Aviation is an industry where many resources are needed to make everything work smoothly and safely, so aviation resource management takes a vital role in it. Of course, aviation resource management requires a series of skills that many people associate with military careers, especially in the Air Force.
However, these skills are great for aviation resource management in civilian jobs too. Civil aviation resource management can be as demanding as it is in the Air Force. Although operations are different, the required skills are the same.
So, we invite you to keep reading to learn what aviation resource management is as well as what it means for the Air Force and for civil aviation.
What Is Aviation Resource Management?
As the name suggests, aviation resource management refers to managing resources to guarantee operations run as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Obviously, resources in the Air Force are different from those found in civil aviation. Therefore, the tasks may vary from an Air Force job to a job in civil aviation as an aviation resource manager.
To better understand this, let’s see some of the differences between the Air Force and civil aviation resource management.
Basic Military Training
First of all, we must say that one of the biggest differences is the fact that an aviation resource manager in the Air Force will receive basic military training at least.
What’s more, the requirements to manage resources in the Air Force include having received a high school diploma from a school that included computer operations and oral communications within its curriculum.
Also, certain knowledge and experience are expected from rated and non-rated career enlisted aviators to get this position. The knowledge and experience that are expected involve areas such as:
- Aircrew training
- Aviation management policies
- Operational support
- Aircraft sorties
- Parachutist duty classifications
- Aviation flight and parachutist jump records maintenance
Last but not least, the resource manager will need to pass a special background check called Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) to get Secret Level security access before starting active duty service.
Air Force Job Tasks
A job in the Air Force as a resource manager involves a series of tasks with a high responsibility level. Among the most common tasks we find:
- Scheduling aircrew training
- Planning and directing parachutist resource activities
- Interpreting public law
- Performing aviation and parachutist resource management functions
- Keeping aviation flight and parachutist resource activities records
- Keeping parachutist jump records
- Monitoring unit flying hours
- Monitoring aviation requirement changes
- Preparing and processing flight authorizations
- Monitoring flight physicals
What is harm to USAF?
HARM stands for Host Aviation Resource Management and USAF for the United States Air Force, so HARM is the part of the aviation resource management that performs and manages aviation and parachutist host aviation resource management within the force.
The responsibility involves “in- and out-processing aircrew members and maintaining records such as flight physicals, flying hours, training requirements, aeronautical orders and special pay data for the aircrew member’s entire career to ensure pilots are mission-ready and safe to fly” according to 15th air force website.
Civilian Job Tasks
Continuing with the differences, it is now time to visualize the tasks performed by an aviation resource manager in civil aviation.
However, before we get into the tasks, we need to better understand the role of managing resources in civil aviation. While the role is mainly focused for military careers, skills like keeping track of inventory and supply records, as well as keeping employee training and records up to date would be essential assets for some civilian jobs.
For civil aviation safety is a top priority, so improving human factors is essential to get safety at the highest standards. Part of managing resources includes human factors, therefore tasks like managing maintenance resources and crew resources will be critical in civil aviation. You can learn more about it in our guide to human factors in aviation.
Also, logistics and supply chains are vital in civil aviation. This takes a special dimension when it comes to air cargo transport. Fortunately, the skills developed by a resource manager are usually the same needed to do well in aviation logistics and supply chain where common tasks include:
- Communications with customers
- Forecasting and planning flight demand
- Providing operational support to ground crews
- Security tasks that include a screening of airfield facilities, aircraft in secure hangar facilities, and aircraft security using armed personnel.
You can learn more about all these in our guide to aviation logistics and supply chain management.
What Is Airfield Management?
Airfield management is another area of civil aviation where an aviation resource manager can find their place. This usually depends on experience, but the tasks usually require the same set of skills.
In overview, airfield managers are in charge of the daily operations of an airfield or airport. So, these professionals are in charge of inspecting runway conditions, maintaining safe runway lighting systems and other equipment to allow takeoffs and landings to be carried out properly in any environmental condition, directing repairs, and monitoring air traffic, among other possible tasks.
Generally, the education and technical training needed include areas like accounting, economics, marketing coursework, aviation laws, and aviation safety procedures, with the last two being common with resource management as it was mentioned above.
Important Remarks
This is just another path into a career in the aviation industry, and there are more available for you to find the one that suits you best. It all depends on the education and technical training you get. For someone who interprets public law well and can actually gain the skills mentioned above, getting into resource management makes sense, but it is not necessarily the best career.
In short, oral communications and computer skills are a necessity for any role within any industry, so getting those will give you a good start. From then on, it all depends on what you consider is best for you. Since you are here, you may want to take a look at our courses by checking our course page. This way you can have a better idea of the options you have before making your choice.