Aircraft Fitter and Assembler Course

Lesson 1 • Aviation Industry Overview

Covers the structure of civil and military aviation, roles of regulatory bodies, and maintenance organisation types. Anchors all subsequent technical work in industry context.

Lesson 2 • Safety Culture and Hazard Awareness

Develops personal safety habits, hazard identification, and human factors awareness in hangar environments. Establishes the safety mindset required before any hands-on work begins.

Lesson 3 • Measurement and Precision Tools

Introduces micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, and torque wrenches used across all assembly tasks. Precision measurement is a prerequisite skill for every subsequent practical chapter.

Lesson 4 • Technical Documentation and Records

Teaches interpretation of maintenance manuals, illustrated parts catalogues, and airworthiness directives. Accurate documentation underpins every maintenance task performed in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Aerospace Metals and Alloys

Examines aluminium alloys, titanium, steel, and their temper designations relevant to airframe use. Material selection directly affects structural integrity in all fitting tasks.

Lesson 2 • Sealants, Adhesives, and Coatings

Details polysulphide sealants, structural adhesives, and corrosion-inhibiting primers used in assembly. Correct application prevents fuel leaks, corrosion, and bond failures in service.

Lesson 3 • Composite Materials Fundamentals

Covers carbon fibre, fibreglass, and Kevlar layup principles, matrix systems, and curing processes. Composites appear in primary structures requiring specific handling distinct from metals.

Lesson 1 • Hi-Lok and Specialty Fastener Systems

Introduces Hi-Lok, Hi-Tigue, and swaged collar fasteners used in high-load structural joints. These systems appear in wing and fuselage primary structure assembly tasks.

Lesson 2 • Aircraft Fastener Identification

Classifies bolts, screws, nuts, washers, and pins by specification, material, and head type. Correct identification prevents substitution errors that compromise structural joints.

Lesson 3 • Fastener Inspection and Rejection

Establishes go/no-go gauging, visual checks, and dimensional criteria for installed fastener acceptance. Inspection skills learned here apply to every assembly quality gate in the course.

Lesson 4 • Solid and Blind Riveting Techniques

Teaches layout, drilling, countersinking, and driving of solid and blind rivets to dimensional tolerances. Riveting is the primary joining method for aluminium airframe skins and structures.

Lesson 1 • Sheet Metal Layout and Marking

Applies bend allowance calculations, flat pattern development, and scribing techniques to aluminium sheet. Accurate layout prevents material waste and ensures parts fit on first assembly.

Lesson 2 • Engineering Drawing Interpretation

Reads orthographic projections, section views, tolerances, and GD&T symbols on aircraft drawings. Drawing literacy is the prerequisite for all fabrication and assembly tasks.

Lesson 3 • Forming and Bending Operations

Teaches brake press, hand forming, and stretch forming to produce flanges, angles, and curved skins. Forming accuracy determines fit-up quality in subsequent assembly operations.

Lesson 4 • Cutting and Drilling Operations

Covers shear, nibbler, and rotary punch use alongside drill speed and feed selection for aluminium and titanium. Correct cutting prevents burrs and work-hardening that weaken finished parts.

Lesson 1 • Electrical Wiring and Connector Assembly

Covers wire sizing, routing, crimping, and connector assembly per wiring diagram standards. Electrical assembly quality directly affects avionics and system reliability in service.

Lesson 2 • Fuel System Assembly and Safety

Addresses fuel tank sealing, line routing, valve installation, and bonding for static discharge prevention. Fuel system integrity is safety-critical and requires zero-defect assembly practice.

Lesson 3 • System Integration and Functional Testing

Integrates hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic, and electrical systems and performs functional checks per test procedures. Integration testing validates assembly quality before aircraft-level verification.

Lesson 4 • Pneumatic and Bleed Air Systems

Explains ducting, clamp, and seal installation for pressurisation and bleed air distribution systems. High-temperature and high-pressure requirements distinguish pneumatic from hydraulic assembly.

Lesson 1 • Primary Flight Control Assembly

Covers aileron, elevator, and rudder hinge fitting, cable routing, and turnbuckle installation. Correct assembly ensures full and unobstructed control surface movement throughout flight envelope.

Lesson 2 • Landing Gear Structure and Components

Identifies main and nose gear assemblies, shock struts, drag braces, and retraction actuators. Component knowledge is prerequisite to correct disassembly, assembly, and rigging sequences.

Lesson 3 • Landing Gear Rigging and Functional Test

Establishes gear retraction sequencing, door timing, and downlock verification using rigging procedures. Functional testing confirms safe gear operation before aircraft ground runs.

Lesson 4 • Shock Strut Servicing and Assembly

Covers strut disassembly, seal replacement, nitrogen and fluid servicing, and extension measurement. Correct strut servicing ensures proper aircraft ground attitude and load absorption.

Lesson 1 • Magnetic Particle and Eddy Current Testing

Introduces magnetic particle inspection for ferrous parts and eddy current for surface and subsurface flaw detection. Both methods complement penetrant inspection across different material types.

Lesson 2 • Quality Management System Principles

Explains quality manual structure, inspection authority, and independent inspection requirements in approved organisations. QMS understanding is mandatory before performing or certifying any inspection.

Lesson 3 • Visual and Dimensional Inspection

Applies structured visual inspection techniques and precision measurement to verify part and assembly conformance. Visual inspection is the first and most frequently applied quality gate in maintenance.

Lesson 4 • Ultrasonic and Radiographic Inspection Overview

Provides awareness-level knowledge of ultrasonic thickness testing and radiographic inspection applications. Awareness enables fitters to support Level II technicians and recognise when NDT is required.

Lesson 1 • Major Structural Joint Assembly

Sequences wing-to-fuselage, empennage, and engine mount joint assembly including interference-fit fastener installation. Major joint assembly integrates fastener, material, and systems knowledge simultaneously.

Lesson 2 • Shimming and Fit-Up Techniques

Applies solid, laminated, and liquid shim techniques to close gaps and achieve mating surface conformance. Shimming is critical at major structural joints where tolerance stack-up accumulates.

Lesson 3 • Assembly Jig and Fixture Operation

Covers jig setup, datum establishment, and part location using tooling balls and index pins for repeatable assembly. Jig-based assembly ensures dimensional conformance across production quantities.

Lesson 4 • First Article Inspection Process

Executes first article inspection against design documentation to validate production assembly processes. FAI confirms that tooling, processes, and personnel produce conforming assemblies before series production.