<p>I plan to pursue an AE degree in college but a concern that I have with that degree is the versatility. I know that different schools have a variety of courses to make a well rounded graduate but in general how broad is the range of jobs that an AE grad has. I am asking this question because I always hear of the job insecurity of being an aerospace engineer and I figure that AE grads are limited to what they can do. Forgive if I sound ignorant and uninformed but I would like some clarity on this issue.</p>
<p>Interesting, a fellow Caribbean Islander. I'm from Puerto Rico. Anyway, as long as you do well in school and know your stuff you should be fine. I started out in Mechanical Engineering but by my 2nd year was bored with all the classes. I didn't want to take classes like machine design, and kinematics of gears and heat transfer...bla bla bla. I wanted to take classes like Aerodynamics, Astrodynamics and Spacecraft Attitude dynamics so i switched to Aerospace. I haven't regretted it since. Don't worry about job security. Do what you are interested in. I did well and got a very good job and will probably be going back next year for my masters. BTW, my father earned his Ph.D in Aero/Astro during the 70's, and despite the declining Aerospace industry at the time he managed to easily get a job as a professor of Mechanical Engineering</p>
<p>Thats good to hear. What kind of stuff do you actually do when you go to work. I don't actually know what goes into an AE's day on the job.</p>
<p>Quite honestly, most of the time I feel like a Computer Scientist because I spent about 80% of my day writing code. I work in the Stability and Control division of a small defense company in Washington DC. They mostly specialize in Missile guidance and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) research. Right now, we are working on optimizing flight paths for UAV's executing complex surveillance maneuvers.</p>
<p>bump anyone?</p>
<p>AE is more focused that Mechanical Engineering. Sure, you can still get non-Aero jobs with an AE degree, but it's not as easy as with a ME degree. If you are certain that the Aero industry is for you, go with an AE degree. If you are unsure, consider mechanical or electrical engineering. You can still get into the Aero industry with those degrees.</p>
<p>I am into the aerospace industry but more into the astronautical side of it. How close is Aero to Mech. Lets say I have a MechE degree and iis hired by some aerospace firm how far can I go into the AeroE part of the job. Wouldn't there be limitations to my Aero knowlede. I know that the skills are close but would I need to get my masters in aero to fill in the gap or is the MechE knowledge just as good?</p>
<p>Some smaller schools don't offer AE so it is a sub-specialty under MAE. I thought this was an advantage because it offers the best of both worlds. You have an MAE but also can qualify for AE without having to double major.</p>
<p>Without millitary experience, what would I need and what would my chances really be of becoming a test pilot for an aerospace company?</p>
<p>I looked hard at both the Air Force and Navy including the acadamies, but everyone I talked to was so in love with my ASVAB score they didn't want to hear about me becoming a pilot and tried to talk me into a linguist. Basiclly if i went millitary, I would be railroaded into being a linguist.</p>
<p>Most likely majoring in AE at USC, unless purdue is next to free (USC is) or Cornell or Stanford take me off their waitlists. I also plan on getting at least a 2-yr degree in aviation at a seperate school before grad school, if i need grad school. Also definitly want to join the Air National Guard when I get out of school.</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>"Without millitary experience, what would I need and what would my chances really be of becoming a test pilot for an aerospace company?"</p>
<p>Probably slim to none. One of the major things that they look for in test pilots is number of flight hours in similar planes. If you want to be a test pilot for Lockheed, and want to test fly fighters, they will expect you to have thousands of flight hours in similar performance fighters. The only way to get thousands of flight hours is to be a military pilot first. You simply will not get that kind of training and log those many hours at your local civilian flight school. </p>
<p>If you wanted to test fly civilian aircraft, your chances of becoming a test pilot improve. It will obviously be easier for you to get certified and build flight hours in civilian aircraft. If you had several thousand hours in high performance business jets, it would not be impossible to become a test pilot for a company like Gulfstream Aerospace. If you wanted to fly bigger commercial aircraft, like airliners, then obviously you would need many years of flying as an airline pilot. </p>
<p>Being a test pilot is about having enough experience in a certain class of planes that you would be able to handle anything that can come your way. The only way to get that experience is to fly similar aircraft for a long time before you become a test pilot.</p>
<p>I know what your saying. Defintily could see myself working for the airlines or a corporate pilot for a while. Air National Guard would help hours too</p>
<p>Damn shortage of linguists</p>