Aeronautical Engineering
Aeronautical Engineering is a well-known branch of engineering that attracts students with passion in airplanes and their mechanism. Aeronautical engineering involves the study, design and research of the machines or airplanes which moves in the space and air sphere of the earth.
The primary job of an Aeronautical Engineer is to devise aircraft and propulsion systems, but with time, the engineer is given many more responsibilities to carry out. After completion of this course, it is rewarding for any student as it leads to a job with good remunerations & packages. An engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering helps students in getting a job in the aviation industry, defence establishments, and civil aviation department. The average salary of an aeronautical engineer is INR 6 lakhs or more. With experience, the earning grows manifold.
Studying aerospace engineering offers a variety of career options. Potential fields to specialise in comprise thermodynamics, propulsion, aerodynamics, and celestial mechanics. If anyone has a passion for a specific aerospace product, for instance, rockets, missiles, helicopters, or military jets he/she may choose to specialise in that particular product as well.
Aircraft are being redesigned to cause a smaller amount of noise pollution and have better fuel efficiency, which will demand more research and development. Aeronautical engineering deals with developing, constructing, designing, maintaining and operating missiles and military aircrafts.
Courses
BE (Bachelor of Engineering) /B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology): It is a professional degree with four years duration.
Aeronautical engineering subjects are material science, fluid dynamics, essentials of propulsion, structural analysis & aerodynamics theory and so on.
Required Skills
The specific skills and aptitudes required for an Aeronautical career include the following.
- Ability to think creative
- Alertness and presence of mind
- Flexibility
- Leadership qualities
- Manual, technical and mechanical aptitude
- Normal colour vision
- Physical fitness and good height
- Problem solving and analytical skills
- Speed and accuracy
- Team working and communication skills
- Time Management Skills
Eligibility Criteria
The basic eligibility requirement for admissions to any BTech programme is:
- Candidates must have passed Class 10+2 exam from a recognised board with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as core subjects.
- They must also have secured a minimum aggregate mark of 50% in the above subjects combined.
The eligibility criteria may vary from institute to institute.
Entrance Examination
JEE MAIN: A national level entrance exam conducted for providing admissions to the undergraduate engineering courses in top engineering institutes in India like National Institutes of Technology, IIITs and the Govt funded Technical Institutes.
JEE ADVANCED: A national-level entrance exam conducted for providing admissions in the engineering programs in IITs. The seven zonal IITs conduct the exam under the guidance of Joint Admission Board (JAB) for admission into Bachelor’s, Integrated Masters and Dual Degree programs for all the IITs.
State level entrance exams:
- Andhra Pradesh APEAMCET
- Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET)
- Kerala Engineering Agriculture and Medicine (KEAM)
- Tamil Nadu Professional Courses Entrance Examination (TNPCEE)
State Level Engineering College admission is based on state level entrance exams. For most state level entrance examinations, 50% weightage is given for the score of specific subjects in Board Exams.
Job Profiles
As engineering has hundreds of branches, a lot of job profiles are available. Some job profiles are listed here.
- Aeronautical Engineer
- Aerospace Designer Checker
- Aerospace Engineer
- Aircraft Production Engineer
- Aircraft Production Manager
- Assistant Aircraft Engineers
- Assistant Technical Officers
- Automobile Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- CAD Technician
- Consultant
- Consultants
- Flight Engineer
- Graduate Engineer Trainees
- Instrumentation Engineer
- Maintenance Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Mechanical Design Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Production Controller
- Software Engineer
- Technical Sales Engineer
- Thermal Design Engineer
Top Recruiters
Aeronautical Engineers are in demand nationally and internationally. They are required in private and public Airline Services as well as aircraft-manufacturing units. There are job opportunities abroad in countries like the US, UK, France, Germany, Gulf countries, NASA etc.
Here are some examples of top companies recruiting BE/BTech graduates in Aeronautical Engineering.
- Aeronautical Development Establishment
- Air India
- Airbus
- Aircraft Manufacturing Units
- Aircraft Part Manufacturing Companies
- Boeing
- Civil Aviation Departments
- Defence Research and Development Laboratories
- Flight Clubs
- Helicopter Corporation of India
- Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd (HAL)
- Indian Air Force
- Indian Space Research Organizations (ISRO)
- Maintenance, Repair and Overhauls (MRO) Industries
- NASA
- National Aeronautical Lab (NAL)
- Pawan Hans
- Private Airlines
- Research Organizations
Institutions
Some of the top Institutes which are offering Aeronautical Engineering courses:
| Name of the institution | City |
|---|---|
| ACS College of Engineering | Bangalore |
| PEC University of Technology | Chandigarh |
| Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | Chennai |
| Amrita Schools of Engineering | Coimbatore |
| Anna University of Technology | Coimbatore |
| Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering | Dehradun |
| Indian Institute of Technology | Kanpur |
| Indian Institute of Technology | Kharagpur |
| Manipal Institute of Technology | Manipal |
| Indian Institute of Technology | Mumbai |
| Guru Gram Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Technology | Nagpur |
| Schools of Aeronautics | New Delhi |
| Bengal Engineering and Science University | Shibpur |
| Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology | Thiruvananthapuram |
Questions & Answers
Q) What is the work of an aeronautical engineer?
A) An aeronautical engineer works with aircraft. Their primary job is to design aircraft and propulsion systems but with time, the engineers are given many more responsibilities to carry out. The aeronautical engineers study the mechanisms of aircraft. They work for a career in aircraft, airplanes, jet planes and space shuttles.
Q) In which sector does aeronautical engineers get jobs?
A) The aeronautical engineers get jobs in the defence, research and aviation industry.
Q) Is aeronautical engineering hard?
A) Aeronautical engineering is one of the complex fields among various engineering degrees. However, it has been a popular course pursued by engineering aspirants across the globe. Aeronautical engineering requires expertise in Physics and Mathematics. If you are best at these subjects it would not be much difficult.
Q) What is the salary of an aeronautical engineer in India?
A) An aeronautical engineer earns the average salary in India around Rs 5 lakh per annum. The salaries in the government sector are determined as per the pay scale for the particular post.
Q) Is aeronautical engineering good for females?
A) Yes, definitely. If students are good at PCM and have an interest in aircrafts mechanics, they should pursue this course without any hesitation regardless of their gender.
Q) How can I become an aeronautical engineer after 12th?
A) Students who have successfully completed their class 12th examination or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) and aggregate of with a minimum of 50 to 70% in the examination are eligible to apply for the entrance exam BTech course.
Q) Which entrance exam is required for pursuing Aeronautical Engineering?
A) For admission to various institutes candidates are required to qualify JEE Main and JEE Advanced or State level or Institutional level according to the eligibility conditions of the concerend institutes.
Q) Which Is better aerospace or aeronautical engineering?
A) Both Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering are good branches. To work in the aircraft building industry then aerospace engineering is the correct course. If you want to work in the space industry, then aeronautical engineering is the right branch.