Fundamentals of Electricity (Aviation)

Course Description

AMT1093 — Fundamentals of Electricity is a college-credit lecture-and-laboratory course in Florida's Aviation Maintenance Management, Avionics, and related college-credit aviation technology programs. Distinct from the FAA Part 147 PSAV mechanic-certification track (the AMT 0xxx clock-hour series), AMT1093 covers DC and AC electrical fundamentals at the depth required for aviation electrical and avionics maintenance, including theory of electrical and magnetic fields, generation and distribution of aircraft electrical power, and use of standard electrical test equipment in aviation applications.

This course is offered at college-credit aviation programs at Broward College (Aviation Institute), Eastern Florida State College (Aerospace Technology), Polk State College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and other institutions delivering Aviation/Avionics A.S. or A.A.S. degree programs.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of AMT1093, students will be able to:

• Apply DC electrical theory: voltage, current, resistance, power; Ohm's Law; Kirchhoff's voltage and current laws; series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits.
• Apply AC electrical theory: alternating current characteristics; phase relationships; impedance, capacitive reactance, inductive reactance; resonance; three-phase systems.
• Apply magnetism and electromagnetism: magnetic field theory; electromagnetic induction; transformer operation; relays and solenoids.
• Operate standard electrical test equipment safely: digital multimeter (DMM), oscilloscope, signal generator, function generator, frequency counter, megohmmeter (insulation tester).
• Read and interpret aircraft electrical schematics and wiring diagrams: aircraft electrical symbols; wire gauge and color codes per Mil-W-22759 and similar; connector identification.
• Apply aircraft electrical wire and cable selection and installation: wire types (Tefzel, Teflon, polyimide); current-carrying capacity; voltage drop; bundling and routing per AC 43.13-1B Chapter 11.
• Apply introductory aircraft DC electrical systems: 14V and 28V system architecture; battery types (lead-acid, NiCd, lithium-ion); generators and alternators; voltage regulation; circuit protection.
• Apply introductory aircraft AC electrical systems: 115V/200V 400Hz aircraft AC; AC generators (frequency-wild and constant-frequency); inverters; transformers; static converters.
• Apply laboratory safety in aviation electrical work: PPE, lockout/tagout, capacitor discharge, electrostatic discharge (ESD) control.

Optional Outcomes

• Apply introductory solid-state electronics: diodes, transistors, operational amplifiers, integrated circuits.
• Apply introductory digital electronics: number systems, logic gates, basic combinational logic.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• DC Theory: Atomic structure; conventional vs. electron flow; Ohm's Law; series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits; Kirchhoff's laws; voltage divider and current divider; superposition theorem.
• AC Theory: Sinusoidal AC; instantaneous, peak, peak-to-peak, RMS values; phase angle; AC in resistive, capacitive, and inductive circuits; impedance; resonance.
• Magnetism and Electromagnetism: Magnetic fields; Faraday's law; Lenz's law; transformer principles; relays and solenoids in aircraft applications.
• Test Equipment: Digital multimeter (DMM); oscilloscope (analog and digital storage); signal/function generators; frequency counter; megohmmeter for insulation testing.
• Aircraft Wiring: Aircraft wire types (M22759, M27500, etc.); wire gauge selection; current-carrying capacity tables; voltage drop calculations; bundling and routing per AC 43.13-1B Chapter 11; protection from chafing and abrasion.
• Aircraft DC Systems: 14V and 28V architectures; lead-acid, NiCd, and lithium-ion batteries; DC generators and alternators; voltage regulators (carbon-pile, vibrator, solid-state); circuit protection (fuses, circuit breakers, current limiters).
• Aircraft AC Systems: 115V/200V 3-phase 400Hz systems; AC generators (frequency-wild for variable-frequency systems, IDG/CSD for constant-frequency); inverters (rotary and static); transformer-rectifier units (TRU); ground-power connections.
• Schematic Reading: Aircraft schematic symbols; wiring diagrams; bundle diagrams; component locator data.
• Safety: PPE; lockout/tagout for aircraft electrical work; battery handling (acid, hydrogen, thermal runaway for lithium-ion); ESD control; capacitor discharge precautions.

Optional Topics

• Solid-State Electronics: Semiconductor theory; PN junction; diodes; bipolar and field-effect transistors; operational amplifiers; integrated circuits.
• Digital Electronics: Binary, octal, hexadecimal number systems; Boolean algebra; basic logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR); combinational logic introduction.

Resources & Tools

• Thomas K. Eismin Aircraft Electricity and Electronics (McGraw-Hill); Dale Crane Aircraft Electricity and Electronics (ASA)
• FAA AC 43.13-1B Chapter 11 (Aircraft Electrical Systems)
• Mil-Specs (Mil-W-22759, Mil-W-27500) for aircraft wire
• Standard electrical test equipment
• Aviation electrical training boards

Career Pathways

AMT1093 is foundational for the following Florida aviation career paths:

• Avionics Technician — Work on communications, navigation, and instrument systems requiring strong electrical/electronic foundation. Florida is home to Garmin, Honeywell, L3Harris, and Collins Aerospace operations.
• Aircraft Electrician — Specialized trade focused on aircraft wiring repair, modification, and installation. FAA Repair Station (Part 145) facilities employ aircraft electricians.
• Avionics Installation Technician — Installs new avionics in retrofit programs (e.g., ADS-B Out compliance, GPS upgrades, autopilot installations).
• Bench Technician at FAA Part 145 avionics repair stations performing component-level repair.
• Continuation toward A.S. or B.S. degrees in Aviation Maintenance Management, Avionics, or related fields.

Special Information

Articulation

AMT1093 typically articulates as a 3-credit hour course toward the A.S. in Aviation Maintenance Management or A.S. in Aviation Administration at Florida College System institutions, and may transfer to upper-division programs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach campus) or other 4-year aviation universities.

Course Format

Typically 3 credits, 60 contact hours with integrated lecture and laboratory components.

FCC Requirement Note

Avionics technicians performing transmitter work or maintenance on transmitting equipment generally require an FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL). AMT1093 does not directly prepare for the FCC exam but provides foundational electrical theory leveraged in subsequent avionics coursework.