Aircraft Engineer at 40

yourdeadwright

Is there anyway to become an aircraft engineer other than the normal apprenticeship route ,

And if there is would you stand any chance of getting a decent job out of it at that age ?

Board Walker

If you can afford the wage drop then follow your dreams!

Speaking as an electrician, there was always guys in their late 30's and 40's in FAS and CIT with us so i cant see there being any difference.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120063888#Comment_120063888

completely agree, i cant see any downfalls in doing this, it benefits everyone, an older apprentice brings maturity, and you cant pay for that...

worked in the aerospace industry for a while, really interesting sector, aircraft maintenance definitely would interest me, best of luck op

Bussywussy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058278011/aircraft-engineer-at-40

TBH it depends what your at now, you'd definitely need an apprenticeship and get all exams done for licenses then type ratings etc so you can certify aircraft, no hassle getting a job at moment but pay has been race to the bottom stuff for years in the "national carrier", biggest payers in Ireland are probably Ryanair, ASL,Delta,Direct maintenance,the latter 2 would require plenty of experience to get in. If I'm honest I wouldn't bother,rather get a foot into biomedical or pharma and do courses and progress in there.

donkey balls

Intel were looking to hire B1&B2 licensed engineers, My mates brother was a sparks and went back to college studying engineering now he wasn't 40 at the time.

But having the electricians time behind him helped he is now head of operations for Ireland and two other sites.

I'm sure others here will tell you that aviation is a fickle industry( last recession & the pandemic) Plus the hours are unsocial like everything in transport.

Stovepipe

All of the above, in spades. You have to be dedicated to stay fixing aircraft these days. There is a chronic shortage of heli mechs, sheet metal/structures/composite repair people and mechs for general aviation in Ireland. The pay in hangar based maintenance in Shannon and Dublin is poor unless you are a B1 or B2 signer, ie, a person who is signing for work done and stamping it as serviceable as part of a Check package. Mechs that have a B1 or b2 on Type will make about 70K a year and can make more. You won't get an indoors office job in Engineering or Planning (Check maintenance planning) unless you walk in with a Degree or have experience in the trade. Traineeships are out there but they are designed to get people to do basic hangar work repetitively. Anyone with a brain who does a traineeship usually does all of the Modules to become a B1 and get out of that low paid rat race.

In the hangar maintenance situation, firms that have workshops do things like landing gear overhaul, pump and valve overhaul, some engine overhaul, things like engine casing welding, blade welding, painting of aircraft (chronically high turnover of staff) and so on. They are usually poorly paid and the average plumber or electrician outside earns far more. Even being a supervisor of a workshop does not generate decent money and certain well-known MROs are notorious for their low wages and poor conditions.

If you have a few quid, consider pilot training instead.