Have you ever built model airplanes and wished it could be a real plane? That career is an option for you now! Becoming an aerospace engineer, you’ll go from building model planes to actually putting people in the sky or space.
What Does an Aerospace Engineer Do?
An aerospace engineer designs, tests, builds, and maintains either aircraft, spacecraft, drones, satellites, and missiles. Aerospace engineers will also create prototypes of their designs in order to determine if their ideas or the ideas of others will be safe, ethical, and meet environmental standards. Aerospace engineers also identify issues for anything that isn’t working and try to find a solution to these problems.
Aerospace engineers can also choose to specialize in aerodynamic fluid flow, structural design, guidance/navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, robotics, or propulsion and combustion. Or, an aerospace engineer can choose to work with either commercial or military airplanes, helicopters, or spacecraft.
Often, an aerospace engineer will become an expert in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, flight mechanics, acoustics, or control systems.
The Two Types of Aerospace Engineering
There are two branches to aerospace engineering: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering.
Aeronautical engineers study aircraft and will use his/her knowledge to study an aircraft’s aerodynamic performance including the aircraft’s materials, propulsion system, and its design. They will design, create, manufacture, and maintain aircrafts as well. Aeronautical engineers, also, develop and maintain aeronautical systems and components to improve fuel efficiency and flight safety.
Astronautical engineers oversee the development of rockets, satellites, and other spacecraft that go outside of the Earth’s atmosphere. These engineers are also known as rocket scientists, and most of the time, an astronautical engineer will focus on one of these areas: thermodynamics, aerodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, guidance systems, or flight mechanics.
The Work Environment of and the Skills Necessary for an Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace engineers typically work in an office environment, but they will have to be where planes or any other aircraft or spacecraft or weapon is being built to oversee the construction. However, these engineers will be on a computer most of the time, running software to build and run test simulations to make sure the designed machines run properly before they are constructed.
To be an aerospace engineer, those interested in this career will need to have analytical skills. Being an aerospace engineer, one must be able to analyze problems, research, and try new tactics when necessary. One will also need great communication skills in order to understand what clients want as well as discuss what needs to be done during construction processes with a team. Aerospace engineers need to be able to understand business fundamentals and legal principles. Computer Assisted Design (CAD) skills are also important to aerospace engineers. One must understand how to run and use CAD to build and test designs. Advanced mathematical skills are also important to become a successful aerospace engineer. Also, one must be able to think through a problem quickly and efficiently when problems arise during the design or construction of the machinery.
Educational Requirements for an Aerospace Engineer
A Bachelor’s Degree is required to be an aerospace engineer. Majoring in aerospace engineering or aeronautical science is a good foundation for an entry-level position as an aerospace engineer. Then, one wanting to go on this career path might want to consider getting a Master’s Degree in the same field of study. Most states will require an accredited engineering degree, work experience, and taking and passing the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam. Certain aerospace engineer positions will require a Professional Engineer (PE) License, too.
If becoming an aerospace engineer is something that interests you and a career path you’d like to pursue, Mississippi State University and University of Ole Miss offer an aerospace engineering degree program. For other aviation degrees, check out Delta State University’s Department of Commercial Aviation.
For more information about careers in the aviation industry, stay tuned to Rebel Services’s Latest News page.
