Aerospace Engineering noobie
Thread Starter
why didnt apply for salford? it's an acreditted engineering school.
Liverpool in my number one. I'm pretty sure sheffield is out, but manchester and Brunel are looking good (they're unconditional offers on a foundation year).
Flame, I've got AS level maths, so I'm not new to integration/differentiation/calculus anyway, but the advice on getting study books (for dummies? what you trying to say?
) is noted.Just how hard is the maths in this thing, say for example using A level maths as the yardstick? Were you sometimes sat in the lecture hall thinking "Oh sweet jesus, am i in the right lecture?"?
Dave
Not all universities will interview, and some will interview only for some courses. In general however, they want to know...
- If you are so disfunctional you'll be a pain to teach.
- Whether you have a genuine interest in the subject
- Whether you will contribute something to university life
- Whether you can think for yourself when not working to an A-level syllabus.
Pretty much anything else they want to know, they can get from the UCAS form.
Re: Salford - reasonable university, good aero side, run by some very capable and enthusiastic people. But, you can only apply to so many universities and personally, the idea of living in and around Salford wouldn't appeal greatly!
Re: Foundation year - if you can go straight into year 1 with the right A-levels, that must always be the best option.
Re: Maths, yes it'll be hard, but if you can get a B at A-level and don't mind hard work and (quite!) a few late nights of self-study, you'll cope.
G
- If you are so disfunctional you'll be a pain to teach.
- Whether you have a genuine interest in the subject
- Whether you will contribute something to university life
- Whether you can think for yourself when not working to an A-level syllabus.
Pretty much anything else they want to know, they can get from the UCAS form.
Re: Salford - reasonable university, good aero side, run by some very capable and enthusiastic people. But, you can only apply to so many universities and personally, the idea of living in and around Salford wouldn't appeal greatly!
Re: Foundation year - if you can go straight into year 1 with the right A-levels, that must always be the best option.
Re: Maths, yes it'll be hard, but if you can get a B at A-level and don't mind hard work and (quite!) a few late nights of self-study, you'll cope.
G
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My university doesn't interview, unfortunately. A number of the staff would love to. If we did, the following are typical questions we'd ask:
(i) we'd give you an equation to differentiate;
(ii) we'd ask you how a satellite stays in orbit;
(iii) we'd ask you what your favourite aircraft is, and why.
Most university academics can't tell one end of an aeroplane from another, though (both ends are pointy, you see). They'd be better off with boats, where at least one end is blunt.
Being keen on aircraft therefore, you're on a winner before you start......
(i) we'd give you an equation to differentiate;
(ii) we'd ask you how a satellite stays in orbit;
(iii) we'd ask you what your favourite aircraft is, and why.
Most university academics can't tell one end of an aeroplane from another, though (both ends are pointy, you see). They'd be better off with boats, where at least one end is blunt.
Being keen on aircraft therefore, you're on a winner before you start......
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India Mike,
Both ends of the aeroplane are pointy then are they? love to know which aircraft you have been working on recently...lol! maybe a better description is "one end is hot!".
Obviously in this day and age "hot" suggests a bit dangerous, suggesting suitable "adult" supervision required. So the sooties amongst you would take that as an endorsement of their abilities. Personally as a rigger I would suggest the heat is just there as a clue to tell them which end is theirs.
Cheers m'dear, JJ
Both ends of the aeroplane are pointy then are they? love to know which aircraft you have been working on recently...lol! maybe a better description is "one end is hot!".
Obviously in this day and age "hot" suggests a bit dangerous, suggesting suitable "adult" supervision required. So the sooties amongst you would take that as an endorsement of their abilities. Personally as a rigger I would suggest the heat is just there as a clue to tell them which end is theirs.
Cheers m'dear, JJ
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I have to agree that my knowledge of aircraft was very poor during my uni days. There should definitely be an introduction to aircraft systems or something similar instead of just assuming prior knowledge. I think it would give students a greater general understanding and appreciation of an aircraft.
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McAero,
Surely you don't mean control rods, wires and turnbuckles? maybe even the ability to wirelock an elbow union while standing on your head...ah happy days! what a radical idea!!
I agree that some basic understanding of relatively simple systems would be a good idea for many especially those who dont have any practical experience. Once you learn the basics, systems actually seem to get easier in this day and age and it is my experience that there is a distinct shortage of basic hand skills among new techies. The value from such an approach would be dependant on the ability of the instructors to distil the information into nice plain terms. Maybe the much discussed foundation year should be a practical placement with a nuts/bolts, wire and plugs company to develop some practical understanding of the difficulties faced by the techies. Hmmm could be interesting!
JJ
Surely you don't mean control rods, wires and turnbuckles? maybe even the ability to wirelock an elbow union while standing on your head...ah happy days! what a radical idea!!
