12, April 2022
Every year in India, countless innumerable students clearing their 12th boards, with science stream, opt for engineering, and among the various streams of engineering, aeronautical engineering has attracted the attention of many students in recent times. Aeronautical engineering basically refers to the science that deals with the study, planning, designing, and techniques, which are involved in operating aircraft, and prepares the engineer with skills for designing, making, analyzing, and testing commercial/military aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. Studying the course from a recognized college can promise the students a favorable lifestyle in the future. But to do that, the student must have a clear idea of what the career path of aeronautical science entails. Thus in this article, the specifications regarding aeronautical engineering shall be discussed in detail.
As a student, you may wonder, why should you choose aeronautical engineering amongst all the other streams? In the world of today, people are increasingly inclined toward science, and even people in streams, other than science, are also intrigued by new scientific discoveries and inventions. What happens in outer space, which planet has water, which planet can possibly be survivable for human beings, all these have been flaming topics of discussion. And to make those discoveries, well-made and well-functioning aircraft are of utmost importance. Secondly, every country is in search of better security for the country and the world as a whole, and thus comes the need for military aircraft and missiles. Moreover, aeronautical science has gained popularity in recent days, and thus a comparatively lower number of people apply for it. Thus, there are a large number of companies and organizations in need of aeronautical scientists.
As aeronautical science requires precision and huge expertise, once you get hired, the salary is comparably high to other fields in engineering and can assure you a satisfactory lifestyle. Graduates can also earn a good sum, working as an engineer, and can do work like designing vehicles, designing the tools used to repair aircraft, or overseeing the production process.
Aeronautical engineering is continually gaining recognition in today’s world, and the chance of it being irrelevant or unnecessary is null. Secondly, aeronautical engineering prepares the students for not only designing air and space crafts but also includes components from other fields, which can provide the student with great opportunities in not only the companies dealing with aeronautics but also the other engineering sites.
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There are jobs available in the Indian air force, defense ministry, airlines, research agencies like NASA and ISRO for aeronautical engineers. In India, OEMs are also opening branches that need a large number of aeronautical engineers.
Defense Research and Development Laboratories (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Air India, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), civil aviation department (DGCA) are top recruiters in the government sectors, who are in need of aeronautical engineers in abundance.
Private companies such as Bharat Electronics Ltd., BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd., Honeywell Aerospace, Altran India, Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Ltd., Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company, Mahindra Aerospace. Moreover, there are a large number of start-ups that deal with manufacturing and consulting, which need the expertise of aeronautical engineers. There are also airlines such as Indigo, Spicejet, Air India, etc, which recruit aeronautical engineers.
Engineers specializing in aeronautics can also work as graduate engineer trainees, in racing car companies, as Aircraft Production engineers, Assistant Technical Officers, and Air safety officers, and as space scientists in government organizations. Students can also do their post-graduation to gain the utmost expertise in the field, in the search for better jobs.
Aeronautical engineers hold the expertise to fetch the best-paid jobs both in India and abroad, with salaries as high as $1 Million. If a student wishes to settle down in foregin countries, they can even apply for a job overseas.
Following are a broad overview of what falls under the job spectrums of aeronautical engineers.
| Sr No. | Job profiles | Job descriptions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerodynamic Engineers | Test aerospace designs like the bodies of the aircraft and propulsion systems and make sure that they meet the needed specifications and conform to the law of aerodynamics so that everything can function properly. |
| 2 | Aircraft design engineers | They are the main designer of airplanes and other aircraft, and they focus on factors and dimensions of the flight with the atmosphere. |
| 3 | Aircraft designers | Studies the performance of the aircraft and construction materials, along with designing aircraft and propulsion systems. |
| 4 | Aircraft engineers | Looking after the assembling of the engines, testing the aircraft to check the performance, recognizing areas of improvement, designing specifications, and applying scientific principles for the betterment of performance. |
| 5 | Astronautical engineers | They work with the science and technology of the vessel and test how they perform both inside and outside of the atmosphere. |
| 6 | Flight system test engineers | Have the responsibility of testing and planning a specific flight test phase, and plan in conjunction with other aeronautical engineers, to oversee the total buildup of the aircraft. |
| 7 | Rocket engineers | Design and look after the manufacturing of rockets. |
| 8 | Wind tunnel engineers | They are Involved in tunnel building projects. |
Average annual salary may vary from company to company but the following data will provide you with a range idea that CTC oscillates between. Sometimes, these salaries may go as high as INR 25 Lakhs depending upon the skill, experience, and time in the industry.
| Sr No. | Job profiles | Average salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerodynamic engineer | Rs 1036770 |
| 2 | Aircraft design engineer | Rs 8.6 lakhs per year |
| 3 | Aircraft designers | Rs 40813 |
| 4 | Aircraft engineers | Rs 781594 |
| 5 | Astronautical engineers | Rs 813073 |
| 6 | Flight system test engineers | Rs 29238 per month |
| 7 | Rocket engineers | Around 8 lakhs Rs |
| 8 | Wind tunnel engineers | Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 20.8 lakhs |
Aeronautical engineering is one of the most complicated fields and requires a lot of dedication and hard work to do well in the field. This article can help aspiring students with the necessary information, to know about what their career paths may entail if they take up aeronautical engineering as their major. Aeronautical engineers have the capability of stirring up the knowledge of what is known today about aircraft and spacecraft.