From airport grounds crew members to flight attendants, many jobs in the airline industry include working with airline equipment. Whether it's airline ground support equipment, airline catering equipment or airline food equipment, you can start your career in the aviation field with the proper airline equipment education and training.

In accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, aircraft maintenance technicians and flight attendants are required to be certified in repairing and handling airline equipment. Certification is available through aviation schools that offer courses on aviation equipment, or through specific airlines. Securing an internship at a commercial airline will give you hands-on exposure to working with airline supplies and commercial airline equipment. Airline equipment manufacturers may offer training courses. Finally, seminars and conferences on equipment for airlines can also be helpful.

1. Take courses on airline equipment given at aviation schools and colleges.
2. Sign on for an internship to work with commercial airline equipment.
3. Let aviation equipment manufacturers and suppliers teach you about airline equipment.
   

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Enroll in courses teaching about airline equipment at local schools and colleges

While aviation schools and aviation programs offered by some colleges and universities usually concentrate on pilot-oriented classes, you'll find some courses available on airline equipment, operations and even classes for flight attendants. These types of courses generally will address the use of different types of airline equipment.

I recommend: Aviation courses offered at Palo Alto College include one for flight attendants that covers use of common airline equipment, as well as an airport management class that addresses facilities and operations. The Aviation Management program at The Community College of Baltimore County has courses covering airline safety equipment, airline operations and aircraft systems.

Get invaluable hands-on experience in airline equipment

Landing an internship at a major airline or airport will give you unparalleled hands-on exposure to all types of airline equipment. Internships often are available in many areas of the airline industry, including grounds operations and flight attendant, both of which will expose you to different kinds of airline equipment.

I recommend: Internships as a ramp agent, specialist or flight attendant are available at many major airlines including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines through Tarleton State University-Central Texas. The College of Technology and Innovation at Arizona State University has Flight Operations Internships at many airlines and airports.

Look to the pros when it comes to airline equipment education and training

Some airline equipment manufacturers offer training courses on their products. Seminars, conferences and expos in the aviation industry are also great sources when it comes to airline equipment education and training. Many of these events include the participation of airline equipment manufacturers, airline equipment suppliers and professionals working in the aviation field.

I recommend: The Aviation Industry Expo is attended by aviation supply manufacturers and includes seminars, exhibits and hands-on demonstrations of airline equipment. Lift-A-Loft is a manufacturer of airline ground support equipment and offers training courses in the operation, maintenance and inspection of their equipment.

Airline equipment is a broad topic, but there are three very important aviation supply areas to be concerned with: airline catering equipment, airline ground support equipment and aviation safety cabling equipment. Finding US suppliers can be easier in some areas over others, but finding the right vendor to supply your airline or airport in a cost-effective manner will help you add profit to your bottom line.

Aviation supply vendors abound, and some often cater to a wide variety of commercial airline equipment. Bulk purchasing can often lead to discounts, but finding the right combination of supplies from one vendor can be tricky.

To find the right airline supplies:

1. Determine what inventory you need.

2. Determine your budget.

3. Consider purchasing used, refurbished or surplus airline equipment over new airline supplies to save money.

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Purchase airline ground support equipment

Buy the necessary airline ground support equipment to keep your airport and airline in business. Commercial airline ground support equipment can include such items as lifts, trucks and carts.

I recommend: Purchase airline ground support equipment from LIFT-A-LOFT, located in Muncie, IN. They offer a wide variety of products including high reach aircraft maintenance lifts, cabin service, high speed tow trucks, portable water trucks and lavatory service. Buy new, used and refurbished ground equipment from Century GSE. Find running gear and its component parts for aviation dollies and carts from Ground Support Products. They also offer tires, wheels and casters. Global Ground Support is an ISO 9001:2000 - certified business that offers parts and services for ground support needs.

Find airline catering equipment and service providers

Airline catering equipment is hard to find in the US, but there is one airline food equipment provider and many service providers available.

I recommend: Take a look at the cost saving airline catering solutions of Gate Gourmet. They are the service provider of many major airlines including Delta. Purchase a copy of CATERERS OFFICE Suite from IN-FLITE MANAGER for integrated inflight catering procedures and purchases. Buy Airline Galley Equipment from BFE. Their products include beverage drawers, oven inserts, casserole carriers, folding carts, ultra-lightweight carts, trays, carriers trays, liquor kits, carrier cash lock boxes and waste containers.

Consider safety cable airline equipment

Use safety cable airline equipment for flight control applications for safer landings.

I recommend: Visit Loos & Co. for airplane safety cables. Use Bergen Cable for your flight control needs. Use American Precision Hydraulics for lanyards and lockwire/safety wire assemblies in aviation applications. Purchase safety lock wire for the aircraft industry from Malin Company.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Most airline catering equipment is available through Chinese manufacturers. You have to figure in shipping costs, though, as well as the weak American dollar to foreign currency, so purchasing overseas is less likely to save you money and can take weeks to arrive depending on your method of shipping.

The airline industry is a giant in the world of transportation, which means there is an abundance of equipment needed to keep things running smoothly on a daily, and even hourly, basis. With such a large industry and so many supplies needed to keep that industry going, it's likely that you will come across some terms that may not make much sense to you. While we can't cover them all, this article touches on a few.

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Aerospace

Aerospace is the Earth's atmosphere. You may find the term used in reference to the airline or aviation industry, since this industry designs, manufactures, operates and maintains vehicles that travel through the atmosphere.

I recommend: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics explains the concept behind aerospace engineering and further defines the term.

GSE

GSE stands for ground-support equipment. This refers to any equipment or machinery used on the tarmac, such as equipment that starts aircraft, performs maintenance, fuels the aircraft or transports cargo and passengers.

I recommend: The California Environmental Protection Agency - Air Resources Board has up-to-date information detailing the progress being made through programs working to make GSE better for the environment.

GPS

GPS stands for global positioning system. GPS equipment is an essential element of the pilot's navigation of an airplane while in the air. Satellites in orbit around the Earth transmit real-time signals to a GPS system to provide an accurate location for the airplane, helping pilots stay on course.

I recommend: Garmin provides detailed information about GPS and how it works.

CBPS

CBPS refers to Click Bond process specifications. Click Bond is a standardized bonded fastening system widely used within the aerospace industry to bond and strengthen equipment.

I recommend: ENFASCO offers a guide to more than 200 Click Bond products, which, it claims, are just a small sampling of the more than 1,000 products available and used in a broad range of industries including aerospace.

Galley

The galley is the area on an aircraft in which flight attendants prepare food for the passengers. Various airline galley equipment may include the galley itself, storage compartments, ovens, microwaves and other small-scale kitchen equipment.

I recommend: Enflite and other retailers offer aircraft galley equipment.

AS 9100

AS 9100, also known as Aerospace 9100 or AS9100:2000, is a quality-management system put in place for the aerospace industry with the purpose of satisfying internal and government regulatory requirements for management standards. You may come across airline equipment that retailers claim meets 'AS 9100' standards.

I recommend: Find more information on AS 9100 at The ISO 9000 Network.