How to Become a Aeronautical Engineer

About Aeronautical Engineer

Aeronautical Engineering is a technical branch of Aerospace Engineering. The main functionality of this branch of Aerospace Engineering is to deal with the making, designing and development of the aircrafts. The Aeronautical Engineers are the ones who implement these functionalities into action. They plan the making of the aircrafts and then start implementing the ways it has been designed. These engineers also look after the making of the missiles and other craft accessories. The job profile of an Aeronautical Engineer demands precision and quality for anything and everything done in an aircraft.

The stream further expands to involve the engineers into the study of advanced engineering used in the designing and development of space crafts. So, only if you have an interest in subjects like Physics and Mathematics, then you must think of this job profile and start preparing for it accordingly. To do so, one must understand the details related to the courses, eligibility requirements, best colleges, different job profiles of Aeronautical Engineers and the employment opportunities available for these engineers.            

Eligibility to become Aeronautical Engineer

If you wish to become an Aeronautical Engineer then you must understand the means to reach the steps of becoming a successful Aeronautical Engineer. You must know how to become an Aeronautical Engineer to reach these steps towards an outstanding career. The first step is to take admission in a reputed and recognised institution that will help you in acquiring a degree in this field. Read the pointers below to know the eligibility criteria that you must fulfill in order to take admission in a good Aeronautical Engineering institution.

Subject Combination – Science Stream (Physics + Chemistry) with Mathematics in Class XII

Exam – JEE Main, BITSAT, JEE Advance, VITEEE, NEAT/NAT, COMEDK,  IMUCET, IPUCET, UPSEE, etc.

Eligibility –

• Candidates must have passed 10+2 from a recognised institution with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) as major subjects.
• A minimum of 55% marks in 10+2 or equivalent is compulsory (relaxation rules apply for different categories and varies from college to college) for taking admission in undergraduate and diploma courses of aeronautical engineering.
• Candidates who want to take admission in Undergraduate (B.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering) courses then the above-mentioned criteria are to be fulfilled for taking admission in a reputed Aeronautical Engineering college. 
• For the ones who want to take admission in a Postgraduate (M.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering) course, a passing certificate of graduation level (B.Tech) with a minimum aggregate of 50% in the required field along with the marks of the entrance exam (if applicable), are to be produced at the time of admission.
• Candidates must remember to present a valid passing scorecard of any of the required entrance exams for taking admission in an undergraduate, diploma, postgraduate and Ph.D. level course.

Types of Job Roles Aeronautical Engineer

Aspirants who want to pursue their career as an Aeronautical Engineer must know that conquering this field requires a lot of hard work and dedication with a sense of responsibility. Aeronautical Engineer job profile broadly consists of the different types of work done by these engineers to make an aircraft run successfully. Right from overhauling the airframes and engines to pre-flight inspections and checking the navigation and radar machines, all comprise the work of an Aeronautical Engineer. Now, these engineers can be hired just to handle one functionality or to handle the entire functioning of the aircraft or missiles. Some can be hired only for handling the designing part of the craft, whereas, few can be hired to check the flying capability of the aircraft. Depending upon the need of the organistions, the role of an Aeronautical Engineer is decided.

Employment Opportunities for Aeronautical Engineers:

When you come down to explore the availability of employment opportunities for Aeronautical Engineers, you will notice a wide range of opportunities open for this job profile. It is completely your choice and preference to choose a particular sector of Aeronautical Engineering. Given below is the list of these different sectors that can be opted, in order to become a successful Aeronautical Engineer, these sectors include:

• Aerospace Industries
• Indian Air Force
• Department of Civil Aviation
• Aircraft Manufacturing Industries
• Aircraft or Airline Engineering Consultancies
• Space Centers
• Private Airlines
• Aircraft Research Agencies (Governmental and Non-Governmental)
• Aircraft Accessories Manufacturers
• Aeronautical Laboratories
• Defence Research and Development Organisations
• Flying Clubs
• Aeronautical Development Establishments

Top Recruiting Companies for Aeronautical Engineers

Once the candidates have acquired the relevant degree required for becoming an Aeronautical Engineer, then, they can apply for the recruiting companies hiring Aeronautical Engineers for good posts with a good package. Candidates can take a look at some of the top recruiting companies for Aeronautical Engineers and prepare for the company accordingly.

• Indian Airforce
• Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA)
• India Space Research Organisation
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Department of Civil Aviation
• National Flying Training Institute (NFTI)
• Bombay Flying Club
• Air India
• Boeing India Private Limited
• Jet Airways
• Airbus Group India Pvt. Ltd
• Bombardier Transportation India Private Limited

Pay Scale/Salary of Aeronautical Engineer

On a basic level, an Aeronautical Engineers’ salary depends on their educational and professional qualifications combined with the skill sets they possess. The pay scale may increase or decrease as per the kind of exposure and experience a candidate has. Mentioned-below are salary figures for different types of aeronautical engineers:

Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.

Books & Study Material to Become Aeronautical Engineer

Candidates planning to become Aeronautical Engineers first need to take admission in a reputed and recognised engineering institution. For this, they will have to produce mark sheet of the entrance exam as asked by the concerned institution. To prepare for the entrance exams candidates can take help from best books and study materials for preparation of these exams. Apart from these entrance exam books, candidates can also read some related books that will give them an insight of the subject and the course they are about to pursue. List of some of these books are given below for candidates to select the one that will help them in becoming an Aeronautical Engineer. 

• GATE Aeronautical Engineering - 23 Year's Chapter - Wise Solved Papers (1996 - 2018) 2019 2019 Edition by GKP
• Understanding Physics for JEE Main and Advanced Mechanics by D.C Pandey
• Introduction to Space Dynamics by William T Thomson
• Introduction to Flight by John D. Anderson, Jr.
• Aircraft Performance & Design - John D. Anderson, Jr.
• A Textbook of Strength of Materials - RK Bansal
• Aircraft Structures for engineering students - THG Megson
• Aerodynamics for Engineering Students - E.L. Houghton, P.W. Carpenter

Pros of becoming a Aeronautical Engineer

• The profile enables professionals to create and re-create a design that helps to learn interesting technicalities.
• This is a job with good package and perks as compared to other job profiles. The industry pays well to the experienced ones and also to the freshers of the field.
• It is a job that will satisfy your expectations and desires of becoming an engineer that makes one of the greatest machines of all times.
• You can strive for an opportunity to create something of your own other than just the aircrafts or missiles.
• If associated with the Governmental organisations, then you will enjoy all the leverages of a government employee.
• A job to be proud of if you are associated with the Indian Airforce or Department of Civil Aviation or any Space Center.   

Cons of becoming a Aeronautical Engineer

• Since the level of technicalities is high, mastering subjects can be a tough task for some of the candidates.
• A lot of hard work is involved in order to present your work of designing or making of the aircraft or spacecraft or missile.
• With this job profile, you will get stress that will be difficult to control and manage.
• A job that involves risk of lives and reputation of the organisation. A small mistake can put your career at stake.
• The work load cannot be defined or bounded, it may significantly increase and can be an unpredictable hike.