What is aeronautical engineering? Does it allow you to fly? It may not, but it does help your make others fly and create a career for yourself that takes you to great heights.
All of us have been intrigued by the concept of flying at some point in our life. From flying kites to “engineering” the longest flying paper rocket in classrooms, we have all tried to solve the mystery behind the flying objects at some age.
We all have that one friend who runs to the terrace every time an aircraft is crossing from above. All this suggests that humans are fascinated by the idea of flying.
Perhaps that’s why Aeronautical Engineering is a popular choice among teens. But most of them do not pursue it due to a lack of guidance. If you dream to rule the skies and create innovative flying machines, Aeronautical Engineering is the career for you!
In this post we will discuss the scope of aeronautical engineering as a career in a great detail. By the end of the article, you will have a clear idea of what is aeronautical engineering and how do you become an aeronautical engineer.
So, stay with me and read on.
Topics covered
What is Aeronautical Engineering?
Aeronautical Engineering is a branch of aerospace engineering that deals with the study and creation of advanced technologies in the field of aviation, defense systems, and space technology. This course prepares you for designing, development, testing, maintenance, and operation of commercial airplanes, military aircraft, and their components.
Although aeronautical engineers generally don’t fly aircraft, they certainly have a huge contribution towards the field of aviation. Let’s look at the responsibilities and job description of aeronautical engineers.
What do Aeronautical Engineers do?
Btw, just wanted to confirm if you are aware of the second name given to aeronautical engineers; it is, aerospace engineers.
Aeronautical Engineers are mainly responsible for devising aircraft and propulsion systems. But this doesn’t mean that an Aeronautical Engineer’s job role is limited.
A job of Aeronautical Engineers includes several responsibilities. They are responsible for creating innovative, eco-friendly, economic, and energy-efficient methods of air transportation. As an aeronautical engineer, you can either design or develop aircraft or work on components of aircraft.
Job Responsibilities of an Aeronautical Engineer
- Direct, co-ordinate, design the manufacturing and testing of aerospace products
- Determine the feasibility of projects from a technical and a financial standpoint
- Access the safety of projects and their ability to meet the defined goals
- Evaluate designs, and ensuring that they conform to engineering best practices, customer requirements, and environmental standards
- Develop a mechanism for accepting design techniques, frame quality standards, form project management rules
- Inspect and repair malfunctioning and damaged products
That’s not it. Depending on the industry an aeronautical engineer works in, his job roles may get extended. For example, the duties of an engineer in the defense industry will be a bit more than the ones in the civil aviation industry.
What are the Top Aeronautical Engineer Jobs?
Aeronautical Engineering careers are awesome. From Civil to Military there are jobs for an aeronautical engineer in a few industries. But Aeronautical Engineering is not one single whole. There are aeronautical engineering jobs in multiple skill categories.
Let me give you a brief about each:
Aeronautical Mechanical Engineers
Yes there are mechanical engineers in aerospace engineering. They are responsible to keep the aircraft engines ready and fit. They work on the overhauling of the engines and other mechanical components of the aircraft. So jobs for aeronautical or aerospace engineers can be of this nature.
Aeronautical Electronic Engineers
Just as any other vehicle, an aircraft has a need to ensure that its electrical and electronic equipments are in a proper place. Some of these equipments are extremely vital such as the navigation panel, the radar, and the radio for communication etc.
Flight Engineers
Finally, we have flight engineers. As the name suggests they ensure that they keep flying without complications. So their major job role revolves around inspections, repairing, and sometimes even on refueling. They also keep a close check on any system failures.
Flight engineers tend to be the most sought aerospace engineers who keep a record of all the maintenance before each take off and after each landing.
Summarizing Aeronautical Engineering Scope
Building a career in aerospace engineering or aeronautical engineering is great. There are many specific and niche areas that a person can think of mastering. An aeronautical engineer can specialize in thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, or aerodynamics. All this makes the scope of an aerospace engineering wide.
At the same time, if one chooses, a person can specialize in a specific aerospace product such as rockets, missiles, helicopters or military jets.
Talking about some statistics, reports suggest that there would be a 6% increase in the demand for aeronautical engineers between 2016 to 2026. This looks to be an incredible number owing to the fact that a lot of jobs will become extinct in the next decade due to Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
The Research and Development industry which is constantly trying to make aircrafts sustainable and cheaper also will be a major employer for these professionals. Apart from this the demand for aerospace engineers is of a global nature. The biggest recruiters for jobs in aeronautical engineering exist in countries such as England, France, and the USA.
How to Become an Aeronautical Engineer?
An aeronautical engineer has to be adept with the laws of physics and aerodynamics. So, you must have studied physics and mathematics at the high-school level.