I agree that some basic understanding of relatively simple systems would be a good idea for many especially those who dont have any practical experience. Once you learn the basics, systems actually seem to get easier in this day and age and it is my experience that there is a distinct shortage of basic hand skills among new techies. The value from such an approach would be dependant on the ability of the instructors to distil the information into nice plain terms. Maybe the much discussed foundation year should be a practical placement with a nuts/bolts, wire and plugs company to develop some practical understanding of the difficulties faced by the techies. Hmmm could be interesting!
JJ
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Forget any engineering if you have not done or do not feel confortable with maths. If you need a foundation coarse, forget it and go do business studies, accounting etc
If the uni does what they called a thick sandwich (year out in industry) grab the opportunity. The money will be peanuts but the experience is invaluable and you will graduate with a more mature knowledge of the industry.
Other quotes have been
"But (there's always a but) don't for a moment think that the degree itself makes you all that employable, or that getting your first job (with NATS, BAE(S) or any of the miriad of other players). It is an essential for many aero-eng jobs (certainly most of the jobs that I've done), but it is your experience and abilities that'll really make you employable."
I could not agree more. I have interviewed some guys with degrees I would not trust with my bike. Interpersonnal skills are required and ability to work hard and learn quickly (and please do not graduate thinking you know everthing, otherwise some old timer will give you a well deserved "spanner in the head" award) If anybody claims to know everything in aviation, start running.
"I know someone who spent a term at Kingston Uni doing the Foundation Aero Eng Course and hated it there and dropped out. He also hated the fact that after one term you have to upsticks and go to live in Norwich for a term and then back to Kingston etc. However, this was just his personal experience and thus subjective"
In aviation get used to travel or drop out as the industry is not for you. 15 years in the industry, lived and worked on two continents and four countries. Visited over 50 and had the joy of meeting persons of so many different types, cultures, foods, religions etc that not many other industries would expose me to.But a lot of people in this industry suffer from AIDS (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome) due to the hours/travel etc
You better love aviation of you wish to grow in the business
oh and I did my degree in Kingston............
If the uni does what they called a thick sandwich (year out in industry) grab the opportunity. The money will be peanuts but the experience is invaluable and you will graduate with a more mature knowledge of the industry.
Other quotes have been
"But (there's always a but) don't for a moment think that the degree itself makes you all that employable, or that getting your first job (with NATS, BAE(S) or any of the miriad of other players). It is an essential for many aero-eng jobs (certainly most of the jobs that I've done), but it is your experience and abilities that'll really make you employable."
I could not agree more. I have interviewed some guys with degrees I would not trust with my bike. Interpersonnal skills are required and ability to work hard and learn quickly (and please do not graduate thinking you know everthing, otherwise some old timer will give you a well deserved "spanner in the head" award) If anybody claims to know everything in aviation, start running.
"I know someone who spent a term at Kingston Uni doing the Foundation Aero Eng Course and hated it there and dropped out. He also hated the fact that after one term you have to upsticks and go to live in Norwich for a term and then back to Kingston etc. However, this was just his personal experience and thus subjective"
In aviation get used to travel or drop out as the industry is not for you. 15 years in the industry, lived and worked on two continents and four countries. Visited over 50 and had the joy of meeting persons of so many different types, cultures, foods, religions etc that not many other industries would expose me to.But a lot of people in this industry suffer from AIDS (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome) due to the hours/travel etc
You better love aviation of you wish to grow in the business
oh and I did my degree in Kingston............
Thread Starter
Advice is much apreciated there whiskeyflyer. It's nice to know there are people giving sound advice baed on experience rather than speculation.
I have done AS-level maths (half way to an A-level), and am currently self teching the A2, with a bit of help from past tutors.
The foundation course is probably what I will be offered, but this is surely not a reason to do accounting? I understand there was an element of sarcasm, but I am determined, and A-level maths is well within my capabilities.
Out of curiosity, what is it you do whisky?
Cheers folks!
I have done AS-level maths (half way to an A-level), and am currently self teching the A2, with a bit of help from past tutors.
The foundation course is probably what I will be offered, but this is surely not a reason to do accounting? I understand there was an element of sarcasm, but I am determined, and A-level maths is well within my capabilities.
Out of curiosity, what is it you do whisky?
Cheers folks!
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What do i do.
Lie in bed with flu and browse the web
(ok that's just today)
I am technical manager for a regional jet wet leasing company which operates worldwide (sorry can say no more or ID will be blown but I do not work on 146s
)
My age reflected on my ID for pprune is not acurate.
As a note to any other advise givers on this forum, take on a student part time. Doesn't have to cost a lot. All we did was ring the local uni head of department and ask does he/she have anybody who wants a part time job. Handy for little projects (even if just "cleaning up" after our project) and gives students a good insight into a major part of this job, PAPERWORK, and much more satisfing than paying a grumpy temp.
We on temp number three now (glad to say one of our temp's with his experience from us, resulted in him getting a well paid full time job. Regreatfully we had no full time vacancy at the time). Well temp 4, one student lasted 2 days, I honestly don't know how he tied his own shoe laces, let alone get into uni.
