“Airmen” is clearly defined in international and domestic civil aviation regulations and it is a very professional aviation position that the job holder is required to attain Airmen Certificates issued by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

According to the definition stipulated in Annex 1-Personnel Licensing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, aviation personnel that should be granted Airmen Certificates include:

>Air Traffic Crew:

• Private Pilot (Aircraft, Airship, Helicopter or Power Lifters)
• Commercial Pilot (Aircraft, Airship, Helicopter or Power Lifters)
• Multi-Crew Pilot (Aircraft)
• Airline Transport Pilot ((Aircraft, Helicopter or Power Lifters)
• Glider Pilot
• Balloon Pilot
• Flight Navigator
• Flight Engineer

>Other Personnel:

• Aircraft Maintenance (Technician/Engineer/Mechanic)
• Flight Controller
• Flight Operator / Flight Dispatcher
• Aviation Radio Operator

Definition of “Airmen” might differ in different countries and in accord with Article 2 and Article 4 of the Civil Aviation Act, Taiwan R.O.C, “Airmen” refers to aircraft pilot, flight engineer (still exist in the civil aviation regulations but no longer in practical operation), aircraft maintenance engineer, flight controller, repairman and aircraft dispatcher.

Definition of “Airmen” in accord with Article 39 of Civil Aviation Act of Mainland China means flight crew and ground crew performing activities of civil aviation in which flight crew includes pilot, navigator, flight mechanic, flight communicator and cabin crew while ground crew includes maintenance staff holding aircraft maintenance license, air traffic controller, flight dispatcher and aviation radio operator.

Definition of “Airmen” differ in both sides of the straits. The huge difference is that cabin crew is categorized as aviation personnel in Mainland China while it did not in Taiwan R.O.C., but nevertheless cabin crew is defined and governed in some of the regulations.

Currently there are still a lot of aviation related positions in airline companies and civil aviation unit that do not require the Airmen Certificates, such as loading engineer, cabin crew, shipping clerk, ground staff, airport weather personnel, flight operations officer (requires to pass the Civil Aviation Personnel Examination), airworthiness inspector (hired by Civil Aeronautics Administration), etc.