Aeronautical Engineering Degree- What's it like?
Aeronautical Engineering Degree- What's it like?
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I graduated from southampton uni in Aeronautics and astronautics, 1996. I studyed aero because i was mad about planes, admittedly it was more maths than aircraft, and very hard. Sometimes frustrating when you are in lectures or labs when all your mates are in the pub, but it has stood me in very good stead for the ATPLs, particularly the techs.
If you just want to experience uni, don't do aero, but if you are commited the hard work is worth it in the end.
If you just want to experience uni, don't do aero, but if you are commited the hard work is worth it in the end.
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G-BPEC
I did Aero at Loughborough, and I'm sad to say that if I'd known what it was going to be like (especially the final year) then I don't think I could have faced it. On the other hand, it's a worthwhile course if ever there was one. If you're serious about having a good degree, then it's definitely one worth considering.
It teaches you (or rather makes youu teach yourself) a bit about every aspect of planes apart from flying them. It's also more engineering than aeroplanes. Nearly all of the first year is identical to the mech-eng course.
Jude: I suppose you'd be familiar with Jenks then? (You know who I mean
)
Pie
I did Aero at Loughborough, and I'm sad to say that if I'd known what it was going to be like (especially the final year) then I don't think I could have faced it. On the other hand, it's a worthwhile course if ever there was one. If you're serious about having a good degree, then it's definitely one worth considering.
It teaches you (or rather makes youu teach yourself) a bit about every aspect of planes apart from flying them. It's also more engineering than aeroplanes. Nearly all of the first year is identical to the mech-eng course.
Jude: I suppose you'd be familiar with Jenks then? (You know who I mean
)Pie
Guest
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Final year Aero at Loughborough.
I too chose this degree being mad about planes - not a good choice. Too hard, too much work, and often very boring. I have to admit when choosing modules later in the degree, and final year project etc. things can get more interesting. The negative side is, by that time the quantity of work is often so great you do not get a chance to sit back and enjoy what you're learning. What you do learn will not directly benefit you during pilot training (although it may help you with the tech writtens).
Having said that, its an extremely respected course because industry understands its tough, so job prospects are very good (not just within the engineering industry).
Given the chance would I choose it again?- Probably not!! Go to uni, do a degree that you know you will really enjoy. Dont miss out on university if you have the opportunity.
Good luck,
JT8
Hey Pie! jenks!! he's still here dammit!!
[This message has been edited by JT8 (edited 13 April 2001).]
[This message has been edited by JT8 (edited 13 April 2001).]
I too chose this degree being mad about planes - not a good choice. Too hard, too much work, and often very boring. I have to admit when choosing modules later in the degree, and final year project etc. things can get more interesting. The negative side is, by that time the quantity of work is often so great you do not get a chance to sit back and enjoy what you're learning. What you do learn will not directly benefit you during pilot training (although it may help you with the tech writtens).
Having said that, its an extremely respected course because industry understands its tough, so job prospects are very good (not just within the engineering industry).
Given the chance would I choose it again?- Probably not!! Go to uni, do a degree that you know you will really enjoy. Dont miss out on university if you have the opportunity.
Good luck,
JT8
Hey Pie! jenks!!
he's still here dammit!![This message has been edited by JT8 (edited 13 April 2001).]
[This message has been edited by JT8 (edited 13 April 2001).]
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JT8
You didn't do A/C project design did you? That'd be why you're finding it hard then! I was in the Odyssey 150 group last year. Check out my really weak report on stability & control. Needless to say, my efforts were concentrated mostly elsewhere.
BTW, do you know Lana & Rebekah? (if not, then they must be two more course victims).
By the way, the email address I'm using is [email protected].
G-BPEC: I don't think the airlines are all that bothered about degrees. In the case of BA, I think they'd rather you had one or were doing one, but it doesn't really matter what in. I can warn you now though, if you end up dropping out or getting less than a 2:2, then you'll have a bit of explaining to do. (If you got less than a 2:2, BA would not consider you full stop). As Jude said, it's not one to do if you're not really committed to getting the degree itself, but I can't think of anything that the airlines would prefer to aero.
Pie
[This message has been edited by Pielander (edited 13 April 2001).]
You didn't do A/C project design did you? That'd be why you're finding it hard then!
