Fighter and helicopter assistant mechanics

Conscript service as an assistant mechanic suits well for persons interested in aviation and technology.

Aliupseerikurssin lentotekninen linja tarjoaa mielekkään, monipuolisen ja haastavan varusmiespalveluksen tekniikasta ja lentokoneista kiinnostuneille. Palveluksen jälkeen on mahdollisuus hakea lentoteknisiä aliupseerin virkoja ilmavoimista tai maavoimista. Etenkin ilmailualan työnantajat arvostavat puolustusvoimien lentoteknistä koulutusta, ja siitä on hyötyä myös tekniikan alan siviiliopinnoissa. Johtajakoulutusta puolestaan voi hyödyntää kaikissa jatko-opinnoissa ja tulevissa työtehtävissä.

Training brigade-level unit: Air Force Academy, Tikkakoski

Service location: Air Force Academy, Karelia Air Wing, Lapland Air Wing, Satakunta Air Wing, Guard Jaeger regiment, Pori Brigade, Utti Jaeger Regiment

Service duration: 347 days

Contingent: All

Training

Training begins with a six-week recruit phase for training in basic soldier’s knowledge and skills. The contents of the recruit phase are identical in all services.

The recruit phase is followed by a six-week training branch phase that familiarises the trainees with activity of one’s own training branch. The topics to be studied on the airspace engineering programme of the NCO course include, among other:

• Aerodynamics
• Aircraft structures
• Aircraft systems
• Airspace engineering servicing
• Jet engines
• Aircraft avionics and electronics
• Aircraft weapon technology
• Conscript leader’s skills

Studying involves theory, practical training on aircraft, and training by means of an airspace engineering simulator. After course completion, the students are promoted Corporal, and posted to serve as assistant mechanics at a flight unit of the Air Force, Army, or the Border Guard. Helicopter assisting mechanics, who will be 8—15 in total, will serve in the Utti Jaeger Regiment. Some will be selected for the reserve officer course arranged at the Air Force Academy at Tikkakoski.

Admission criteria

• At least 18 years old before start of course
• Finnish citizenship
• Language competence of Finnish at an adequate level
• Fitness for service category A
• Suitable for training as regards physical condition, health, and lifestyle
• Qualified for university-level studies, i.e. must have completed one of the examinations on the following list at conscript service start:
• National Matriculation Examination
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• European Baccalaureate (EB)
• Reifeprüfung (RP)
• Initial vocational qualification, further vocational qualification, or specialist vocational qualification
• Training completed abroad that, in the given country, is the qualification for equivalent university-level studies
• While at school during the final year, you may apply for the course if you complete your qualification studies fully before service start. In this case, you must present the diploma/equivalent before service start.
• Accurate colour vision (examined in daylight by Ishihara test plates), precision vision by Landolt C ring (5m), at least 1,0 in both eyes separately; prescription glasses permissible, diopter values ≤± 5)

Applying

Applications for the course that starts in January must be submitted by 1 September, and for the one starting in July by 1 March. Apply to the course for fighter and helicopter assisting mechanics via the Finnish Defence Forces’ digital e-service. Fill in the application at: https://asiointi.puolustusvoimat.fi

To fill in the application, you need to have the grades for mathematics, first language, and English as indicated on the high school diploma, or vocational qualification diploma, or study register certificate if the given studies are still in-progress.

Women need to fill out the digital application and send the following forms to their own Regional Office that will then forward the documents to the Air Force Academy:

• Application to voluntary military service for women
• Questionnaire for service and health check
• Medical report on state of health

For additional information, call selection assistant at the Air Force Academy, tel. +358 299 250 223.

Selection

Based on the applications submitted, a number of applicants will be invited to attend the selection tests at the Air Force Academy. The selection event is scheduled to start at 08:00 to run until at around 18.00.

The selection tests include:

• Skills tests (prerequisites for learning)
• Personality test (psychological resilience, social competence, leadership propensity)
• Interview
• Colour vision and precision vision tests (as applicable)
• Muscle fitness test (see examples of performance)

The successful candidates are selected for the course based on aptitude statements that consider the results of the muscle fitness test, interview, state of health, and any pending offences.

Muscle fitness test

You must get at least six points at the muscle fitness test in total, and in each of its sub-sections at least 0,5 points per each. In the test, 60 seconds are allocated for abdominal muscles, and 60 seconds for press ups, for the latter of which the style is the same for women and for men.