Click for audio text

Quick Navigation:
Job Description | Duties | Working Conditions
Educational Requirements | Outlook | Salary

Videos:
Click here to view tourism career videos

Related Clusters:
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics



Job Description: In order to fly airplanes from place to place, pilots need precise navigation information. Both civilian and military airplane navigators assist pilots by determining the position, direction of travel, intended course, and other information about their flights. They may also be called co-pilots. Civilian airplane navigators work for passenger and cargo airline firms. New technology has allowed many flight tasks to be controlled by computers. As a result, this occupation may be reduced or eliminated in the future.

Duties: Civilian airplane navigators may perform some or all of the following tasks:

• Assist in planning flight patterns
• Assist with preflight checks
• Determine takeoff and landing speeds, engine power settings, and fuel management
• Communicate with air traffic controllers
• Monitor and operate instruments
• Make minor repairs
• Watch for other aircraft

For detailed information on tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, work activities, work contexts, job zones, interests, work styles, work values, and related occupations visit the O*Net Online, a division of the National Center for Occupational Information.

Military navigators perform some or all of these duties:

• Direct course of aircraft using radar, sight, and other navigation methods
• Operate radios and other communication equipment to send and receive messages
• Locate other aircraft using radar equipment
• Operate bombardier systems during bombing runs
• Inspect and test navigation and weapons systems before flights
• Guide tankers and other airplanes during in-flight refueling operations
• Provide pilots with instrument readings, fuel usage, and other flight information

Working Conditions: Although flying in an airplane does not require much physical effort, the mental stress of being responsible for a safe flight can be exhausting. The work of the navigator is particularly stressful in poor weather, during takeoff, and during landing. Navigators must be alert for long periods of time, and must be able to react quickly when events that are out of the ordinary occur. In addition to traditional flights from an airport, military airplane navigators perform their work in or aboard aircraft carriers stationed around the world.

Educational Requirements: A four-year college degree is required for entry into this occupation. Although there are some women airplane navigators in the military, some specialties are open only to men. Military job training consists of between 6 and 12 months of classroom instruction. Course content typically includes principles and methods of navigation; operation of communication, weapon, and radar systems; inspection and testing of navigation equipment and systems; and combat and bombing navigation procedures and tactics. Practical experience in navigation is gained by training in aircraft simulators in addition to acquiring 100 hours of actual flying time. Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses.

Outlook: New technology can perform many flight tasks and virtually all new aircraft now fly without a navigator. Pilots rely more heavily on computerized controls. As older, less technologically sophisticated aircraft continue to be retired from airline fleets, jobs for navigators will diminish. For additional information on this occupation, visit the nationally recognized Occupational Outlook Handbook online.

The military services have about 6,000 airplane navigators. On average, they need about 70 new airplane navigators each year. For more information for Officers in Transportation Careers visit Today's Military online.

Military service: Military airplane navigators are officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the Coast Guard.

Salary

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor website
• TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development website
• Bureau of Economic Analysis website

For an explanation of salary data please visit acinet.org

Last updated on: January 23, 2008