Maintenance and Engineering Hints and Tips

[Mile_Hi]

Guys and Gals, I would love to get a job closer to Aviation. I am currently developing engines and powertrain systems within the automotive industry and have a BEng hons in mechanical Engineering. (I have a CPL so have a rough idea about the various systems and aerodynamics involved)
It would be great to hear from any of you who could give me any general advice/info about how to transfer my skills and any recommended evening/distance learning courses to become qualified. Thanx

[holly4]

No offence to you Mile Hi, but you must be absolutely mad to want to get involved in the aircraft industry at the present time. The whole industry is collapsing around it's own greedy self and you would be best to stay well clear and stick with a more land based transport.Come back in about eighteen months when the thousand or so engineers that are losing their jobs around Manchester airport and the other losses around the country have all found work. :) :)

[wryly smiling]

I would also imagine that the pay and conditions are better in the automotive sector!

[Genghis the Engineer]

I disagree with the two jaded individuals above. On the design, approval and airworthiness side, the industry is very busy and very interesting. Maintenance and operations are bad places to be at the moment, but the industry overall isn't necessarily. There is certainly a sorry lack of high calibre CEng level professionals across the industry and the money if not exceptional, is at-least as good as you'll get in the Automotive sector.

Your combination of presumably a CEng MIMechE, and a CPL probably gives you a good change of a job interview with one of the big companies - BAe / Westlands / BNG / Marshalls / FRL if a suitable MechEng / aircraft design job is going. But you do really need to understand some of the more highbrow theory that hasn't been picked up between your flying and MechEng qualifications.

I'd suggest investing in a handful of books. Start off with Darrol Stinton's first two books, "Design of the Aeroplane", and "Anatomy of the Aeroplane" (although the former is a bit hard to get hold off at present). "The Aeronautical Engineers Data Book", by Clifford Mathews has just come out, and is also worth having.

I'd also suggest buying or downloading the main airworthiness codes, JAR-23 and JAR-25 and learning your way around them, particularly the main definitions, the flight envelope, and the standard methods by which things are done in there. Megson's "Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students" is helpful in understanding some of the more aircraft specific stuff like hoop stresses or torsional divergence.

Finally a bit of the mathematical side of flight mechanics is useful. There are several books around on the subject, and I'd hesitate to recommend one beyond the others. I've yet to find a book that stood out to me as excellent, but neither have I found one that was truly appauling.

As to courses, there sadly isn't anybody in the UK doing distance learning AeroEng degrees, despite efforts by myself and others from time to time. Farnborough College does a good part time one, but you'd be better off looking outside the UK to somewhere like Embry-Riddle.

Noting from your profile that you're in London, you could do worse than stroll over to Imperial College or QMW who both do well regarded aero-eng degrees. Even if they don't do part time degrees, the bookshops are likely to be worth a browse.

Best of luck, designing, building and testing aeroplanes is a fantastically interesting occupation.

G

[aeroguru]

Thanks Ghengis for reminding us that there is a higher plane where it's not all doom and gloom for the ones who aspire to design and produce.Hats off to these engineers.
On the other hand maintaining them and operating them has always been as subject to ups and downs like the proverbial "whore's draws". :rolleyes:

[PinPusher]

Try speaking to Kingston Uni regarding courses. They are advertising and Aeronautical Engineering degree which you might be able to get into post-grad.

If you're a IEng or the like you probably know the publications to check out for jobs but look in the Telegraph on Thursdays and/or Sundays and Flight International weekly. As mentioned above, plenty of design jobs on the go just now - probably more design and development stuff than there is on the maintenance side.

Go along to the Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton place, London as well. They might let you in to look at their library or at least have an "expert" there to chat about the subject/industry.

[Blacksheep]

While there's a downside for LAEs and pilots right now, the demand for good graduate engineers continues. Demand exceeds supply by a wide margin and we just can't get our hands on enough of the right people. Follow Ghengis's excellent advice on self training by all means but have you tried sending your C.V. off to a few airlines? Bypass H.R. and send letters direct to Engineering. You're a graduate, so you won't have much trouble winkling out the names and addresses of the heads of Tech Services if you're as keen as you say. ;-)

Good Luck!

**********************************
Through difficulties to the cinema

[400 Hertz]

You shouldn't have much trouble in getting a job in today's climate. A lot of guys around me in the industry are looking for a way out. Some have even ended up where you already are!

If a lot of companies are like mine, there are finance guys trying to get numbers of engineers down to 'acceptable levels' which is guru speak for not enough engineers on the job. Many guys are leaving over the next few years through retirement. With others leaving over pay and conditions, chances of getting in are better all the time.

The Kingston course sounds good, but I hear there is a lot of 'equation soup' on the course. Reports are favourable though. Good luck.

[Mile_Hi]

Thank you chaps for all the advice. I can now look forward to Christmas day getting stuck into my new present from Aunty Dorris -"Aeronautical Mathematics" along with a mince pie of course!

The thought of Developing the Focus and Mondeo for yet another couple of years is doing my head in so time for a change.

The automotive sector is always crying out for Aeronautical Engineers as their skills are easilly transferable. I hope that it'll be the same the other way. Thanks.