Expert: David A. NewMyer - 1/23/2010

Question
Hi, I'm Lup Yee from Malaysia and I'm interested in field of aviation. Regarding to the subject, may I know more information about studying pilot/aviation? What is the requirements for aviation field? Well, I am a science stream student and I manage to score well in my subjects especially Physics. Do I have the opportunity to get any of the scholarships?

Thank you for your time and please do reply. I welcome all answers.  

Answer
Hi,

Thank you for your question, I will try to assist!

The field of aviation is quite broad and includes at least four major segments, with many career paths and fields within those segments:

Aviation Manufacturing (commercial/general aviation=civil, military and space)

Airlines (Global/Major, National, Regional and All Cargo)

General Aviation (all flying except that done by the military and the airlines)

Government Aviation (Federal/National Government agencies in aviation, state/provincial governments involved in aviation and local governments involved in aviation--usually in the ownership and operation of airports in quite a few nations).

Some of the broad career paths that you might follow in aviation can include:

Pilot
Mechanic/aviation technician/avionics technician
Dispatcher/aviation-related meteorology
Air Traffic Controller
Airport operations/airport management
Airport planning
Aerospace Engineer
Airline management (customer service, marketing, crew scheduling, ramp control/management, and related job areas

The above list is just to name a few....

Since you are a science stream student and do well in physics, you might want to check on career paths where a fair amount of science is used, such as aerospace engineering as well as pilot/flying for a career.  Most aerospace engineering careers will take you to an aviation manufacturer where you will use your aerospace engineering skills and knowledge to assist in the design of new aircraft or new aircraft-related technologies (such as aviation electronics/avionics or air traffic control equipment or flight simulation equipment, etc).    Check the US Department of Laboar Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm for more information.  Also, check http://www.careeroverview.com/aerospace-engineering-careers.html for another review of this career path.

As for the pilot career, there are many resources available to check out
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos107.htm for more information.  For information on university and college aviation programs that offer both flight training AND a degree in aviation with flight as part of the degree, check out the website of the University Aviation Association at http://www.uaa.aero    In addition, look at their PUBLICATIONS LINK which shows two important publications:

THE COLLEGIATE AVIATION GUIDE which is a listing of colleges and universities that offer aviation degrees (mostly in Canada and the USA)

THE COLLEGIATE AVIATION SCHOLARSHIP LISTING which contains over $1.4 million in aviation-related scholarships that you can apply for.  There is also a link on the www.uaa.aero website that takes you right to the scholarship listing (you can not download it but you can examine it and see also which scholarships are currently posted for application)

Both of the above publications should be helpful to you if you wish to pursue a pilot, aviation management or related career and/or wish to pursue aviation scholarships.

I wish you the best in your pursuit of information on an aviation career.  Please follow up if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
http://www.aviation.siu.edu