I was in the Odyssey 150 group last year. Check out my really weak report on stability & control. Needless to say, my efforts were concentrated mostly elsewhere. BTW, do you know Lana & Rebekah? (if not, then they must be two more course victims).
By the way, the email address I'm using is [email protected].
G-BPEC: I don't think the airlines are all that bothered about degrees. In the case of BA, I think they'd rather you had one or were doing one, but it doesn't really matter what in. I can warn you now though, if you end up dropping out or getting less than a 2:2, then you'll have a bit of explaining to do. (If you got less than a 2:2, BA would not consider you full stop). As Jude said, it's not one to do if you're not really committed to getting the degree itself, but I can't think of anything that the airlines would prefer to aero.
Pie
[This message has been edited by Pielander (edited 13 April 2001).]
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G-BPEC
I am in my final year of Aero-eng at GLA uni. The reason I embarked upon the course was because I believed that I would be able to design and build an a/c from scratch using all the modern technology and if anything went wrong during a flight I would be able to solve it.
NO CHANCE!! It provides you with the ability to be trained when you go into the aviation (engineering)industry. I learned far more about a/c when I did my PPL and far more about airlines and a/c engineering during my placement at BA than in my 4 years of aero-eng!!
looking back however, there is NO other course i would rather do. To hopefully have a BENG HONS in aero-eng behind me soon will be somthing i can keep all my life and there are some things in the course that are interesting. As long as you can handle the maths and physics of it you wont have a problem. It is a course that cannot be taken lightly - if you are wanting more than a degree out of uni then choose something else - but it certianly has gotten my foot in the door of the aviation Industry as i could use it as proof that i am serious about aviation.
hope that gives you some more insight - it is a valued degree and very much worth it in the end
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Pie,
...so your responsible for that Odyssey thing in the project office?!!! and yep, I do aircraft project design
I know Lana, although not personally...I don't think Rebekah passed the second year.
So having done the stability part I'm sure you've been one of render benders victims
...and the point Lady Heath makes is correct. I moan about this degree but it got me a placement with BA too, and I used that apportunity very very well as far as my future pilot prospects go..
JT8
...so your responsible for that Odyssey thing in the project office?!!! and yep, I do aircraft project design
I know Lana, although not personally...I don't think Rebekah passed the second year. So having done the stability part I'm sure you've been one of render benders victims
...and the point Lady Heath makes is correct. I moan about this degree but it got me a placement with BA too, and I used that apportunity very very well as far as my future pilot prospects go..
JT8
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JT8
If you did a year out (which I should have done!) then you must have started at the same time as me, and we must have been on the same course at the same time for 2 years. Email me & identify yourself!
Sorry to hear about Rebekah
I take it you don't do Gas Turbine Design then, or you wouldn't have time to PPRuNe. Shame. Good module.
Anyway, I won't talk too much - You're a busy man! I assume A/C design is due in after Easter? Cya later & good luck with BA.
Pie
If you did a year out (which I should have done!) then you must have started at the same time as me, and we must have been on the same course at the same time for 2 years. Email me & identify yourself!
Sorry to hear about Rebekah
I take it you don't do Gas Turbine Design then, or you wouldn't have time to PPRuNe. Shame. Good module.
Anyway, I won't talk too much - You're a busy man! I assume A/C design is due in after Easter? Cya later & good luck with BA.
Pie
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Did Aero Eng at QMC in the 70s. Effing difficult and didn't learn anything useful apart from how to write greek symbols quickly whilst taking endless notes; I still have nightmares about 'conformal transformation' and control theory was a total mystery. Lecturing quality absolutely dreadful - most lecturers seemed more interested in their research projects than imparting education. But at least we didn't have it as bad as the poor $ods over at 'Impossible College'!
Top tip - forget Aero Eng and do a course with plenty of impressionable babes, field trips and preferably one which is written in English. Like Geography or something which any idiot can do in between sessions in the union bar!!
Top tip - forget Aero Eng and do a course with plenty of impressionable babes, field trips and preferably one which is written in English. Like Geography or something which any idiot can do in between sessions in the union bar!!
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BPEC
Ask yourself what you enjoy academically and want to study to a higher level. What intrigues you and interests you, and in what do you achieve best results.
