Aeronautical Engineering

[youngflyer]

I am starting to look at colleges and was thinking I should major in aerospace engineering because I love engineering and planes and I would get my ratings at a local FBO to become a pilot because that is eventually what I want to become. Does this sound like a good choice which has a good backup.

[JHines]

Aeronautical Engineering (or Aerospace Engineering) are specialized subsets of mechanical engineering.

The problem with those fields is that they are linked to aviation, which experiences lots of up-and-down business cycles. If you go to work as an aerospace engineer you can probably expect to be laid off more than once in your career. So being in aerospace engineering isn't really much of a "backup" to being a pilot.

The year I grauated from college with a mechanical engineering degree, my school had about 30 aerospace engineering graduates, and only about 4 of them got degrees in that field right away.

Unless you really want to work specifically on aircraft design, e.g. aerodynamics or aircraft structures, you do not have to major in aeronautical or aerospace engineering. Aerospace companines hire plenty of mechanical and electrical engineers.

[youngflyer]

Originally Posted by JHines

Aeronautical Engineering (or Aerospace Engineering) are specialized subsets of mechanical engineering.

The problem with those fields is that they are linked to aviation, which experiences lots of up-and-down business cycles. If you go to work as an aerospace engineer you can probably expect to be laid off more than once in your career. So being in aerospace engineering isn't really much of a "backup" to being a pilot.

The year I grauated from college with a mechanical engineering degree, my school had about 30 aerospace engineering graduates, and only about 4 of them got degrees in that field right away.

Unless you really want to work specifically on aircraft design, e.g. aerodynamics or aircraft structures, you do not have to major in aeronautical or aerospace engineering. Aerospace companines hire plenty of mechanical and electrical engineers.

Thanks! But it is more of a backup with my health if my health deteriorates unexpectly.(sp)

[phoenix 23684]

Originally Posted by JHines

Aeronautical Engineering (or Aerospace Engineering) are specialized subsets of mechanical engineering.

The problem with those fields is that they are linked to aviation, which experiences lots of up-and-down business cycles. If you go to work as an aerospace engineer you can probably expect to be laid off more than once in your career. So being in aerospace engineering isn't really much of a "backup" to being a pilot.

The year I grauated from college with a mechanical engineering degree, my school had about 30 aerospace engineering graduates, and only about 4 of them got degrees in that field right away.

Unless you really want to work specifically on aircraft design, e.g. aerodynamics or aircraft structures, you do not have to major in aeronautical or aerospace engineering. Aerospace companines hire plenty of mechanical and electrical engineers.

Let me begin by saying that I don't know what this person was thinking when giving you such bad advice. I hate ignorance above all.

I have a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a passion for flying and have recently gotten hired by a regional. I was previously a Satellite engineer working on pretty cool things. Here are the fact, the Aerospace industry is facing much worse shortages for AE's than aviation is facing for pilots, therefore it is a great backup as a career to flying. Why, because all of the baby boomer AE's are also retiring and there has not been enough people moving up the ranks to take over, plus look at the growth in the industry in general. I know this because I worked in the industry and did the re-search.

Also, no one says you have to be in the aviation or aerospace industry to utilize your degree. You will learn about Aerodynamics, fluids dynamics. that can be used in wind tunnel testing for cars manufacturers, street vehicles or more exciting F-1, indy and nascar. How about becoming a test pilot once you get some years of flying experience.

Other venues are roller coasters, ships, buildings, there are a lot of venues you can take. You like law? Get your law degree and now you can do patent law as an AE, making more than you'll ever make as a pilot, 80 hr a week too, but that's another story.

Yes, we do take ME's and working in the satellite world where there were other ME's. I can tell you that they couldn't begin to grasp orbital mechanics. The reason they were hired because there was a shortage of AE applicants.

Not a bash on ME's because there are many career fields that they are better suited for than an AE. I personally think that as an AE you will get a little of everything, Statics, dynamics, orbital dynamics, thermodynamics, aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, chemistry and electrical. In short you will have more opportunities than most people realize. It will make you a better pilot because you'll understand more about the airplane and why it has what is has or does what it does.

I can tell you this since I'm almost finished with initial training. I had such an easy time getting through this training as compared to people of different walks because of my degree, things that make no sense to some, will make perfect sense to you.

As far as a concern for finding a job, I live comfortably in the fact that if for any reason I have to leave flying, (medical, family) I can get a very good paying salary it is a great peace of mind when I see some of the guys who have all their eggs into the flying basket, hopefully things will go well for everyone and will never have to worry about it.

Good luck with your future and don't let people ever discourage you from your goals.

[JHines]

Originally Posted by phoenix 23684

Let me begin by saying that I don't know what this person was thinking when giving you such bad advice. I hate ignorance above all.

I have a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a passion for flying and have recently gotten hired by a regional. I was previously a Satellite engineer working on pretty cool things. Here are the fact, the Aerospace industry is facing much worse shortages for AE's than aviation is facing for pilots, therefore it is a great backup as a career to flying. Why, because all of the baby boomer AE's are also retiring and there has not been enough people moving up the ranks to take over, plus look at the growth in the industry in general. I know this because I worked in the industry and did the re-search.

<SNIP>

What I wrote was:

(1) aviation is a highly cyclical business; and
(2) you don't have to have an AE degree to be an engineer in the aviation business.

Both of those statements are 100% true. Look at the hiring/firing cycles of any of the major aerospace companies over the last 100 years.

If this guy wants to be an AE, fine, that (or any other hard science) is a much better cash-generating backup than English, Philosophy, Poly-Sci, or Underwater Basketweaving. I just don't want him to get all starry-eyed about AE.

The reality is that very few AE's will be doing creative project design work like say Burt Rutan. Designing a bracket or running cost trade-offs or debugging control code is probably not going to be any more thrilling on a day-to-day basis if it's for an airplane than a dishwasher.

Also, no one says you have to be in the aviation or aerospace industry to utilize your degree. You will learn about Aerodynamics, fluids dynamics. that can be used in wind tunnel testing for cars manufacturers, street vehicles or more exciting F-1, indy and nascar. <SNIP>

He would learn about all those things (except aerodynamics) in ME if he went that route.

[Frank_Rizzo]

I did Mechanical Engineering and I think you will have a broader stroke of opportunities with ME rather than AE. AE will get you into aviation related stuff, though like others said ME will get you into aviation and robotics, automotive, hydraulics, the whole gamut. If your stuck on something niche like wing/airfoil design then AE might be the winner. The nice thing with ME is you can swing out of aviation and right into automotive perhaps a little easier than an AE could.

Example: Drafting prof got hired into Lockheed doing missile design in Pro/E CAD, he was a ME. When he gets done there he can move right over into automotive.

If I might suggest, lots of vocational 2-year junior colleges offer many of the first year courses especially the mathematics for a whole lot less money. Keep that in mind and good luck!

[MFT1Air]

Originally Posted by Frank_Rizzo

I did Mechanical Engineering and I think you will have a broader stroke of opportunities with ME rather than AE. AE will get you into aviation related stuff, though like others said ME will get you into aviation and robotics, automotive, hydraulics, the whole gamut. If your stuck on something niche like wing/airfoil design then AE might be the winner. The nice thing with ME is you can swing out of aviation and right into automotive perhaps a little easier than an AE could.

The statement is true. Agree 100%.

I work at Johnson Space Center. Be it here or any of the areas with NASA center will virtually ensure whole person wise, if you're good, there'll be a job for you along with variety of job opportunities.

[skidz]

Originally Posted by youngflyer

I am starting to look at colleges and was thinking I should major in aerospace engineering because I love engineering and planes and I would get my ratings at a local FBO to become a pilot because that is eventually what I want to become. Does this sound like a good choice which has a good backup.

Get a degree in what you love.