Expert: Paul Soderman - 4/23/2008

Question
Hey,
Ever since I was a kid I always loved flying.  Here recently I have been taking flight lessons to pursue becoming an airline pilot.  However, in high school, I always loved math, chemistry, and physics. Which also happened to be my best subject.  Lately I have had an interest in Aerospace/Aeronautical engineering.  I was thinking that that would give me something to fall back on if I decided I didn't want to be traveling as much.  However, I was wandering if this degree would also help me in pursuing a job with an Airline, and if you would suggest having both.  Or if there is another major that you would suggest to take that would help me with my aviation career.  Thanks.

Answer
Austin
An engineering degree is a great asset and would be important to getting a good job. Aeronautical engineering, of course, would be especially advantageous for the aerospace industry.  And it might help land a job with an airline, but I doubt they are out recruiting aero engineers.  It would seem they need many skills necessary to manage a large system, maintain equipment, manage people, count the money, and so on but I wouldn't think that many of their people other than some of the pilots are aero engineers.  I could be wrong.  The best thing to do is ask people in the airline industry.  In any case, I encourage you to get an aero engineering degree.  There are lots of jobs in the aviation field besides airlines.  And you can always do what my engineer friend at NASA did, he built his own airplane to fly.
Paul