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NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers may:

Design and develop commercial, military, general aviation, or special purpose aircraft

Design and develop space vehicles, satellites, missiles, scientific probes, or other related hardware or systems

Oversee the manufacture of prototypes (models)

Test prototypes to evaluate their operation during actual or simulated flight conditions

Oversee the technical phases of air transportation

Develop methods of analyzing the performance of vehicles and their components

Write proposals, technical reports, and technical papers

Supervise aeronautical and aerospace technicians

Some Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers teach in colleges and universities or work as private consultants.

The tools, equipment, and materials used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Most of these Engineers specialize in such areas as design, navigational guidance and control, instrumentation, propulsion systems, production methods, or flight and wind tunnel testing.

Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineers may specialize in these areas:

002.061-014 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS are concerned with research and the planning and development of vehicles and systems for use in the earth's atmosphere and outer space.

002.061-010 AERODYNAMISTS analyze the suitability and application of designs for aircraft, missiles, and other vehicles and systems that move in air or other "fluid" substances.

Aerodynamics is that branch of aero-mechanics that deals with the forces exerted by air or other gases in motion. Aerodynamists establish methods for computation and provide computer input data for problem analysis. They also plan and evaluate the results of laboratory, wind tunnel, and flight-test programs.

002.061-022 AERONAUTICAL-DESIGN ENGINEERS develop basic design concepts used in the development of aeronautical and aerospace products and systems.

002.061-026 AERONAUTICAL-RESEARCH ENGINEERS study ways to use materials and equipment effectively in the design and manufacture of aircraft.

002.167-010 COST-ANALYSIS ENGINEERS coordinate analysis of vehicle designs to combine full use of materials, methods, and processes while meeting cost objectives and quality specifications

002.167-014 FIELD-SERVICE ENGINEERS study performance reports on aircraft and recommend ways of eliminating the causes of flight and service problems in airplanes.

002.061-030 STRESS ANALYSTS study the ability of airplanes, missiles, and their components to withstand stress during flight.

002.061-018 AERONAUTICAL TEST ENGINEERS plan and supervise performance tests of aerospace and aircraft products in wind tunnels and actual flight.

002.167-018 AERONAUTICAL PROJECT ENGINEERS direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in designing landing gear, flight control equipment, and armaments of military aircraft.

Other specializations include aeromechanics engineers, aerolasticians, aeronautical stability and control engineers, flight deck engineers, aircraft maintenance engineers, aircraft propulsion engineers, aircraft interior engineers, and aeronautical products sales engineers.

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following CEscripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers usually work with other Engineers and scientists in modern offices. Some may work alone. They might spend time working in manufacturing plants, at testing sites, and on launch pads. Engineers may have to sit at drawing boards or CAD workstations for long periods of time. They may be subjected to the noise of equipment and machinery used to test airplanes. Some work in the aircraft during test flights. They may have to work under pressure and stress at times.

Engineers usually work a 5-day, 40-hour week. They may work longer hours at times to meet deadlines. Occasionally, travel to test sites may be necessary. Those in sales and consulting must travel frequently. These Engineers must keep up with new developments by reading and professional journals and attending professional meetings and conferences.

Engineers may join professional associations, such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and The National Society of Professional Engineers. Engineers who belong to professional organizations pay periodic membership fees.

You Should Prefer:

• Activities which involve scientific and technical work

• Activities of a creative and abstract nature

You Should Be Able To:

• Perform a variety of duties which may change often

• Think logically and use good judgment

• Communicate well, both orally and in writing

• Understand and use mathematics and engineering principles and methods

• Visualize 3-dimensional objects/procedures from drawings or diagrams

• Compare and see differences in the size/shape/form of lines/objects

• Work within precise limits and standards of accuracy

• Direct, control, and plan entire activities and the work of others

Math Problem You Should Be Able To Solve:

You are asked to calculate the area of the cargo bay of a commercial aircraft. What is the area if the cargo bay is shaped as a cylinder, 15 meters long with a radius of 5 meters?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Air resistance is the effect produced when a moving object collides with air molecules. Therefore, it depends on the object's shape and size as well as its speed.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

Document your findings after you completed an experiment varying the area of an aircraft.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

A company wants to contract with you to design an aircraft for them. They want it to fly as fast as their normal company jet, but they want more passenger area. You have to be able to come up with different ideas that might work.

