Zayd Mohammad, Aircraft Maintenance Technician

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What I do

I’m an apprentice aircraft maintenance technician at British Airways.

I help look after the planes that fly from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports, making sure the aircraft are safe and ready to fly.

Sometimes I work in big hangars where the planes come in for regular checks and servicing, and sometimes I’m on the frontline ensuring a plane can leave on time.

An aircraft in a hangar, with the inner workings of its jet engine exposed, with tools and equipment all around.

How I became a technician

At school, for my GCSE options, I chose design and technology, computer science, geography, statistics and even Mandarin, which was fun to learn.

After GCSEs I stayed on at school to do A-levels. I chose maths, physics and chemistry.

I didn’t enjoy A-levels very much, it was a big jump from GCSEs, and I realised I didn’t want to spend all day studying. I wanted to get out there and do something hands-on.

How I became a technician

When I was in Year 13, I applied for apprenticeships with different airlines.

I’d always been interested in planes and I knew I wanted to work with them, so it was amazing to get offered a Level 3 aircraft maintenance technician apprenticeship with British Airways.

I only needed GCSEs to start with them, so I had a choice – either not finishing my A-levels and starting in March, or staying, finishing my exams, and starting in August.

How I became a technician

I wasn’t enjoying my A-levels, and I really wanted to start working, so I decided to take the opportunity and start earlier.

My family were really supportive, because they knew I preferred practical work.

Now, I’m two years into my apprenticeship, and I’ve never looked back.

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A typical day in my working life

Most of the time I work 12-hour shifts. I work for four days and then I’m off for four days.

When I arrive, I clock-in and head to a briefing with the other engineers. The office team go through the details of the aircraft we’ll be working on that day.

After the briefing, I go to the hangar and into one of the zones.

A typical day in my working life

There’s a cabin zone, an engines and wings zone and a cargo zone. I meet the licensed aircraft engineer for my zone, and they hand out job cards.

Then, I'm paired up with someone, and we collect PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), tools and all the parts we need. We then start doing jobs like changing filters, greasing moving parts or doing cabin repairs.

A typical day in my working life

Some days are busy, and some are quieter. On quieter days I can spend some time training or working on my apprenticeship modules.

During night shifts it can feel quite different because the pressure is on to get the aircraft ready before the morning.

When you see the planes go out in the morning fixed and ready to fly, it’s a great feeling.

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What I love about my job

My favourite thing about the job is troubleshooting. When a plane arrives with a problem, it feels like we have a puzzle to solve. I follow the aircraft maintenance manual, test things, try different ideas and work with other people until we find the fault.

It can get frustrating when things don’t go the way you expect, but the feeling when you finally fix it is amazing. Seeing the plane leave, knowing I helped make that happen, feels great.

Another thing I love about my job is the travel opportunities for staff. I’ve flown to Canada, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Barcelona and Sweden.

It’s great and because I work four days on, and then four days off, I can fit in short trips easily.

The skills I use most

Manual dexterity (careful work with your hands) is important. There’s a lot of working in tight spaces and handling tools, so being steady and patient really helps. You don’t have to be really strong, but you do need a bit of physical endurance because aircraft parts can be heavy and awkward.

Problem solving is another important skill. You have to look at problems from different angles and keep going until you figure it out.

Communication is also huge, because we work in teams spread out around a massive aircraft. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, so speaking up when something doesn’t look right is essential.

When a plane arrives with a problem, it feels like we have a puzzle to solve. Seeing the plane leave, knowing I helped make that happen, feels great.

Everyone shares the same goal of keeping aircraft safe, so we support each other and stay patient even when things get tricky.

Trying different experiences helps you find out what you enjoy and what you’re good at.

A little more about my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

I work with lots of different people depending on the placement I’m in. In the servicing department, we work in bigger teams split across the three zones. In the casualty department, where we fix major problems, the team is smaller and more focused on one task. There’s always a licensed engineer, technicians and mechanics, all with different experience levels.

What I enjoy most is that there is always someone to learn from. Everyone shares the same goal of keeping aircraft safe, so we support each other and stay patient even when things get tricky.

My favourite piece of equipment

My favourite bit of equipment is something called a MEWP, which stands for mobile elevating work platform. It’s like a little crane lift on chunky wheels that takes you up high beside the aircraft.

I’m not allowed to drive one yet because I’m still an apprentice, but I get to go up in them while working on the wings. It’s fun and you get amazing views of the aircraft from right up close.

What I like to do in my spare time

Most of my free time is spent travelling. With my rota, I can sometimes get 12 days off in a row if I plan my leave properly! I usually travel with my brother or my mates, and I’m hoping to take my parents somewhere special soon.

When I’m not travelling, I go to the gym, or I relax at home with my family.

My school days

I had loads of hobbies at school. I was in the Air Cadets, which took up my evenings and weekends. We did flying, gliding, radio work, first aid and even marksmanship. I worked my way up through the cadet ranks and did lots of instructing and mentoring.

It was great because I learned loads of skills you don’t always get at school, and those experiences actually help me now in my job.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

One achievement I’m proud of is choosing to work night shifts. Most of the big engineering work happens at night, so I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could handle it. It’s tough at first, but once you get into a routine, it becomes manageable.

I’m also proud of moving around so many different placements. As an apprentice I get experience in areas some permanent engineers never see, which really helps me learn.

A surprising fact about my job

A surprising thing is how much travelling you can do as airline staff. Being able to fly to places like Saudi Arabia, Canada and Morocco is something most people don’t expect from an engineering job.

Another surprise is how huge the aircraft look when you’re right up next to them in the hangar. You see details that passengers never notice.

The next steps in my career journey

I’ve got one year left of my Level 3 apprenticeship. After that, as long as I’ve completed all the requirements, I’ll be offered a full-time role.

I’ll start as a mechanic or technician and continue building experience towards becoming a licensed aircraft engineer.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

If you’re given an opportunity, take it. That’s what I did when British Airways offered me the apprenticeship. And definitely get involved in extracurricular activities. Things like Air Cadets taught me loads of skills that I still use now.

Trying different experiences helps you find out what you enjoy and what you’re good at.