Those who want to design an aircraft have to master several designing software’s like CAD or CAM. Apart from virtuoso over technology, you’ll also need to hone your interpersonal skills like teamwork, leadership, and communication.
This career demands high dedication and during projects, you might be expected to work overnight and also be prepared to carry some work back home.
There are several points of entry in this field of engineering depending on the amount of education. The minimum eligibility for becoming an aeronautical engineer is a diploma in aeronautical engineering. The diploma courses are available at different polytechnic colleges. Diploma holders can work in the ranks of junior technicians, helpers or assistants.
If you wish to get into a higher scale of aeronautical engineering jobs, you must pursue a degree program in Bachelors of Engineering (B.E) or Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech.). For admission to these courses, you need to have a minimum of 70% marks in 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. For the reserved category class, there are some relaxations.
There are various examinations depending on the college or the country from where you wish to pursue the course. Once you are done with your graduation, you either get a job or pursue a postgraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering. For pursuing an M.E. or M.Tech. Course, you must have a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering or any other equivalent stream of engineering.
A note of caution here! Both the on-field job and the degree to become an aeronautical engineer is hard. The syllabus that you need to cover is huge and you would thoroughly be expected to put in hard work. But all this is compensated by the high remunerations in the industry.
Top Colleges for Aeronautical Engineering in India
Being a niche field, aeronautical engineering is available in very a few colleges. Due to the high demand in the aviation field and fewer seats, there is high competition among students for this course. Students who want to pursue the course in India have to appear in exams like JEE mains and JEE advanced. Admissions are also conducted through other exams conducted on a state level. If you wish to study abroad, you will have to appear in exams like SAT, ACT, etc. and also appear in some language proficiency exams like TOEFL or IELTS.
For B.E/B.Tech. in Aeronautical Engineering
| Name of College | Official Website |
| IIT Mumbai | www.iitb.ac.in/ |
| IIT Kharagpur | www.iitkgp.ac.in/ |
| IIT Chennai | https://www.iitm.ac.in/ |
| IIT Kanpur | www.iitk.ac.in/ |
| Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology | www.iiests.ac.in/ |
For M.E/M.Tech. in Aeronautical Engineering
| Name of College | Official Website |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur | www.iitk.ac.in/ |
| Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay | www.iitb.ac.in/ |
| Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT K) | www.iitkgp.ac.in/ |
| Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT M) | https://www.iitm.ac.in/ |
| Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), Chennai | www.hindustanuniv.ac.in |
Top International Aeronautical Engineering Colleges
| Name of College | Official Website |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts. | www.web.mit.edu/ |
| Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia. | www.gatech.edu/ |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | https://umich.edu/ |
| Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. | www.purdue.edu/ |
| California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States. | www.caltech.edu/ |
Cost of Education in Aeronautical Engineering
As it is a specialized field, the cost of pursuing a degree in aeronautical engineering can be significantly higher. The fees vary from government colleges to private colleges. The fees in government colleges in India might be around INR 100,000 while the same in private colleges can start from INR 120,000 and go up to 3 lakhs per annum.
The fees for pursuing the course abroad can be significantly higher and cost around INR 23 lakh INR for the graduation course. You can check the websites of different colleges for the exact fee.
Salary Structure in Aeronautical Engineering
Aeronautical engineers are a prestigious profession and are one of the highest paying engineering professions. The average salary offered to a fresher varies from government to private institution and also depends on the education qualification.
The salary packages are considerably higher in the private sector, but engineers working in the government sector enjoy many perks. Coming to numbers, an average fresher can earn around 30,000 to 40,000 rupees per month in government organizations like HAL or NAL. On the other hand, the same in private organizations like Air India, Jet Airways, Indigo Airlines, etc. can go up to 40,000 to 50,000 INR per month.
Over to You
Aeronautical Engineering is undoubtedly one of the best professions. The profession is not only high paying but also ensures high social status and standard of living. There is always a huge demand for a skilled aeronautical engineer and both private and government organizations. Employers offer huge perks to retain efficient engineers.
Like every other good thing, there are certain challenges in this career. It is an intellectually challenging job and can be very demanding. There is virtually no scope for errors, and you might need to travel a lot. If you think that you can rise above these challenges and take the flight of your dreams, then even the sky is not a limit for you! Are you ready to give wings to your dreams?
But before you decide on choosing a career, it is always recommended to seek some career advice from experts in the field. You can avail the services of iDreamCareer at minimal costs. Check our programs below:
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- A Complete Guide on How to Choose a Career?
Richa has been working in this career counselling industry for 8+ years. She holds expertise in research and analysis of careers, jobs, and industries. She has written extensively about many other subjects too. Her other interests include literature, design, and knowledge sharing.
