Career in Aeronautical Engineering Part - 1

Engineers work as part of a very organized andfringe benefits of free travel for self and family also,
efficient team who maintain aircraft and ensure a highapart from numerous other perks
level of technical precision. For maintenance duringThe Job
turnarounds, they often work at great speed andAircraft engineers in civil aviation normally specialize in
under immense pressure. Work is normally carried outaeronautical mechanical or electronic engineering.
under supervision of senior engineers. The main thrust1) Mechanical engineers service and overhaul engines
of the engineering profession lies in design,and airframes.
development, maintenance and teaching of2) Aeronautical electronic engineers specialize in the
aeronautics. Engineers are also involved in othermaintenance of instruments, electrical and electronic
non-conventional fields such as air turbine productionequipment, navigation, radar and radio communication.
plants or design development programmes for the3) Flight engineers make preflight inspections and are
aviation industry.responsible for the efficient performance of the
Prospectsaircraft during flight. They diagnose and deal with any
An aeronautical engineer applies scientific andsystems failures, manage repairs, report any defects
technological principles to research, design, maintain,to maintenance and later check that they have been
test and develop the performance of civil and militarydealt with. They may also be responsible for refueling.
aircraft, missiles, weapons systems, satellites and4) Engineers carry out routine maintenance on the
space vehicles. The role is focused on enhancingground during aircraft overhauling at airports.
high-quality flight safety and standards, as well as5) They respond to reports from air-crew of any
reducing system costs and, increasingly, thedifficulties experienced during flights, repairing and
environmental impact of air travel. Aeronauticalmaking corrections.
Engineeringoffers a wide range of roles. Most6) They also maintain and overhaul aircraft in hangers
engineers specialize in a particular area, such asand workshops when an aircraft is due for its regular
research, design, testing, manufacture or maintenance.inspection and checks.
Employment is available with Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet7) They complete worksheets for checks made and
Airways, Sahara, Deccan Air, Helicopter Corporationthese are certified themselves if they are licensed to
of India and flying clubs, private airlines and governmentdo so, or by a qualified supervisor.
owned air service. Besides airlines, aeronauticalPersonality Traits
engineers get employment in organizations such as1.) Strong sense of responsibility
Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd, Defense Research and2.) Manual, technical and mechanical aptitude
Development Laboratories, National Aeronautical Lab,3.) Ability to work as members of a team
Aeronautical Development Establishment and Civil4.) Normal color vision
Aviation Department, to name a few. With the rise in5.) Physically fit.
the number of private air taxis and liberalization of airSalaries
space, avenues for aeronautical engineers have seenSalaries in government organizations are 10-12, 000 per
an upward swing.month. Whereas private companies pay much more,
Engineers in government organizations, such as HAL,about 2.5 lacs per annum.
NAL are paid official scales while those in the privateTo know about Admission Procedure, Eligibility and
sector are paid according to the scales decided by theApplication Deadlines for Aeronautical Engineering, read
management of the company. Airline professionals getthe Second Part (2) of this article.