Where Do Flight Engineers Go?
A comprehensive guide to achieving your flight engineer degree
Flight engineers ensure a plane’s engine and all mechanical systems are working properly. Apart from carrying out repairs in case of mechanical issues, they also help pilots with navigation, along with interpreting complex instruments and gauges related to the flight. With technological advancements and the rise of automated programs aiding flight, which can perform many of these duties at a reduced cost, the number of flight engineer jobs has dwindled.
However, this doesn’t mean those interested in applying for flight engineer schools should feel disheartened. Larger aircraft and military aircraft still need flight engineers since the technology under which these aircraft operate is different from commercial airlines and run a higher risk of encountering mechanical problems or attacks. Depending on their qualification and experience, flight engineers can also become pilots or copilots, provided they get the relevant licenses and flight time needed for such positions.
Becoming a flight engineer
The minimum educational requirement is two years of college, though college graduates are usually preferred by a majority of airlines when they fill vacancies. This means getting a bachelor’s degree in aircraft or aeronautical or mechanical engineering would improve your chances of being hired.
Majoring in aeronautical or mechanical engineering during one’s undergraduate studies should include course completed in aerospace flight, space systems, electronic circuits, and laboratory and aerospace control, along with work modules that offer hands-on experience related to aircraft inspection, component and equipment replacement, condition monitoring, and systems fault identification and rectification. Such courses also offer the students some useful insight of the work environment and impart knowledge about legal requirements related to aircraft operations.
For those with mechanical engineering degrees, course modules should include engineering mechanics, thermodynamics, electromechanical systems, engineering analysis, and renewable energy systems, among others.
When you have these bases covered, you probably should have to be enrolled in pilot training programs offered by certain institutions and private flight schools approved by your country’s relevant authorities (like the Federal Aviation Administration in the USA). These programs usually include ground school and simulator instruction.
Becoming licensed
After completing two years of college, ideally completing a degree in either aeronautical or mechanical engineering, you need to get your flight engineer certificate by appearing for the flight engineer practical and knowledge test for which the individual must be at least 19 years old. However, holding a license needs one to be at least 21 years. Other crucial steps toward receiving your flight engineer degree include
being declared medically fit by a doctor designated or any relevant authority;
obtaining a commercial pilot’s license;
spending certain hours in the air (in the United States, it’s either 100 hours as a US Armed Forces flight engineer or 200 hours during flight training on a multiengine aircraft);
completing aircraft performance, flight theory, weather effects, and related examinations; and
passing in-flight evaluations that examine your ability to perform emergency and normal tasks.
What’s stopping you from getting your flight engineer degree? Ask tips from comments section below. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads for more updates. Also, you can read about aircrafts and the journey of a flight engineer in my book Ol’ Shakey: Memories of a Flight Engineer.
References
Learn.org. 2018. “How Can I Begin a Career in Flight Engineering?” Accessed March 23, 2018. https://learn.org/articles/How_Can_I_Begin_a_Career_in_Flight_Engineering.html.
CVTips.com. 2016. “Flight Engineer Training: How to Become a Flight Engineer.” Accessed March 23, 2018. http://www.cvtips.com/career-choice/flight-engineer-training-how-to-become-a-flight-engineer.html.
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