Aerospace Engineer

The area of Aerospace has two main fields. The first is Aeronautical, which deals with all flying machines within the atmosphere. These include airplanes, helicopters, hydrofoils, and defense missiles. The second field is called Astronautical, which covers all equipment and machines used in outer space. Examples include space vehicles, space shuttles, and satellites. Aerospace Engineers can work in either field.

Within either of these fields, Aerospace Engineers work in a specialized capacity—very specialized. This might mean you are an expert on airfoils (commonly known as wings), or communication, or engines, or materials.

Regardless of their specialty, Aerospace Engineers work with a team of other specialized Engineers. Each design component works in conjunction with other parts, so even the smallest change in one area dominoes into changes for other designs.

For example, if the landing gear is upgraded to a material that better resists friction, the framing and casing around it might need to be a different shape or built from a different material altogether. In addition, the Engineer in charge of wiring the new system will need to adapt for the change.

Every project requires you to use Computer-aided design (CAD) software to create blueprints. Once the details of the design are hammered out, you supervise the construction and make changes as the project progresses. Once complete, you become the go-to person for maintenance and repair questions.