Avionics apprenticeships???
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Avionics apprenticeships???
Hi all,i'm going for the avionics apprentice.... with qantas and i was hoping someone could give me some tips/advice.Also could someone describe the main job or jobs a avionics a.m.e does???.. .THANKS HEAPS..........
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Just a little question,. .. .From your profile you say you want a flying job. Why are you going for an avionics apprenticeship?. .Do you know ANYTHING about what to expect in the job?. .. .With regard to the main jobs of and Avionics engineer, I think the job of the highest priority has to be making tea for the A&C guys!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> . .. ."Some days you are pigeon, some days you are the statue!"
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Looking round the crewroom I would say making your tech's tea and holding the seats in place. On nights it will just be a case of tucking them in and reading Flight to them. You will get full training on the IFE in First using the test tapes until you get bored of the same old films.. .Officially you will be rewiring plugs, ringing out looms, getting into impossibly tight places, basically anything to do with electron flow.. .You will, of course, have to get used to being called a fairy, conehead, sparks and many less publishable names.. .After 4 years of training you will then be able to work on most of the fleet with absolute confidence. Only to be told by a snotty nosed F/O that in his opinion you've got it wrong. . .Im not bitter honest! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="cool.gif" />
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Take no notice of all those rude people. Welcome to the world of the intelligent, educated and generally superior aristocrats of the engineering world. Don't let the misspelled ramblings of the mentally challenged mechanical fraternity with their gravel rashed knuckles, sloping foreheads and protruding brow ridges concern you. You are joining an elite brotherhood. . .. .Certainly you will be expected to make the odd cup of tea, and sweep a floor or two here and there, but that's what apprentices are for. You will also be privileged to enter the mysterious world of a wide variety of instruments - both mechanical and electronic, automatic flight control systems, navigational systems, radio communications and radar equipment. Avionics requires the widest theoretical knowledge of all the engineering specialisms and spans from physics, aerodynamics and theory of flight, through subjects such as gyroscopic theory and inertial navigation to cover both both mechanical and electronic engineering. Avionic engineering isn't particularly well paid but it is interesting, absorbing and rewarding in itself. The light hearted anti-avionics banter that you have already encountered conceals a strong anti-avionics bias that exists in the airline engineering world; If you take no notice or better still, give as good as you get, that need be no bar to advancement. When I started out I also had no idea what was in store but Good Luck with your apprenticeship, I hope you have as much fun as I have had.. .. .**********************************. .Through difficulties to the cinema
What's an apprentice?. .. .Oh, I remember, they were those young chaps we used to have wandering around in green overalls. . .Not seen one for years, I thought they had died out due to lack of industry support!. .. .Best of luck jimick. If you get a good training, and then your licenses, then in about 10 years time you will be well placed. Just take a look in Flight International and you will see that the industry is crying out for licensed avionic engineers NOW.. .In fact, an article in Flight last year conceded that within 10 years the pay rates for licensed engineers in general will be on a par with flight crew!. .The industy is in a trough at the moment but when it picks up, as it is already starting to do, then LAMEs will be sitting pretty.. .. .I just hope that when you finish your time we are not in another slump!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />
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Just for info jimick:-. . The difference between a+c and avionics is that a+c engineers can see and practically understand what they are dealing with. . .Avionics engineers on the other hand haven't got a clue what "electricity" really is....as a matter of fact the best Quantum theory scientists in the world haven't got a clue what "electricity" really is. (try reading "the God Particle" or "Stephen Hawkins"). This explains the weird nature of avionics engineers. You could liken it to trying to fix aircraft with magic!! This is why they are all strange,confused and ramble incoherently when asked theoretical questions!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> . .. .Good luck anyway.
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For your info HOVIS apprentices are those 12 boys and girls at Atlantic Aeroengineering at Coventry in Blue Overalls That work on real Aeroplanes that dont tell them what is wrong and what part to change! See There are some out here still!!
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Another prerequisite for avionics engineers is to be able to complete the Telegraph crossword before your A&C conterparts have finished the Sun coffee break one! (The one usually found in the crewroom toilet with the clues filled in with different pen colours and handwriting)
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Best of luck on your chosen career Jimick,just be careful you don`t get deep vein thrombosis from sitting in the crew room all day,from an A&C point of view,we find it best to get up and walk round every half hour!!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" />
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Is there something i should know about "avionics",because i get this funny feeling. .(from the posts i've read) that i might regret doing it.From what i've heard,avionics is the top choice.. .. .avionics-interesting,fun,hardwork+big$$$$$$. .mechanical-top blokes to work with,dirty,average pay. .structures-**** boring,**** pay. .. .One last Q, A&C??????
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Nearly right. .Avionics or B2 = dull, boring, lazy, self indulgent with delusions of grandeur. Under JAR hold very limited certification rights so have to crawl to nearest A & C guy for CRS on anything more than a bulb change or box swap.. .A & C or B1 = creme de la creme. Usually suave, sophisticated, intelligent and witty. Babe magnets. Usually too clever to get dirty because they are able to easily trick avionics blokes into doing the dirty work for them in return for hosties' phone numbers (made up ones heh heh). .. .HST
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There you go jimick, they speak for themselves. Although the mechanics outnumber us in the ratio of three to one, yet they could summon up not one single witty riposte. Indeed, only one reply had correct grammar throughout and no spelling mistakes. . .. .Avionics engineers are becoming scarce, and consequently will acquire scarcity value. If you insist on entering the aviation engineering field, avionics really is the best choice. The allegation that avionics engineers spend all their time in the crewroom doing crossword puzzles is nonsense. We spend our time engaged in interesting and intellectually challenging troubleshooting on complex electronic systems. The mechanical people also have interesting jobs too, wrestling as they do with hydraulic systems, maintaining the lavatories and crawling through fuel tanks grinding out deep seated corrosion. The expression "mentally challenged" can also be applied here but in a slightly different sense than when speaking of the secret brethren of the electronic fraternity.. .. .**********************************. .Through difficulties to the cinema
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Many years ago, I too made the choice to become an Avionic Eng or 'Greenie'. It was funny when one of the other guys on my course didn't actually know what he wanted to become, A+C or Greenie. Confusing times.. .. .The result was an interesting blend of experiences, getting to know the in's and out's of anything with a wire on it. The usual problems were light bulbs, which the A+C's could not be bothered to change themselves, and if they tried, the thing usually ended up in kit form after half an hour.. .. .Quite a few interesting courses as well. In the end, it all boils down to who you are working for. Some modern companies use the 'remote control engineering' approach. This means that you have some A+C grubber telling you to change some engine computer or other while they can't actually be bothered to fix the real problem, and they're just buying 'thinking time'.. .. .As aircraft get more complex, and the mechanical bits become more reliable, the Greenie bits still seem to fail with regular monotony. All this adds up to a job with cast-iron prospects, if you can stick at it.. .. .My advice is listen to the old-timers, they've usually seen all the defects, and their experience is not written down in any of the manuals. Good luck.
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I did my Avionics Apprenticeship with B-Cal just before Bad Attituude took over.. .It was 4 years of fun and set me up for a lifetime in the IT industry. I know several apprentices went on to become FE's and FO's after their time as apprentices.. .good Luck
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Jimick, hopefully I'm not too late and you are still monitoring this thread.. .. .As a Qantas Avionics LAME, I'm sure I will be able to answer a lot of the questions that you may have.. .. .I have some questions for you also, based on the difference between your posts and your profile. We can talk about that if you reply.. .. .Let me know if you are still around.
