Mechanical Engineer to Aircraft Maintenance Engineering

[MohammedSalman]

Hey fellas,
So i'm Salman and studying in Heriot Watt University ,Dubai Campus.
I currently am doing my B.E (Hons) Mechanical Engineering.
I really want to become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. I would just like to know once I get my degree what should be my next step from there?
Should I look for a job as an aircraft technician ?

I've been researching about aircraft maintenance. Should I get an A&P license or a B1 license ?
Is there any difference in the two ?

Thanks in advance for the help
Salman

[Genghis the Engineer]

Other people can explain about the licences, but your MechEng degree doesn't count for anything except what it's given you in study skills.

Maintenance engineering is a totally different field and you will, for all reasonable purposes, be starting again I'm afraid.

G

[MohammedSalman]

Well crap.
What would you suggest I should do ?
Should I finish by MechEng? Or stop that and join an aircraft maintenance course?
Will the MechEng degree help me in any way in the AME field later on?

[newhorizon]

Well like the previous poster stated you Meng degree will NOT help you at all. If you want to start the AME start asap by joining some uni which teaches you to get the license!

[Rigga]

A small correction, but not much real help:

Your Mech Eng WILL help you - but not until AFTER you have completed your AME training.

It should help in your ability to diagnose faults as you (may) have a deeper understanding of some systems.

But my advice is that you should get your Degree first!

[Genghis the Engineer]

Long term, yes - a BEng or MEng plus a maintenance licence are not a bad thing to build a senior management career on.

And certainly having a maintenance licence could be of considerable value in an aircraft design role.

But a MechEng degree as I said previously is of at-best minimal value to a maintenance engineer. It's just the wrong skillset.


Seriously, either give up and study what you actually want to do, or complete the degree and then seek a job that uses it.

G