Electrical Engineer Career in Airport: Areas & Qualifications

[evra]

I want to know in which area can an Electrical Engineer work in an Airport? and What would someone special on to be better in any of the areas in an Airport?

Hope to hear from you soon!

thanks

 

[airer]

As i cotrol engineer i guess. Not sure too and i would like to read from others too.

Merci en avance

 

[JakeBrodskyPE]

What would you like to work on? Designing and maintaining runway lighting systems? Design and testing of instrument approaches? Terminal Radar System design? Weather telemetry? Jetway design? Telecommunications for passengers? Baggage handling systems? Backup power generation systems? Fuel delivery systems? Grounding systems?

Now you did say Airport, not aircraft, so I did not even begin to discuss avionics and the like.

This is my meager knowledge as a controls engineer (with an electrical engineering background) and as instrument rated private pilot. I don't do much of this work, but I do have some idea of what goes on there. In general, as airports get sized up, the civil engineers often take the lead, with electrical and RF engineers stepping in as needed.

Larger airports often incorporate SCADA systems to inform them of where things need attention. Examples include RF monitors for instrument approaches, Lighting problems, power distribution problems, drainage problems, and the like.

 

[airer]

In our Airport there are barely engineers and i think all u mentioned above are done by technicians and senior technicians. I don't know much so elaborate more on it please and your personal functions there please.

 

[Devils]

This is my meager knowledge as a controls engineer (with an electrical engineering background) and as instrument rated private pilot. I don't do much of this work, but I do have some idea of what goes on there. In general, as airports get sized up, the civil engineers often take the lead, with electrical and RF engineers stepping in as needed.

Larger airports often incorporate SCADA systems to inform them of where things need attention. Examples include RF monitors for instrument approaches, Lighting problems, power distribution problems, drainage problems, and the like.

Whats this got to do with working at an airport? If your work for aviation contractor most of your time will be their offices. If you want to work full time in an airport I imagine you will be doing basic repairs & maintenance, not designing TACANs.

 

[airer]

Whats this got to do with working at an airport? If your work for aviation contractor most of your time will be their offices. If you want to work full time in an airport I imagine you will be doing basic repairs & maintenance, not designing TACANs.

Devils, I am also thinking the same way. I don't think airports are good places for Electrical Engineers. Is it?

 

[JakeBrodskyPE]

Allow me to explain: There is such a thing called routine operations, and then there is design.

I know of places where the construction trailers have been coming and going for over 30 years. There is a constant influx of new construction all over the place. Many larger airports are like that. And engineers have reason to want to be at the airport during the commission and startup of new features.

No, you are not regular airport staff. If what you're looking for is a staff maintenance position, then there are no places for an electrical engineer. However, that is not the same thing as saying that electrical engineers don't have much to do in a real airport.

Re-read what I posted, and then consider that airports, particularly large international airports, rarely stay the same. There is always some runway lighting project, some fuel delivery issue, some terminal building construction, a new substation somewhere, a new communications system, new navigation features, and so on and so forth.

And then again, you are writing as if you're located in some other part of the world, and I do not know much about about airspace outside the US, the airports, or airport expansion projects. But as this is a technical, not a political endeavor, I can't imagine that it would be that much different.

 

[AlephZero]

The basic point JakeBrodsky and other are maknig is:

Working as an EE at at aiirport is not the same as being an employee of the company that runs the airport.

Obviously there is a lot of electrical equipment in any airport, both airside and groundside. Large airports sometimes have aircraft maintenance facilities as well. But most of the EEs who are involved with all that activity work for the companies that make the equipment, and are not based full-time at the airport itself.

 

[airer]

AlephZero, so what about an airport in an undeveloped country, what will be an EE's job in such an airport (state airport)?

 

[evra]

AlephZero i am also waiting for a reply on Airer's last question. please

 

[AlephZero]

AlephZero, so what about an airport in an undeveloped country, what will be an EE's job in such an airport (state airport)?

AlephZero i am also waiting for a reply on Airer's last question. please

Sorry, I don't have any information about what EE's do at any specific airport in an undeveloped country.