Essay on "Aeronautics Airplane and Other Man-Made Flying Objects"

Essay 5 pages (1645 words) Sources: 6 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Aeronautics

Airplane and other man-made flying objects are some of the most advanced machines around. They achieve speeds and altitudes that even a few decades ago were thought to be impossible. Space shuttles have even managed to break through the Earth's atmosphere and come back in again, which required a number of major engineering innovations. In order to achieve all of the things that various aircraft have in the century or so since the Wright brothers' first flight, aeronautical engineers spent tireless years working on new wing designs, new engine types, and synthesized new materials; everything that makes an aircraft go, stop, lift, drop, turn, or anything else has been designed and redesigned to many times to count. There is almost always a lot riding on an aircraft, both figuratively and literally. This can be in the form of passengers and/or cargo, the success of a military or space mission, or even the financial security of a company. Regardless, the aeronautical engineer is ultimately responsible for an aircraft's design and performance, making it one of the most exciting employment fields around.

The job of an aeronautical engineer might be incredibly exciting, but it does not offer as much opportunity to amass huge amounts of wealth as one might suspect. There are some truly high earners in the field, but the average weekly salary is between $1,500 and $2,000 -- still a very good living, but not what test pilots make (MyFuture). Different companies pay at different times, but in general bi-monthly or monthly paychecks are the norm (Top Aeronautical Schools). This is the same as in most other industries; though the equipment worked on and with isn't exactly average -- and the pay is somewhat higher than normal, too -- most of the more mundane aspects of the job are fairly routine. In keeping with this, there aren't generally allowances given, as there is little that requires odd hours or travel -- the engineer does not accompany the plane.

Earning a career as an aeronautical engineer requires a huge investment f time and money. The education process required for entering the field of aeronautics is long and arduous, and begins early on. In high school, high math and science achievement are essential in laying foundations of future study. Most of the things that are directly applicable to aeronautic engineering will be learned later on in college and M.O.S. (Military Occupational Specialty) School, but the material learned in high school is necessary to lead to that. Good all-around grades in high school are also necessary to ensure entrance into a good university. Undergraduate degrees in aeronautic engineering are available at many institutions, and though they are not entirely necessary to entering an aeronautical engineering program at an M.O.S. It is highly beneficial and therefore recommended (Glenn Research Center).

There are no easy ways to earn promotions as an aeronautical engineer. Even being connected with someone is not likely to bring someone too much added responsibility; the stakes of the job are simply too high. Instead, hard steady work will lead to raises in pay and higher levels of responsibility (Education and Career). Responsibilities of higher level positions in aeronautical engineering could include being a project leader or even the supervisor of putting together a new aircraft, which would require the review and coordination of many different engineering teams' work (NASA). There is not always room for advancement to these positions, and most people in the field will not make it there. The only way to get to the top is to keep studying, and to work carefully and hard.

Depending on where they are working, aeronautical engineers have daily schedules that are quite similar to anyone else's. Things are different in the military, and the lifestyle can vary hugely depending on where one is deployed. For simplicity's, the daily schedule of an aeronautical engineer in the private sector will be examined. In the morning, one would get up, have some sort of morning meal, shower, and dress appropriately for the setting -- business dress does not always mean a full suit anymore, but dress should definitely be appropriate for an office setting (Soderman). This is, after all, where most of the engineering work gets done. Upon arriving at the office, it would be time to check with superiors and co-workers about progress being made on the current project before sitting down either at a computer or possibly at a conference table to work out design issues or crunch numbers to figure out the feasibility of certain options. This is what most of the day would consist of. Though the ultimate end of aeronautical engineering is exciting to almost everyone, it takes the right kind of person to derive pleasure form the engineering aspects, which often involves far more time in a cubicle at a desk, or in meetings and other typical office settings than many might think (Soderman).

During the testing of a new aircraft, the job would get somewhat more exciting. This might require travel to a test flight site somewhere in the desert, perhaps far away from home. Regardless, test flight reparations usually begin in the early morning when it is still cool, so the schedule would change a bit (NASA). On a normal office day, though, there could be any number of meetings with different design teams and collaborations with other engineers, in addition to a few meal and coffee breaks, of course. Again, in many ways this job is business as usual.

When the workplace is the office, it is relatively safe -- the same common sense used in any other normal building is all that is really needed. There are times however when the aeronautical engineer must go on site, and at these times there certain precautions to take. Hard hats and safety goggles are a must around operating aircraft engines, and proper ear protection is also essential to protect hearing from long-term exposure to the incredibly loud noise of a jet or even standard combustion engine (Glenn Research Center). Aeronautical engineering is worth the risk, however; there are possibilities of working almost anywhere in the world, especially with military service. Locations can include major cities working for large firms, remote testing areas, and pretty much anywhere in between including the subrbia of Middle America (Soderman). Because of the wide amount of areas this job takes place in, there is an almost limitless variation to the conditions that an aeronautical engineer could face. There are even often aeronautical engineers at the South Pole (Education and Career). For the most part, however, the conditions faced by aeronautical engineers would be no different than those faced by the average worker.

The basic job that an aeronautical engineer performs is the design of aircraft. This can mean the brand new design of a plane from the ground up (and up, and up...), or the modification of an existing design or even an already-built plane to adapt it for other purposes and/or functions (MyFuture). Aeronautical engineers are also employed to conduct tests of existing and experimental aircrafts, supervise assembly of airframes and other parts, schedule and supervise maintenance, and a host of other smaller functions related to getting an aircraft into the air under its own power and making sure it can stay there as long as the pilot wants to (MyFuture).

Getting to become an aeronautical engineer is not easy, or cheap if going the private route. Tuition, room and board, textbooks, and other fees can all add up in the years of undergraduate and graduate school, and he payoff could be many years in coming. This is why many aeronautic engineering hopefuls decide to go the military route, where the education is paid for and the job availability and security is high (NASA; Top Aeronautical Schools). The first… READ MORE

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