Is any one on here an aeronautical engineer or knows the field
 

If you are or know the field can you please just give me examples of career progressions?

Im trying to get onto an apprenticeship with british airways and will have an interveiw at the end of my year long induction.

Thanks a bunch

Nope did not even realize it as separate field. My dad was a mechanical engineer who worked alongside electrical engineers designing spacecraft. He went from draftsman doing engineering drawings for airplane parts (he worked on the steering for the Martin 4-0-4) to engineering school (GA Tech) to design work and then to quality control and management. Design was his love-he hateded QC and management. He primarly designed docking sytsems for spacecraft. But had a number of patents for Glenn L Martin Company before he brached of into aerospace. But that was a long time ago.

He hated the kids who went straight through from High school to BS to MS because many of them had no hands on feel for things like torque wrenches etc. The ones all book, no hands on.... He loved the technicians who aspired to become engineers because of the experience. Fortunatly many engineering schools now take longer and have co-op programs where you actually break up your education with honest to goodness work in the field. That kind of program also opens job doors. My dad had a job out of college because he was a draftsman for the comany who encouraged him to go to engineering school in the first place.

Main reason for doing the induction year. We spend a year using aircraft tools and getting to know them while being taught by ex engineers. we also study aircraft related subjects

Technical people are not necessarily good at this but, sigh, IF you want to advance you need to learn the nuances of all the political games people play including being good at golf or whatever social activity goes on over there.

Being the best at what you do and having an unbending passion for quality, will often advance your respect but not necessarily your career for financial renumeration. You have to figure what is important.

Like I said - once my father went to QC and Management he hated his job but was paid well. Ever read about Apollo 13? My dad's boss yanked his "D stamp" (it was a sign off to launch) from his hand and said "its going up". My dad refused to watch the launch. I remember that day. He was pacing and fuming and wringing his hands.

Honestly, it is an old book but may be a worthwhile read "The Peter Principle"......

This is the field my daughter wants to go into. She is in her jr year of engineering college. She will have a BS degree in mechanical engineering then will go for her MS in Areonautical engineering. There is a LOT of math involved so be very good in math. She interns over the summer in jobs that give her experience in her field and is thinking that maybe her way to NASA might be to go into the military after she has her degrees. However there is also a lot of interest in private space flight so she may look to one of the private companies as they pay a whole lot better. I'm so excited for her, one day I will be able to say..."my daughter is a rocket scientist" :D

Aerospace is an amazing adventure and hopefully by the end of this year i will be one step closer to being a pully licenced aircraft egingeer

The cryo tank manufacturer was supposed to redesign the heater circuit to operate on 65VDC that was standard power at the time. The tank manufacturer left the heater control circuit to operate on 28VDC which is fairly standard in the aerospace business.

They accepted the tank(s) anyway and used them. Relay fused closed, Teflon wire insulation melted (in a tank of LOX). Time for a stir, and Boom.

Your dad probably knew this and others knew he knew it too.

Forgot to add agree with Jocoyn, my husband is in engineering and got there by being hands on vrs. school but today you need both. My daughter no only summer co-ops but she also plays the game well. She was president of the National Honor Society at her high school, now she is vice president of her schools chapter of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). She also sits on complex council and is involved in a lot of leadership activities. A snobby Air Force recruiter once told her she didn't have enough leadership so she is going to not only have her degrees but enough leadership experience that if she does go the military route she wants to be his boss. LOL Her summer internships have been at places that have a lot of military contacts and she has made contacts in the field who are offering her more summer internships. She does grunt work all summer and gets very dirty but she loves it and it pays very well.