Transitioning from an aircraft maintenance engineer or technician to a designer in fields such as thermodynamics, propulsion, or aerodynamics is feasible but requires a significant educational shift. A bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering is essential, as design work necessitates advanced mathematics, including partial differential equations and linear algebra. While hands-on experience in maintenance is beneficial, it does not directly translate to the knowledge required for engineering courses. Familiarity with basic calculus is crucial to avoid being hindered by math prerequisites in an engineering program.
PREREQUISITESAerospace engineers, aircraft maintenance technicians, and individuals considering a career shift into aerospace design and engineering.
oraclelive said:Sure u can. Although no two courses or profession are the same.however, since you are trained technician, you can step up a become a pro-aerodynamics engineer.I must warn,if you maths phobia,its time you get used to it cause there will lots & lots of advance calculations with high degree of precision required.
TMFKAN64 said:I would shy away from the word "upgrade"... design work would probably require a straight mechanical and aerospace engineering degree rather than anything that could be considered an extension of maintenance engineer/technician training.
That said, I see no reason why you couldn't be very successful in switching paths. I would think that having hands-on experience would be a definite plus in all respects.
Angry Citizen said:The two fields are pretty disparate. Your current knowledge will be useful, especially if you have to interface with people who actually build your designs (which you almost certainly will); however, don't expect it to be very useful in your engineering courses, except for familiarity with certain aircraft terms.
That said, go for it. It's never too late. Just be aware that as an aerospace engineer you will have to be comfortable with partial differential equations, linear algebra, and other advanced mathematics. You'll learn this as part of the degree, but you should at least have a familiarity with basic calculus when you enter the degree program, otherwise you will be held back by prerequisites regarding math.