When Mr. Interviewer asks ,"so BPEC, why did you choose that degree subject," you look better stating 'X interests me greatly, and I wanted to take my studies to a higher level in university. This course gave me many module options and was a well run course at a respected university' rather than, "I did aero eng because I wanted to fly (no disrespect)." Take onboard these guys' advice and do it if it interests you because you can be a pilot with any degree (or none).
Don't consider the 'what would be best for flying' question so long as your degree is academic in nature (ie history, economics, chemistry, engineering and not BSc basket weaving). With drive and enthuiasm, and enough to say about you life and experiences you can tie in examples from any degree to meet the required qualities.
[This message has been edited by Lucifer (edited 13 April 2001).]
Ask yourself what you enjoy academically and want to study to a higher level. What intrigues you and interests you, and in what do you achieve best results.
When Mr. Interviewer asks ,"so BPEC, why did you choose that degree subject," you look better stating 'X interests me greatly, and I wanted to take my studies to a higher level in university. This course gave me many module options and was a well run course at a respected university' rather than, "I did aero eng because I wanted to fly (no disrespect)." Take onboard these guys' advice and do it if it interests you because you can be a pilot with any degree (or none).
Don't consider the 'what would be best for flying' question so long as your degree is academic in nature (ie history, economics, chemistry, engineering and not BSc basket weaving). With drive and enthuiasm, and enough to say about you life and experiences you can tie in examples from any degree to meet the required qualities.
[This message has been edited by Lucifer (edited 13 April 2001).]
Guest
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Agree with most of the posts here. I did an aero degree because I thought it had something to do with aeroplanes. WRONG! It is 3 years of very hard applied maths. In most lectures you are writing so fast to keep up, nothing has time to go through your brain. It is not a lot of fun.
I was very envious of friends doing computer science degrees who were getting straight As with very little work while I was working my butt off to get Bs and Cs. The degree looks good on a cv when applying to an airline, but I do not think it is worth the effort. Airlines are interested in (a) total hours, (b) jet hours, (c) are you a nice bloke/lass? Find an easier course that has pretty women (any social science will do)!
I was very envious of friends doing computer science degrees who were getting straight As with very little work while I was working my butt off to get Bs and Cs. The degree looks good on a cv when applying to an airline, but I do not think it is worth the effort. Airlines are interested in (a) total hours, (b) jet hours, (c) are you a nice bloke/lass? Find an easier course that has pretty women (any social science will do)!
Guest
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The course is all about analysing and designing aircraft, and if that is what you plan to do with your career, there's no better choice. It is also very highly regarded as one of the most demanding general engineering degrees.
It aint easy, it is often frustrating, and it frequently seems to have nothing to do with aviation. I used to go down to the local aircraft museum every month or two to remind myself what I was doing it for.
Subsequently, I've used probably 90% of my aero-degree professionally (the stuff I haven't used is mostly the more obscure maths), but I've gone into fields where it's used. Much of it is at a very different level to, say, an ATPL and most people will tend to specialise in their careers and inevitably only use a small part of it.
If you only want to be a pilot, you may want to do something less demanding and spend the rest of your time at the UAS or University gliding club. If (like me) you want to work in Aerospace, it is easily the best choice - but don't expect an easy ride.
G
It aint easy, it is often frustrating, and it frequently seems to have nothing to do with aviation. I used to go down to the local aircraft museum every month or two to remind myself what I was doing it for.
Subsequently, I've used probably 90% of my aero-degree professionally (the stuff I haven't used is mostly the more obscure maths), but I've gone into fields where it's used. Much of it is at a very different level to, say, an ATPL and most people will tend to specialise in their careers and inevitably only use a small part of it.
If you only want to be a pilot, you may want to do something less demanding and spend the rest of your time at the UAS or University gliding club. If (like me) you want to work in Aerospace, it is easily the best choice - but don't expect an easy ride.
