Career as an Aeronautical Engineer

Have you ever flown in an airplane and are you curious about how flying works? Are you interested in the fundamental concepts behind flying? How does a wing generate lift? And how can we fly as optimally as possible?

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of aeronautics, using a tour through the history of flight, starting with ballooning and continuing on to airplanes and helicopters.

Aeronautical Engineering is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacture of flight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft. This course trains an engineer in designing, constructing, analyzing and testing of commercial or military aircrafts, missiles, and spacecrafts. Aerospace engineers are responsible for the research, design and production of aircraft, spacecraft, aerospace equipment, satellites and missiles. They also develop new technologies in commercial aviation, defence systems, and space exploration.

Personal Skills: Aeronautical engineers should have an eye for detail and be good at problem-solving. They need mathematical precision and design skills, computer skills, and the ability to communicate well. They also need good planning ability and a knack for working under pressure. An aeronautical engineer needs to be physically fit an may need to often work at great speed especially in checking and maintenance of aircrafts during turnarounds. They must have a normal colour vision.

Careers

• Thermal Design Engineer
• Mechanical Design Engineer
• Aerospace Designer Checker
• Graduate Engineer Trainees
• Assistant Technical Officers
• Assistant Aircraft Engineers
• Aircraft Production Manager

Eligibility

10+2 or equivalent examination, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with a high percentage of marks in the aggregate.

For diploma course, one should get at least 50% marks in 10th class.

Courses

Diploma

• Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering

Bachelors

• B.Tech. (Aeronautical Engineering)
• B.Tech. (Aerospace Engineering)
• B.Tech. (Aircraft Manufacturing and Maintenance Engineering)
• B.E. (Aeronautical Engineering)
• B.E. (Aerospace Engineering)
• B.E. (Aircraft Maintenance Engineering)
• B.Sc. (Aeronautical Science)
• B.Sc. (Aircraft Maintenance Science)

Post Graduate Diploma

• PG Diploma in Aviation Management

Master’s

• M.E. (Aeronautical Engineering)
• M.E. (Aircraft Maintenance Engineering)
• M.Tech. (Aerospace Engineering)
• M.Tech. (Aeronautical Engineering)

Research

• Ph.D. (Aeronautical Engineering)

 

Admission criteria

Diploma Courses

• There are few colleges in India that also offer Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering and you can enrol for these programmes after completing your class 10.
• Admission is mostly done on the basis of state polytechnic entrance exams.

Undergraduate Courses

• Like most engineering programmes, you will be eligible to apply for B.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering after completing 10+2.
• Most of the engineering colleges offering this programme will conduct admission on the basis of entrance exams.
• However, admission to IITs is done on the basis of JEE Advanced and to NITs is done on the basis of JEE Mains.

Post-graduate Course

• In order to apply for post-graduation courses of Aeronautical Engineering, you will have to secure at least 60% marks in graduation.
• Also, admission to all M.Tech courses in the field of Aeronautical Engineering is done on the basis of GATE entrance test.

• The student who had a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering or Mechanical Engineering can get the admission in M.Tech with aeronautical engineering.

Alternate routes for degree equivalent to B.Tech

1. The Aeronautical Society of India:

The Society, established in 1948, conducts Associate Membership Examination consisting of two sections (Section A and Section B). 

Section A has ten papers. A candidate who has passed 10+2 examination with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, obtaining 50% or more marks in each subject is eligible for appearing in this examination. In addition, candidates possessing other qualifications, as detailed in the prospectus, are also eligible.

Section B has three specialist streams - Aero - Mechanical stream, Avionics stream and Maintenance & Production stream. Those who have completed the Section A Examination are eligible to appear in the Section B Examination. However, candidates possessing a degree in any branch of engineering can directly appear in Section B. They will, however, be required to appear and pass in the subject "Principles of Flight" of Section A. The marks allotted to each subject are 100. Pass marks in each subject are 50. Examinations are half twice a year, in June and December, in nine centres.

Successful candidates are designated as Associate Member of the Aeronautical Society of India (AMAeSI) which is recognized as equivalent to B.Tech (Aeronautical Engineering). They are eligible to appear for Gate, to pursue for post graduate studies

2. AMIE Exam                      

Aerospace Engineering is one of the 15 branches for which diploma holders can take AMIE exam. AMIE is an engineering degree equivalent to B.Tech. It is offered by the Institution of Engineers(India). Eligibility for it is a pass in 3year engineering diploma in any branch or plus two with Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

Subject/ syllabus

• Aircraft Structures
• Aerodynamics
• Propulsion
• Introduction to Thermodynamics
• Basics of Aeronautics
• Strength of Materials
• Machine Element
• Flight Mechanics
• Theory of Vibration and Noise Control
• Avionics
• Introduction to Control Theory
• Aircraft Design
• Theory of Heat Transfer
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Aircraft Systems and Instruments
• Space Dynamics
• Rocket and Missile Design
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Control and Navigation

Institutes

• Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai
• Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Punjab Engineering College,Chandigarh.
• The Madras Institute of Technology
• The Indian Institute of Science(IIS), Bangalore has M Tech and Ph.D. programmes in Aeronautics
• Indian Institute of Space Scienceand Technology
• Hindustan University
• University of Petroleum and EnergyStudies
• Amity Institute of Aerospace EngineeringResearch and Studies, Uttar Pradesh
• IIAEIT, Pune
• Indian Institute of AeronauticalEngineering (IIAE), Dehradun
• SRM University, Chennai
• VSM Institute of AerospaceEngineering & Technology, Bengaluru
• SardarVallabhbhai Patel Institute ofTechnology, Gujarat
• Hindustan Institute of Technology &Science, Chennai
• Flytech Aviation Academy, Hyderabad, for B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering

Cost of the Course

The average fee of Govt. funded institutions varies from around ₹30,000 -  ₹80,000 per year, whereas in the case of Private institutions it varies from around ₹80,000 - ₹1,50,000 per year.

Careers prospects

There can be no doubt about how exciting a career as an aeronautical engineer will be. You will be trained in many aspects of engineering like aerodynamics, aircraft structure and air traffic control. You can also specialise in aeronautical products like commercial transport, military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecrafts, missiles or rockets. Alternatively, you could specialise on a particular product such as a war plane or space missile etc. If you are computer savvy, then you can learn to draw project plans using computer aided design (CAD) software. Aircraft maintenance is also another field which requires aeronautical engineers. You can join the ‘Air accidents Investigation Bureau’ which is responsible for finding out the cause of air mishaps.

Employment sector

• Airlines
• Corporations
• Flying Clubs
• Private Airlines
• Government Owned Air Services
• Aircraft manufacturers
• Defence Research and Development Organisations
• Aeronautical Laboratories
• Aeronautical Development Establishments
• Department of Civil Aviation
• Defence Services
• HAL
• ISRO
• Air India
• Helicopter Corporation of India
• DRDL
• NAL
• Civil Aviation department

Income

An aeronautical engineer earns the average salary in India between the ₹5,00,000 –  ₹6,00,000 per annum. It has a great opportunity to work in the government sector. The salaries in the government sector are decided as per the pay scale for the particular post.