CEng ,Eng Tech ,IEng ?

[Andamiriel]

anyone who can explain what is different about each of these?
CEng ,Eng Tech ,IEng

also what is a B1,B2 qualification?

and number 3 after an Meng in AeroEng what steps do i take to become eligible to apply for jobs in the aircraft maintenance industry

[eglnyt]

The first bit is best explained by a visit to the Engineering Council website ECUK - Engineering Council UK - Regulating the engineering profession and setting the standards in the UK (http://www.engc.org.uk/)

[Andamiriel]

thanks ill look now :)

[jpoth06]

Don't do a degree if you want to actually be working with aircraft and 'getting into their knickers' so to speak.

B1:

The B1 licence is a mechanical based licence and
permits the holder to issue certificates of release to
service following line maintenance, including aircraft
structure, power plants and mechanical and electrical
systems. Replacement of avionic line replaceable units
requiring simple tests without the use of test equipment
to prove their serviceability is also included within the
privileges of this licence. A Category B1 licence holder
also has a role in base maintenance in supporting the
Category C certifier who is the final CRS/SMI signatory.

B2:

The B2 licence is avionic based and permits the holder
to issue certificates of release to service, following line
maintenance on avionic systems. A Category B2
licence holder also has a role in base maintenance in
supporting the Category C certifier who is the final
CRS/SMI signatory.

Have a read of the ELGD (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=177&pagetype=68&gid=777) for licence information.

[Genghis the Engineer]

The first bit is best explained by a visit to the Engineering Council website ECUK - Engineering Council UK - Regulating the engineering profession and setting the standards in the UK (http://www.engc.org.uk/)

Who at ECUK wrote that drivel!

These are the benefits a CEng enjoys:

The status of being part of a technological elite
Recognition of their expertise and hard work
High self-esteem
Higher earnings potential
Improved career prospects
Greater influence within their organisation and industry
Access to life-long learning


I'm quite proud of being a Chartered Engineer, but don't really recognise much of myself in that list. Good Eng.Techs/LAMEs have as much influence on the industry and as good earnings potential as good CEngs, plus they're usually more employable. And "technological elite", yes, I can see that going down well if I ever used the phrase at staff meetings - I'm a good Engineer, qualified to do difficult jobs, but so are lots of other people; we're not an elite.

Being a CEng is great - you get to work on fun projects, do interesting stuff, drive new and exciting technology and rarely have to conduct wire-locking outdoors in freezing rain - but EC do get a bit carried away with their own propaganda sometimes.

Just adding something constructive - no, don't do a BEng or MEng if you want to work in aircraft maintenance, the qualification is for quite different career routes: such as the progression towards become a CEng.

G

[Blacksheep]

part of a technological elite My younger brother is a CEng in Civil Engineering and doesn't put his PhD on his card because people will think he's un unpractised boffin with no idea about the real world. He's as likely to be found out in the wind, rain and mud with a hard hat on his head as to be sat at a desk. He says he leaves the science to the university; its the chaps who do the digging who have the technology. I suppose that makes them the technological elite. ;)

[Andamiriel]

wow thats really interesting thanks guys:)
Im finding it a bit difficult believing that I could ever make something of use to the World:(
Io many do though!

[Aeronut]

The requirements for the award of CEng make it a valuable and known quantity:

ECUK - Registration Requirements (http://www.engc.org.uk/registration/RegistrationRequirements.aspx)

http://www.engc.org.uk/documents/EC0006_UKSpecBrochure_MR.pdf

Those that berate it are usually those who are either unable, or cannot be bothered, to pursue it.

[Genghis the Engineer]

The requirements for the award of CEng make it a valuable and known quantity:

ECUK - Registration Requirements (http://www.engc.org.uk/registration/RegistrationRequirements.aspx)

http://www.engc.org.uk/documents/EC0006_UKSpecBrochure_MR.pdf

Those that berate it are usually those who are either unable, or cannot be bothered, to pursue it.

I've been a CEng for 14 years, am proud of that (perhaps more so than my PhD) and believe it is a valuable benchmark of quality, and would personally support it becoming a licence to practice in many jobs (for example for a design engineer at a level where he/she is allowed to sign off design work, a flight test engineer approving test plans, and most especially a university lecturer teaching future Chartered Engineers.)

But, after getting over the initial "CEng / graduate route elite" brainwashing of my youth, I've come to realise that there is no single "technological elite" within our industry. The various flavours of engineer are not superior to each other (on average, not even financially), albeit that there are certainly levels of quality within each flavour: a CEng is superior to a simple BEng and a licenced engineer is superior to unlicenced (on average!), and there's an inevitable overlap between our respective skillsets.

Ultimately, working in engineering is rewarding, worthwhile, and sometimes even well paid. But whether we trained via an undergraduate degree --> CEng, research --> PhD/postdoc/fellow, or apprenticeship --> licences, is a matter of different routes through the profession and consistently improving personal qualities, not anybody's "elite status" because they belong to one bit or another.

G

[lovezzin]

Well said G, I agree with all your poinjts and they were very well made!! although I suppose in your days (haha :}) a BEng sufficed for academic requirements...doh...still many years off for me!!

[Genghis the Engineer]

Yes, I got my CEng before anybody needed an MEng for the academic requirements. I'm personally a bit ambivalent about the more recent requirement for MEng (or BEng + MSc) but it's how it is now.

My instinct is to believe that BEng+MSc is probably the better route because the MSc offers the ability to do a high level specialist course in a direction you want to specialise. That said, for complex reasons it's been clear to me in the 4ish years that I've been teaching on both (only occasionally now, but bits of modules at 3 univerities) that final year MEng students are generally much higher quality students than MSc students.

G