Engineers whose work affects public health, life, or property must be licensed by the Board of Professional Engineers of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth to work in Michigan   .  The State of Michigan  requires a license for this occupation.  Click  here  for "Michigan Licensed Occupations," see Engineer, Licensed Professional for specific licensing information.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: A Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond high school); a Master's Degree (five to six years of study beyond high school) or a Professional Degree or Doctorate (seven to ten years of study beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the CEscript:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 2200 MATH , 2900 SCIENCE , 3300 TECHNOLOGY

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this CEscript.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

004 AEROSPACE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Programs in Aerospace Science and Engineering provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for developing aerospace vehicles including flight simulation machines, aircraft, and spacecraft. In addition, Aerospace Engineers are often involved in systems management. Programs include theory as well as laboratory work.

Courses vary from school to school but may include:

058 ENGINEERING (PRE-PROFESSIONAL)

Pre-Engineering Programs provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills required for admission to professional engineering colleges.

Many Michigan   colleges and universities offer programs which may satisfy the prerequisites for admission to engineering schools. Students should contact the engineering schools of their choice for admission requirements and consult their school's pre-professional adviser to ensure that admission prerequisites will be met.

Courses vary from school to school but may include:

The most common requirements for entering a community college are a high school diploma, or GED, or being at least 18 years old and completing application forms. In addition, entering a college or university may require graduation from high school in a college preparatory program, a grade point average acceptable to the school to which you apply, and passing entrance examinations.

Search for a College and/or Instructional Program   

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this CEscript.

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

Please check the Military web site at http://www.myfuture.com .

AEROSPACE ENGINEERS

Although private companies build the military's aerospace equipment, military engineers are responsible for seeing that all equipment meets service needs. Aerospace engineers design and direct the development of military aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft.

What They Do

Aerospace engineers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Plan and conduct research on aircraft guidance, propulsion, and weapons systems

• Study new designs for aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft

• Help select private companies to build military aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft

• Monitor production of aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft

• Decide what tests should be conducted of prototypes (full-scale test models)

• Conduct stress analysis and wind tunnel tests with aircraft and missile prototypes

Special Requirements

A 4-year college degree in aeronautical, astronautical, or mechanical engineering is required to enter this occupation.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Interest in concepts and principles of engineering

• Interest in working with mathematical formulas

• Interest in planning and directing research projects

Work Environment

Aerospace engineers work in offices or laboratories.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian aerospace engineers usually work in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Some work for the Department of Defense, the national Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other government agencies. As in the military, civilian aerospace engineers may specialize in one type of aerospace product, such as aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles. They may also specialize in engineering specialties such as product design, testing, or production research. Depending on their specialty, they may be called aeronautical engineers, aeronautical test engineers, or stress analysis.

Training Provided

No initial job training is provided to officers in this occupation.

Opportunities

The services have about 2,900 aerospace engineers. On average, they need 350 aerospace engineers each year. Newly commissioned aerospace engineers are usually assigned to engineering research and development units or laboratories. They work under the direction of experienced officers conducting research. With experience, they may serve as research and development managers or laboratory managers.  

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Opportunities for experience and exploration are available through part-time work with research laboratories, colleges and universities, and aerospace companies. High school students may join the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics or a local chapter of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS). Postsecondary aerospace science and engineering programs and related military training also offer experience. Cooperative education programs in engineering are available through various departments and agencies of the federal government.

