Here's the crack…

RotarWing,

I presume your aim is to become a licensed engineer on helicopters and not fixed wing?

What you’ve been told is correct, the course content for helicopters is different from fixed wing. I suggest you look at the CAA website for further info.

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=177&pagetype=68&groupid=777

Beware getting an engineering licence is a very, very hard slog. My younger brother finally completed his last exam around Xmas time – but is still awaiting the CAA to issue his licence. Despite completing an approved apprenticeship – it has taken him just under nine years to get to this point. Granted he has had one or two setbacks through the years, including being made redundant at the end of his apprenticeship.

The minimum time it takes to obtain a licence is around five years, assuming no setbacks nor exam failures and that you get decent work experience.

If you’ve got your heart set on becoming a licensed helicopter engineer, I’d suggest you try and get an apprenticeship with a helicopter operator. This should ensure that you get the relevant work experience towards any licence issue.

It is an aircraft engineering degree I am looking at not an aeronautical. I’ve contacted my Newcastle Aviation academy and they have told me the courses are specific and I would need to take a different course if I did want to be helo specific!

Aeronautical engineering degrees aren’t that specific. Really, it’s a mechanical engineering degree with a bias towards lightweight structures, aerodynamics, gas turbine cycles etc.

There is a role for professional engineers in large maintenance organisations, but day to day maintenance is done under the supervision of licensed technicians. Very responsible, and often poorly paid work.

I don’t know what stage you’re at, or what your aim is job-wise.

An aeronautical degree is a good start if you’re interested in design, development or testing for either fixed wing or rotary.

I’d just like to say that I have a very deep respect for any type of engineer or mechanic regardless of their qualifications. If I have insinuated otherwise, then it was totally unintentional.

I agree with Trinny, but will take a different tack.

People so often do!

Wise words from Janie, as ever. If you are degree material, you won’t be entertained for long by being a spanner in a hangar. 😎

I agree – almost

Hi RotarWing

I agree with Trinny, but will take a different tack.

If you have a hankering to be around angry palm trees but also feel inclined towards a degree, then you will very likely find the job of helicopter mechanic challenging/satisfying for only an extremely short period.

I suggest that an aeronautical degree, where you can then specialise in rotorcraft will produce far superior satisfaction on many fronts.

Check out the guidance the Royal Aeronautical Society has. They are very much geared towards what you need. They even tell you how to get sponsorship.

http://www.raes.org.uk/raes/careers/careers.html?sessid=

Good luck
Janie

You don’t need a degree to become a Licensed Aircraft Engineer. I strongly suspect that the vast majority of current aero engineers never went anywhere near University. That is how it was in the days before degrees were handed out with packets of cornflakes by former Colleges of Further Education.

The CAA Website provides the details for obtaining engineering licences. That might be worth a read.

If you intend to obtain a degree, you may find yourself overskilled for a life torquing engine mounts whilst being paid half of nothing.