks of common mechanical and aircraft servicing training. After some time at a squadron, they will return to CFSATE and take their Trade Training over 36 weeks, which includes:

• Solid-State Devices
• Digital Logic
• Aircraft Wiring
• Magnetron, Klystron, Travelling Wave Tubes and Microwave Theory
• Computer Techniques and Architecture
• Inspection and repair of:
  • Avionics (AVS) and Combined Avionic (AVS) / Aviation (AVN) Multi-Purpose Display Systems
  • Pitot-Static Systems
  • Flight Instruments
  • Compasses
  • Aircraft Flight Recorder and Locator
  • Air Data Computer
  • Automatic Flight Control
  • Electronic Warfare Systems
  • Navigation Systems
  • Radar Systems
  • Communication Systems
  • Aircraft Data Processing

Available Specialty Training

Avionics Systems Technicians may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and on-the-job training for topics like:

• Instructional Techniques
• Calibration Technician
• Computerized Fault Diagnosis and Analysis
• High-Reliability Soldering
• Aircraft Specific Type Courses
• Advanced Aircraft Maintenance Course
• Instructional Technique
• Life Cycle Materiel Management
• Aircraft Fluid Handling
• Corrosion Identification and Control
• Technical Writing
• Technical Inspection and Quality Assurance
• Flight Safety Investigators Course

Available Advanced Training

As they progress in their career, Avionics Systems Technicians who demonstrate the required ability and potential may be offered advanced training. Available courses include:

• Technical Administration
• Leadership and Management Courses

Required Education

The minimum required education to apply for this position is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Quebec, including: Grade 10 Applied Math (Mathématiques 416 or Cultural, Social and Technical 4)Foreign education may be accepted.

Direct Entry Officer Plan

Ideal candidates will already have a diploma or Red Seal for a related civilian trade. If you already have a university or college diploma, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job and may optimize your progression following Basic Training. Basic Training is required before being assigned.

Please note that, if successful in the application process, you will be entering service in either the Regular Force (full-time employment) or Primary Reserve Force (part-time employment) of the Canadian Armed Forces as a military member.
• Regular Force: Upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career.
• Primary Reserve Force: You will be joining the Primary Reserve Force through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends with possibilities of full-time employment.
To learn more about the various ways to join the Canadian Armed Forces, visit:

Join the CAF

To learn more about becoming an Avionics Systems Technician, visit talk to a recruiter at a centre near you or call 1-800-856-8488.

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