Career in Aeronautical, Aerospace & Aircraft Maintenance

Being one of the prime branches of engineering, aeronautical engineering is associated with the technological development in the field of aviation, space exploration and defence systems which provides a wide scope as a career option. It undertakes things like designing, construction, development, testing, operation and maintenance of both commercial and military aircraft, spacecrafts, satellites and missiles etc. The professionals work as a team as it requires mulitiple skills such as manual, technical and mechanical aptitude to work in this field which make it a very demanding job. Aircraft and aerospace engineering are a part of this discipline.

Diploma and degrees are offered in aeronautical engineering in IITs and polytechnics. The basic qualification needed to get an entry into this field is 10+2 or equivalent examination, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with a high aggregate, mostly institutes take JEE scores as criterian of selection. Degree courses are of 4 years duration while diplomas take 2-3 years to complete. Both BE and ME courses in Aeronautical engineering will cost approximately 75,000 per year. However loans are offered  to afford this course for economically weak students.

Aerospace Engineering is all about the design, construction and science of airplanes and space vehicles.  Aircraft maintenance is again a branch of aerospace engineering and is not a degree or a diploma course, but a training programme. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)issue license to students on completion of this programme. After that only, one is eligible to get a job in airports and aircraft manufacturing or maintenance firms.

It is a demanding field and naturally jobs are available for aerospace engineers in various national, international, public and private airline services as well as aircraft-manufacturing units. the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL The Defence services and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Air India, Indian Airlines,Helicopter Corporation of India are prime recruiters in the field. Also they can work in administrative set ups and can held certain consulting positions.

In government sectors professionals in this field can earn 8,000 to Rs.10,000 apart from parks and benefits. In private sectors pay will naturally be high. 

Some suggested institutes to pursue this course are-

• 
  Excel Engineering College, Tamil Nadu
  
• 
  GMR Institute of Technology (GMRIT)  Andhra Pradesh
  
• 
  Mahaveer Institute of Science and Technology, Andhra Pradesh
  
• 
  MVJ College of Engineering, Karnataka
  
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  PMR Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu
  
• 
  Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 
  
• 
  SRM University, Tamil Nadu 
  
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  University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Uttarakhand
  
• 
  IIT Bombay
  
• 
  Guru Gram Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Technology,Gurgaon