Aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering which encompasses the study of aircraft, spacecraft and other relevant topics to the aerospace industry. This branch was conventionally called aeronautical engineering which dealt solely with the aircrafts. However, the broader term has replaced the former one as the flight technology also included aircrafts outside the earth’s atmosphere.
This discipline mostly involves designing aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles. Also, manufacturing and testing of aerospace products are the basic jobs of aerospace engineers. They also have a responsibility for making proposals for the projects that are technically and financially sound and viable. They also have to look after the quality aspect of the construction and design. Students can study B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering or B.Tech in Aeronautical Engineering to become an aerospace engineer.
Scope of Aerospace Engineering
The responsibilities in Aerospace engineering jobs include looking for the faults in the aircraft, missiles and suggesting solutions for them. The students who opt for this branch also have the responsibility to look whether construction of aircraft falls under environmental regulations and whether all the norms and regulations are being followed.
The students who pass out from the top aerospace engineering colleges in Maharashtra get employed as Operations Technicians, Architectural and Engineering Managers, Computer Hardware Engineers, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians, Industrial Engineers and Material Engineers to name a few positions.
In order to become a good aerospace engineer, it is important that students should join a college which could train them well in this profession. The choice of college, therefore, is of utmost importance in order to be a successful aerospace engineer. These are the skills that students are trained on, when the join an aerospace engineering college:
1. Decision making
Decision making skill is the most important and significant one for an aerospace engineer. It’s necessary for aerospace engineers to have decision-making skills since they have to make decisions about what materials to be used for construction for an aircraft. Many engineers work together in a team and therefore the aerospace engineer has to have decision making skills. It is of utmost importance to have these decision making skills for the smooth functioning of the construction and process of the aircraft.
2. Operations analysis
Another aspect of an aerospace engineer’s job is to analyze the operations of an aircraft, including the processes of design, manufacturing and testing. The skill of assessing the operations for the day to day smooth functioning is of utmost importance. For example, if an aerospace engineer notices that the testing process misses a key element of the aircraft, they would have to set up new testing operations. These new operations help to enhance the operations and help in smooth functioning in the work operations.
3. Problem-Solving
Designing and Building an aircraft requires a high level of problem solving skills. Problem-solving skills help the engineers to equip themselves with solutions and solve problems in an effective and efficient manner. For example, if the blueprint design for a new aircraft is due in two weeks and if a problem arises with the proposed design, an engineer handling this project has to solve the problems to come up with an appropriate design which can be proposed for the aircraft. By presenting the original plans and adjusted blueprints, the engineer can assert that he has solved the problem. The best Colleges for B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering train the students on this most important skill which is problem solving.
4. Critical thinking
Similar to many technical professions, critical thinking is an important skill which aerospace engineers are expected to learn or have. Since many of the aircraft they design may exit the earth’s atmosphere, it’s of utmost importance to critically plan the making of an aircraft. For example, an aerospace engineer might think critically to determine how to maintain the oxygen levels necessary for the number of passengers riding in the spacecraft. Critical thinking also helps to anticipate the safety of the aircraft and the actions that are needed to maintain the safety.
5. Analytical thinking
Similar to critical thinking, analytical thinking is another important skill for aerospace engineers. The job role of the aerospace engineer also involves evaluating and analyzing various situations and options in order to find a feasible and plausible solution. Analytical thinking helps in this task. Analytical thinking is related to the maths and science aspects of this career. .
6. Creativity
It is not true that engineers need to be proficient only in technical and analytical skills. Creativity is equally rather than more important in the aerospace profession. This is mainly because when designing new aircraft, creativity is required for finding new and unique designs. Moreover, change takes place in the industry at a skyrocketing rate and therefore, in order to keep pace with the latest trends, creativity is of utmost importance.
In addition to these skills, certain other skills that have to be developed for an aerospace engineer are science, maths and computer skills.
To conclude, it can be said that students have to choose the college that they are going to study in, in a careful and attentive manner as the skills that will be taught in these colleges are going to define their career. The important aspects that the students should consider while selecting a college for their degree are the rank of the college, curriculum, faculties, infrastructural facilities and technology and placements amongst other facilities. India also has many new colleges offering this branch and therefore the students need to research and investigate these colleges before they apply. We hope that the above points help the students to choose the college that they want.