Aviation engineering

Civil aviation is huge business. There are over 50 airlines in the UK, with over 100,000 people employed in air transport jobs, and the figure is set to rise as more and more people and freight move by air. There is a serious shortage of experienced aircraft engineers, and anyone looking to work in the industry will find a number of jobs open to them; provided they have the necessary qualifications or are prepared to get them.

For many years the industry has taken the input of ex-Servicemen and women for granted. Service training and education has always been excellent, and the Service environment produces a very experienced individual after even comparatively short engagements. In civilian life, of course, profitability is a consideration in the operation of aircraft with a balance drawn between cost and safety. However, for ‘commercial’ substitute ‘operational’ and it is a very similar scenario to a Service one.

Aircraft engineering essentially splits into two areas – aircraft and avionics. Aircraft engineers inspect, repair and maintain the airframes and the engines, as well as munitions. Avionic engineers are concerned with the electrical and electronic equipment on aircraft including instruments, radio and radar.

Aircraft engineering in the Services
All three Services have aviation engineering specialists, working on sophisticated and complex instruments and aircraft, both rotary and fixed-wing. Qualifications after training range from Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees, through Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and Certificates (HNCs) to National Certificates, with institute membership at the appropriate grade being available.

Artificers in both the Royal Navy and the Army (REME), and Chief Technicians and many Junior Technicians in the RAF are extremely well-qualified aircraft engineers. They may hold a degree or the equivalent and will certainly possess Level 3 qualifications. They will have to use their expertise on different equipment when they leave, but they will have an excellent knowledge of the principles.

One noticeable difference is that civilian employers are generally looking for someone who can work on a number of aspects of the same airframe, with some Service training being too specific for them. Most Service people translate their skills and experience into civilian qualifications while serving. Those that do not may have to prove expertise and pass unnecessary exams later.

Qualifications
It is necessary to have qualifications to work in any branch of engineering. Academic ones vary from degrees (foundation, first and masters) through HNDs and HNCs, to National Diplomas (NDs) and National Certificates (NCs). Vocational qualifications include Vocational A-levels, General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs), Advanced Modern Apprenticeships (AMAs) (Level 3), Foundation Modern Apprenticeships (FMAs) (Level 2), National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

Engineering Council
Engineering Council UK is the engineering profession’s lead body and it is required under Royal Charter to register all engineers who have met standards of education, training and professional competence. The Register has three sections:
- Chartered Engineer (CEng)
- Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
- Engineering Technician (EngTech).

All registrants, and there are just under 300,000 of them, are required to be members of a nominated engineering institution. All membership and registration is done through the appropriate institute, not directly with the Council.

Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)
The RAeS is the major institute for aircraft engineering, as well as many other aspects of aeronautics. It has grades of membership for everyone from the junior trainee to people at the head of the profession; it also admits amateurs interested in the subject. It has 34 branches in the UK and another nine in the rest of the world.

Aircraft maintenance qualifications
People who have worked on Service aircraft will be able to compile an AD300 or Record of Experience for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), but familiarity with Civil Air Legislation is also required.

Every civilian aircraft engineer needs a licence to certify work. Until recently this was the CAA’s Licence Without Type Rating (LWTR). The change to the Joint Aviation Authorities Licence, Joint Airworthiness Requirement 66 (JAR-66) has now been updated to a change to a Part 66 Licence from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which came into force in September 2003.

Transition arrangements must be completed by 28 September 2008, when all protected rights have to be transferred to Part 66. Because Part 66 only identifies two trade disciplines – mechanical and avionics – LWTR transfers to Part 66 may have limitations placed on them to reflect the limits of the LWTR held. Until 28 September 2008, it will be possible to obtain a Part 66 Licence, limited to the activities authorised under the LWTR syllabus.

People holding LWTR must convert to a Part 66 Licence by 28 September 2008, or they may take the additional modules to enable them to hold a full Part 66 Licence. They can obtain a Part 66 Licence now, and conversion from the old to the new system will happen automatically at the five-year renewal points.

Part 66 requires people to have a minimum of three years’ experience (Category A) or five years (other categories). Technical training can reduce this for Service leavers, but they will need one year’s civil experience. One route is to take the exams, find an employer, and then gain the experience to obtain the Certificate. Alternatively, the exams can be spread over the time period required to gain this experience. The Type Rating will be on the licence:
- Category A – Line Maintenance Certifying Mechanic, task trained and only able to certify their own work
- Category B1 – Line Maintenance Certifying Technician/Base Maintenance Technician – Mechanical
- Category B2 – Line Maintenance Certifying Technician/Base Maintenance Technician – Avionic
- Category C – Base Maintenance Certifying Engineer.

Under Part 66, people obtain the basic Certificate and then have to pass a Type course on a particular aircraft. They are then authorised by their employer to work on aircraft of that Type. There are currently no exemptions from any part of the Part 66 Licence exams.

In the future, maintenance organisations will be approved under Part 145 – many of them are already.

The Part 66 exams are written and consist of a number of multi-choice questions covering civilian regulations, and multi-choice and essay questions on technical matters. The CAA may grant exemptions, depending on rank, trade and experience, from the technical multi-choice element but the essay questions can cover any part of the syllabus. There are no oral exams.

Part 147 is the certificate that authorises organisations to deliver Part 66 basic (underpinning) and Type training.

Employment
The most highly qualified people generally plan and manage aviation engineering and avionic projects, with the next level of expertise supervising their implementation and the least skilled people actually doing the work. However, it is quite usual for the individual signing the Certificate of Release to Service after a major overhaul to hold a Category C Licence.

Experience leads to the ability to undertake bigger and better tasks, while a mix of academic and vocational qualifications are usually the best way for the individual to develop and move up the career ladder.

The industry is extremely diverse – there are large airlines and small flying clubs. Helicopters fly to and from oil installations, much Service aircraft maintenance is contractorised, and there are large aircraft engineering companies working for airlines. Some agencies specialise in aircraft engineering.

Salaries
Aviation engineering entrants will start on £16,000 to £18,000, with experienced workers on £20,000 to £25,000, and senior engineers, quality engineers and inspectors earning £30,000 to £35,000.

Industry norms for qualified people are:
- EngTechs start at £16,000, rise to £21,000 on qualification and to £42,000 at the top of the scale
- IEngs start on £16,000 to £19,000, rise to £32,000 as they gain experience, and up to £55,000 for senior people
- CEngs are the most qualified people, starting at £20,000, with an upper limit that varies; the industry average is £50,000.

This article has focused on employment opportunities specific to the aviation engineering industry. However, a number of other functions also provide jobs in this sector, including administration, finance, human resources, logistics, driving and security.