Aeronautical Engineering At KNUST

Career options for aspiring aerospace engineers
Most positions in the field of aerospace engineering involve designing and developing flight-worthy aircraft. Your education level determines your eligibility for various types of job opportunities in the aerospace engineering field. The higher the level of education you attain, the more positions you may pursue, and the higher the salary you can expect.

For obvious reasons, most aerospace engineers pursue careers in the aerospace industry. This market segment encompasses many organizations such as aerospace prime contractors (and major suppliers), the propulsion industry, academia, NASA, the Department of Defense (and other government agencies) and the airlines. There are a great number of careers in these and other areas that apply to aerospace engineering majors. These include research and development, marketing, computer applications and more.

In order to have an effective career in the research and development industry, a master’s degree is recommended. In addition, organizations often offer financial aid to their employees seekinghigher education. A doctorate is usually reserved for individuals wishing to teach at a university level or in advanced research.

Not limited to aerospace engineering alone, students have used a bachelor’s degree in the field to go on to graduate degrees inmedicine, law, andbusiness. Following are a few of the different career paths available to aerospace engineering majors.

Commercial Aerospace Engineers – A quick check of any travel website will prove that the airlinebusinessremains one of America’s most competitive industries. With rising fuel costs and growing passenger demand for improved amenities, airlines rely on commercial aerospace engineers to develop innovative, efficient new forms of air travel.

Although many commercial aerospace engineers build aircraft that can stand the test of time, passengers constantly demand larger seats, more storage space, and constantly higher levels of comfort. Therefore, expert design firms invest significant resources into developing new aircraft that meet these needs while allowing for creative repurposing in the future.

For example, many new passenger jets can be refitted to handle cargo after they have outlived their usefulness for commercial airlines. Similarly, a new breed of planes allows owners to replace damaged or defective modules quickly and easily. Previous models required major overhauls to correct the mistakes of careless passengers.

Creative commercial aerospace engineers have also revolutionized the way we work and travel in America. By developing smaller, more efficient planes, a wave of discount and regional airlines has sprung up across the country. Because these planes cost much less to operate, carriers can charge lower fares while serving parts of the country that could previously only be reached by car or train.

Military Aerospace Engineers – Defending our borders requires the might of our armed forces and the knowledge of talented aerospace engineers. In a political climate where our country attempts to do more with less money, military aerospace engineers work hard to develop innovative new tools to combat our enemies effectively.

In recent years, military aerospace engineers have developed astonishing devices like remote control surveillance aircraft and laser guided weapons systems. Tools like these allow soldiers to fight wars with greater loss of life on both sides of a conflict.

Spacecraft Designers – Job opportunities in this field used to be limited to a handful of potential employers. But advances in technology and worldwide competitions like the recent X-Prize have revolutionized the space industry. More than ever before, private companies are making plans to send tourists, researchers, andbusinessprofessionals into space – even if the flights only last a few hours.

Companies like Virgin Atlantic and dozens of smaller countries just launching their own space exploration programs demand more qualified aerospace engineers to literally help their ideas get off the ground. Because of the tremendous risks involved, many spacecraft designers spend most of their time working on supercomputer simulations. This new technology significantly reduces expenses for their employers, while assuring the safety for a craft’s eventual passengers.

Engineering, Science and Data Processing Managers – As aerospace engineering has shifted most of its research and development to simulations running on supercomputers, a new breed of data processing managers has emerged to make these simulations more efficient and more effective. By analyzing data flow and deploying state of the art solutions, these specialists can help significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for a new product to reach customers.

In addition, many data processing managers serve as another fail-safe system in major manufacturing operations. They can monitor and report out on data that indicates problems with a project, and their background in aerospace engineering provides them the skill to participate in the search for effective solutions.

Data processing managers often rely on their strong interpersonal skills to supervise teams of developers and researchers. At the same time, they must effectively communicate test results and schedules to teams of designers, who often compete internally for access to resources.

Inspectors and Compliance Officers – The safety of passenger and people on the ground depends on the quality work of aerospace engineers and their teams. Therefore, many experienced aerospace engineers serve as inspectors and compliance officers, who enforce a wide range of laws, regulations, and policies.

Inspectors work for government safety boards as well as for private companies. In fact, aerospace manufacturers employ many in-house inspectors in order to prevent potential faults or violations before an official inspection takes place. A growing number of inspectors work as consultants for smaller companies who want to spread their innovation to the public, but have not yet grown the resources to maintain large, in-house compliance staffs.

Many inspectors travel frequently, in order to visit research and manufacturing sites around the world. Inspectors also participate in many conferences and professional development seminars designed to alert the aerospace engineering community to potential safety issues and other threats.

Mechanical Engineers – Mechanical engineers design, research, and develop tools, engines, and machines. These include many of the main and peripheral systems used in aerospace engineering. These systems can be as enormous as a rocket propulsion engine or as small as a warning sensor in a space shuttle.
Drafters – Drafters prepare the technical drawings and specification sheets that are used by production and manufacturing personnel to build spacecraft, aircraft, and more. These drawings encompass every facet of the craft and include views from all sides. Incredibly detailed, drafters are given the task of providing every specification needed for the proper construction of the craft.