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Date: 10/06/2025

Airfield Operations Specialists

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
    • Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
    • Provide aircrews with information and services needed for airfield management and flight planning.
    • Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
    • Relay departure, arrival, delay, aircraft and airfield status, and other pertinent information to upline controlling agencies.
    • Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
    • Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.
    • Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
    • Maintain flight and event 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.
    • Train operations staff.
    • Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
    • Coordinate with agencies to meet aircrew requirements for billeting, messing, refueling, ground transportation, and transient aircraft maintenance.
    • Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
    • Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
    • Maintain air-to-ground and point-to-point radio contact with aircraft commanders.
    • Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
    • Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
    • Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
    • Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
    • Coordinate with agencies, such as air traffic control, civil engineers, or command posts, to ensure support of airfield management activities.
    • Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
    • Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
    • Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
    • Collaborate with others to plan flight schedules and air crew assignments.
    • Receive and post weather information and flight plan data, such as air routes or arrival and departure times.
    • Anticipate aircraft equipment needs for air evacuation and cargo flights.
    • Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
    • Post visual display boards and status boards.
    • Coordinate changes to flight itineraries with appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) agencies.
    • Procure, produce, and provide information on the safe operation of aircraft, such as flight planning publications, operations publications, charts and maps, or weather information.

    Skills

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    Knowledge

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • 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.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • 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.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 56750/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 27.28/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 70
    • Yearly Projected Openings 10

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Adaptability/Flexibility
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • Alarm systems
    • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
    • Animal control traps
    • Area lighting
    • Articulating boom lift
    • Desktop computers
    • Dump trucks
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Flares
    • Forklifts
    • Joint cleaning or refacing machines
    • Lawnmowers
    • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
    • Liquid crystal display LCD panels or monitors
    • Multi function printers
    • Power sanders
    • Rescue truck
    • Road sweeper
    • Safety glasses
    • Security or access control systems
    • Snow blowers
    • Sporting shotguns
    • Sporting traps
    • Two way radios

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Application server software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Expert system software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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