Lie in bed with flu and browse the web
(ok that's just today)I am technical manager for a regional jet wet leasing company which operates worldwide (sorry can say no more or ID will be blown but I do not work on 146s
)My age reflected on my ID for pprune is not acurate.
As a note to any other advise givers on this forum, take on a student part time. Doesn't have to cost a lot. All we did was ring the local uni head of department and ask does he/she have anybody who wants a part time job. Handy for little projects (even if just "cleaning up" after our project) and gives students a good insight into a major part of this job, PAPERWORK, and much more satisfing than paying a grumpy temp.
We on temp number three now (glad to say one of our temp's with his experience from us, resulted in him getting a well paid full time job. Regreatfully we had no full time vacancy at the time). Well temp 4, one student lasted 2 days, I honestly don't know how he tied his own shoe laces, let alone get into uni.
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ok so they didn't teach me that laptop in bed not work well, so thats my excuse for useless spelling, it roasts your neither regions oh 
, which all women know is where men's brains are (I blame all those adverts where they show people working from bed, its not true....... I also believe those adverts where you can loose weight by wearing a silly vibrating pad). Also I did engineering not english lit
anyway two more hot whiskeys, good night sleep and back to earning some money
- oh ya, you should also train your liver in university for working life for when you get to drink out of real glass and not plastic using somebody else's money (called an expense account). OK I failed business ethics.....................
, which all women know is where men's brains are (I blame all those adverts where they show people working from bed, its not true....... I also believe those adverts where you can loose weight by wearing a silly vibrating pad). Also I did engineering not english lit anyway two more hot whiskeys, good night sleep and back to earning some money
- oh ya, you should also train your liver in university for working life
for when you get to drink out of real glass and not plastic using somebody else's money (called an expense account). OK I failed business ethics.....................
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Flame,
Thats an easy one to answer. I have only ever worked on fighter aircraft so there is one pointy end and a blunt end, and the blunt end is invariably extremely hot, and noisy.
Also the pointy end generally has lots of other pointy things pointing in the same direction. Finding the right end is so much easier!
Think we should wait til the weather is a little warmer for the picnic but the offer still stands...lol!
JJ
Thats an easy one to answer. I have only ever worked on fighter aircraft so there is one pointy end and a blunt end, and the blunt end is invariably extremely hot, and noisy.
Also the pointy end generally has lots of other pointy things pointing in the same direction. Finding the right end is so much easier!
Think we should wait til the weather is a little warmer for the picnic but the offer still stands...lol!
JJ
Thread Starter
Got my unconditional offer from Liverpool today... I'm in for this september!
Thanks for your advice guys, it's always appreciated.
If anyone's gonna be there next Sept let me know if you want to meet for a beer etc.
Dave
[I have asked myself why I'm doing this course, considering the holy grail of Aerospace Engineering (pointy vs blunt) has been revealed... Is there anything left to learn!?]
Thanks for your advice guys, it's always appreciated.
If anyone's gonna be there next Sept let me know if you want to meet for a beer etc.
Dave
[I have asked myself why I'm doing this course, considering the holy grail of Aerospace Engineering (pointy vs blunt) has been revealed... Is there anything left to learn!?]
Thread Starter
Hold the press
Had some bad news. The foundation course is spending a year at Carmel catholic college for a year. I can't do that, not gonna happen lol.
The other option they gave me was to do A-level, then they'd let me in on the Beng.
I already have AS maths, so I could just tag on A-level.. Looks like this is my only option. The foundation course looks absolutely crap, considering I've done Chemistry and Physics to a reasonably high level. I can't go back to school
.
I want university, so looks like another year before I can get there.
I hate everything and everyone lol.
ARGH!
(dream747, I've heard it's hard but possibe, the ATPL exams are undertaken in year 3!
Thanks Flame Lily FX.)
The other option they gave me was to do A-level, then they'd let me in on the Beng.
I already have AS maths, so I could just tag on A-level.. Looks like this is my only option. The foundation course looks absolutely crap, considering I've done Chemistry and Physics to a reasonably high level. I can't go back to school
.I want university, so looks like another year before I can get there.
I hate everything and everyone lol.
ARGH!
(dream747, I've heard it's hard but possibe, the ATPL exams are undertaken in year 3!
Thanks Flame Lily FX.)
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Kerosine, if one takes the ATPL in year 3 I suppose that's part of the total credits towards the course right? Would that mean that some engineering modules are to be left out?
Originally Posted by Kerosene
[I have asked myself why I'm doing this course, considering the holy grail of Aerospace Engineering (pointy vs blunt) has been revealed... Is there anything left to learn!?]
I started off as an irritating, arrogant, but halfway knowledgeable 19 year old. At 21 I was pretty convinced that I understood how aeroplanes worked and flew. Around 30 I finally admitted I hadn't a clue - now I'm a seasoned professional, with more letters after my name than my age (okay, I'm still irritating and arrogant) - and quite clear that I really know nothing about anything.
Apparently this qualifies me to teach students up to Doctoral level, and to practice as an aeronautical engineer and (on a good day) professional pilot.
G