Career Path as a Maintenance Engineer!

[amcl1986]

Hello all,

I am finishing my degree in Aeronautical Engineering this year and was hoping to gain qualifications to work as an engineer at an aircraft maintenance firm.

My question is, what licences must i take? B1, B2, Part 66??
Do i have to undergo the same training as a Maintenance Technician???
I find it all very confusing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Alan

[cessna24]

Hi Alan,

Depends on what you would prefer. B1 Licence is airframe and engines and some avionics. B2 licence is your real avionics including radios, radar etc. These licenses are what are used throughout europe and reconised throughout the world.
With your degree you would be exempt from a few modules which I think in your case would be maths and physics but YES you would still have to complete the B1,B2 course requirements.
I suggest some reading on the CAA website, under personal licensing, then under engineering and that will give you the exact list of what the feds! {CAA} want you to do.
Once you have the license, you then have to undergo work experience to gain the relevant experience. This is paid work but without any experience your no doubt be the apprentice in some ways.
But it is good fun and its a brilliant job when you get with a good company.
Good luck

c24

[nodrama]

Alan,

I in no way mean to demean aircraft maintenance engineers, because I am one. With a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, don't you want to set your sights higher?

I became (a few years ago now) a maintenance engineer on the strength of an unspectacular education and a Forces apprenticeship.
I enjoy my job, and I find it rewarding......as you may well do if you go down that road. But you don't need a degree to change an engine, know that a hydraulic NRV is leaking, re-rack a 'black box' or, indeed, read a maintenance manual.

There is weight in the arguement that some years with 'hands-on' experience under your belt could make you a more 'rounded' engineer, but don't lose sight of the possibilities open to you.

:ok:

[SMOC]

Alan,

Make sure you do your homework as to what job you actually want to perform on a day to day basis.

I applied for an A/C maintenance apprenticeship just after I left school (Australia) as I wanted to work on 747s but didn't do my homework as such, and during my interview they asked if I wanted to do a Mechanical or Airframe apprenticeship, I asked what each job did exactly and basically got told airframe was the way to go to get to work on the airframe and mechanical would be fixing chairs.

Now they weren't wrong (the guys interviewing were airframe and I think they coaxed me into being one of them) but after I started I found out that Mechanical was what I'd wanted. The airframe job was sheetmetal very skillful as some of the parts I've seen made by sheetmeatal guys was incredible, but there's no reason for a sheetmatal guy to change a landing gear which was the stuff I wanted to do, but I had to fix chairs and the crappy stuff before I got there.

However during my time doing sheetmetal work we often dealt with aeronautical engineers that designed the repairs needed for the A/C which weren't applicable to the SRM (structural repair manual) these guy wore suits and ties and only came out to the A/C when required to see how to start coming up with a repair and I figured got paid more than us due to their degree, is this you? It's was definitely not the job for me.

Thankfully I managed to change from a "sheety" to airframe/engine (mechanical) apprentice in my first yr and spent many happy years working on the 747.

[ericferret]

The financial package is also an issue. Currently B1 or B2 with the airlines or offshore helicopters will make about £50,000+ in the UK. In Europe E50,000+ with better benefits.

This might well include a lot of nights and working in conditions that are far from pleasant.

You should compare this with the potential income from a degree based job. In the end only you can make the choice.