G
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I studied Aeronautical Eng. at QMW London in the early 90's and genuinely enjoyed the course, like any education the quality of lecturing was vital to course, I guess we got lucky with the lecturers we had as all the guys who taught Aero specific courses, as opposed to basic general mathematics, dynamics, computing etc. had a genuine love for their subject which came across so strongly to us undergraduates. This passion made what could have been exceeding dull theories very interesting, all the lecturers were very approachable if you were struggling with any part of the course their door was always open to you, this is one of the most vital things, I believe, to a successful career at uni, to learn to know and admit when you need help and to go and get it from your lecturers, they are not school teachers they will not approach you if you are struggling you need to go to them and say 'I need help with blah'
The true joy to me personally of the whole course came in our final year when we were tasked with designing our own aircraft. This was when we saw what all the effort of the previous two years was for, the application of the Greek alphabet and the plugging in of numbers to vast equations to prove on paper that the aircraft you have designed from that first moment of inspiration of 'I want my aircraft to look like this' will actually perform to the specifications demanded. Standing there presenting your 'Baby', your design, to your peers and (in our case) the board of Britten Norman was an unforgettable experience, and one which I cherish to this day. what I would say about the course is that it is definitely the case of the more you put in to it the more you get out of it. I worked bloody hard for those three years, but played even harder I never missed a social occasion, held down a job to pay my way through my overly active social life and had the time of my life studying a subject that stirs deep passions inside 'me old cockles' now and every day of my life from the day when I first stood on the top floor of the short stay car park at EGKK and looked skywards and said 'Why don't the paipanes (sic.) fall out of de sky dad?'. To sum up and stop my romantic look back at a great time, I can think of no better course to study at uni if you have a real passion for aviation, just research your prospective uni/college well and be prepared to work hard for the subject you love, you will need this even more if you want to go on to have a career as a pilot. Some of my fellow graduates have gone on to fly commercially, I know of one who now flys 737's for bmi and another whole is working for what was KLMUK. Also as has already been said Aeronautical Eng is an extremely highly thought of qualification by industry and commerce the spread of employment of my college year is huge, from millionaire IT city whizz kids to me, an employee of NATS who looks forward to every day at work so that I can look out of the tower window and think 'I know exactly how that aircraft is staying up in the air', which is the question I origianlly asked my father when I was 4 years old on the roof of the carpark.
p.s. yes I am a sad old bugger but I love my life and career.
The true joy to me personally of the whole course came in our final year when we were tasked with designing our own aircraft. This was when we saw what all the effort of the previous two years was for, the application of the Greek alphabet and the plugging in of numbers to vast equations to prove on paper that the aircraft you have designed from that first moment of inspiration of 'I want my aircraft to look like this' will actually perform to the specifications demanded. Standing there presenting your 'Baby', your design, to your peers and (in our case) the board of Britten Norman was an unforgettable experience, and one which I cherish to this day. what I would say about the course is that it is definitely the case of the more you put in to it the more you get out of it. I worked bloody hard for those three years, but played even harder I never missed a social occasion, held down a job to pay my way through my overly active social life and had the time of my life studying a subject that stirs deep passions inside 'me old cockles' now and every day of my life from the day when I first stood on the top floor of the short stay car park at EGKK and looked skywards and said 'Why don't the paipanes (sic.) fall out of de sky dad?'. To sum up and stop my romantic look back at a great time, I can think of no better course to study at uni if you have a real passion for aviation, just research your prospective uni/college well and be prepared to work hard for the subject you love, you will need this even more if you want to go on to have a career as a pilot. Some of my fellow graduates have gone on to fly commercially, I know of one who now flys 737's for bmi and another whole is working for what was KLMUK. Also as has already been said Aeronautical Eng is an extremely highly thought of qualification by industry and commerce the spread of employment of my college year is huge, from millionaire IT city whizz kids to me, an employee of NATS who looks forward to every day at work so that I can look out of the tower window and think 'I know exactly how that aircraft is staying up in the air', which is the question I origianlly asked my father when I was 4 years old on the roof of the carpark.
p.s. yes I am a sad old bugger but I love my life and career.
Guest
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You know, this sounds really interesting. 
I was thinking about doing this but I had my doubts about what it required of me. But, what's the social life like and where do you recommend studying it?
Does anyone know how much it'll cost?
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FlyFreeWbe
~WYSITWIRL
I was thinking about doing this but I had my doubts about what it required of me. But, what's the social life like and where do you recommend studying it?Does anyone know how much it'll cost?
------------------
FlyFreeWbe
~WYSITWIRL