            School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineer employer

internships

             volunteer work with a Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineer employer

community service work with an agency

Methods of entering the aeronautical and astronautical engineering field include applying directly to employers. Assistance in finding a job may be obtained in college or university placement offices and from professional associations. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

American Institute of Aeronautic and Astronautics  

EngineerJobs

Michigan Jobs, & Career Portal

Michigan Talent Bank

Classifieds Employment

MONSTER.COM

Yahoo!hotjobs

CareerBuilder

MONSTERTRAK.COM

Net-Temps

VAULT

ComputerJobs.com

CareerEngine

USAJOBS - United States Office of Personnel Management

NationJob.com

            You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of Aerospace Engineers depend on the individual's education, experience, field of specialization, and job duties. Those employed by research organizations and laboratories earned the highest wages.

Nationally, in late 2003, the average annual starting salary for Aeronautical Engineers with a bachelor's degrees was $48,028. The range was $44,783 to $53,000. The median annual earnings of all Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers were $70,356 in 2003. Some of these highly experienced Engineers in supervisory positions earned average annual salaries of $97,100 (mid 2004). Most licensed professional Engineers earned annual salaries ranging between $57,462 and $135,768 (early 2004). The median annual salary was $78,171. The median yearly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S.   were $32,240 in 2003.

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers working for the federal government (2004) received annual starting salaries of:

The salaries of these federal government workers may be higher in some urban areas

Recent graduates of one aerospace engineering program in Michigan   were offered average annual starting salaries (2002-2003) of $51,000 with a bachelor's degree.  Those graduates with a master's degree were offered an average of $72,150.

Depending on the employer, most Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers receive paid vacations and holidays; life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; retirement plans; and sick pay. Some employers may offer stock purchase or savings plans for salaried employees.

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers usually start out as junior Engineers or engineering trainees. As they gain experience, they become senior Engineers and are given more responsible assignments. Some may advance to supervisor, manager, and chief Engineer or become consultants. Advancement depends on experience, education, professional registration, and personal ability.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, there were about 76,600 Aerospace Engineers employed in 2002. Their employment is expected to decline through the year 2012. The industry distribution for Aerospace Engineers looked like this:

Those seeking employment as aerospace engineers are likely to face competition. The decline in Defense Department expenditure for military aircraft, missiles, and other aerospace systems has caused mergers and acquisitions among defense contractors. Federal government funding for research has also declined. Growth in the civilian sector is projected to increase due to orders from domestic and foreign airlines that need more aircraft to accommodate increasing passenger traffic, and to replace the present fleet of airliners with quieter and more fuel-efficient aircraft.

The telecommunications industry has created considerable demand in the commercial satellite sector. Satellite communication systems consist of two segments: those in space and those on the ground. The space segment includes the satellite subsystems that are placed in orbit around the earth. The ground segment includes equipment used to receive and/or transmit signals to satellites in orbit. Design and maintenance of these satellites, their launch vehicles and their support systems should provide increased employment opportunities for Aerospace Engineers.

Future growth of employment in this field could be moderate because a higher proportion of engineers in aerospace manufacturing may come from the materials, mechanical, or electrical engineering fields.

Opportunities favor highly trained Engineers with broad backgrounds who can work in a variety of positions.

There are about 150 Aerospace Engineers working in Michigan. Most worked for manufacturers of engines and turbines, aircraft parts, and guided missiles and space vehicles. Others worked for research organizations, governmental agencies, business and engineering consulting firms, communications equipment manufacturing firms, and commercial airlines.  

The need for Aerospace Engineers will depend primarily upon federal spending for defense and space programs. Increased demand for helicopters and business aircraft also will create opportunities for Aerospace Engineers. Manufacturing of vertical lift aircraft and vehicles for outer space travel may increase employment opportunities. Some employers are currently seeking well-qualified women and minorities for positions in this occupation.

MICHIGAN   'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2010

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources marked below.

Copyright © 2004 Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth