How do you get into being an aircraft engineer.

[ChewyTheWookie]

I am currently cabin crew for BA and wanted to be a commercial pilot but it is now unlikely that I will get the medical required. I did a degree in mechanical engineering before BA and am now considering trying to become an aircraft engineer. Please could someone give me some info on the different types of engineer that an airline has and the best way to get into this sort of career. Apart from my degree I have no real engineering experience so would obviously be expecting to start at the bottom...

[Wodrick]

Go and have a look round Airmech.co.uk lots of info there. I think that, these days, it's something you have REALLY got to want to do, as it's a long road to follow. saying that I am not short of my 34th year as an active engineer and don't regret much, it's a good, rewarding life. [I mean that in the job satisfacton, not the remunative sense], although at the end of my career I can't complain there either.

[barit1]

My boss used to say that his favorite kind of tech rep was one who could take a wrecked motorcycle, rebuild it like new, and write a readable report about it.

That's oversimplification of course, but you get the idea. :cool:

[Genghis the Engineer]

Depends which variety of engineering you want to do.

There are loads of threads here and elsewhere on the subject, but it boils down to whether you enjoy getting your hands dirty or not.

If you do, then look at technician/maintenance type courses, some of which are part time allowing you to avoid a period without any income.

If you don't, then I'd suggest building upon your BEng and doing an aero-eng MSc, likely to be full time for a year - that'll get your theory back up to scratch, and open up all sorts of opportunities in aircraft design / analysis / research.

Incidentally, don't just think in terms of the airlines. A lot of the most interesting engineering isn't done in the airlines - you could be working for BAE designing and/or building Eurofighters, Westlands on helicopters, Boeing on the next generation airliner, or places like ARA doing aerodynamic work on virtually anything.

G