Expert: David A. NewMyer - 1/22/2004

Question
i'm a final year B.E. aerospace engineering student and thinking about joining the air force (or army) as an aeroneutical engineer.

can u tell me what is the different between working in the airline and the services(air force or army), in terms of working environment and working duty....etc

thankyou very much

Answer
Hi, Raymond:

Nice to hear from you.  I will try to assist with your question.

The key difference between working for the airlines and the armed services is the fact that the armed services (Air Force or Army) will require a minimum commitment of time from you.  I am assuming that you will go in as a officer if you go in as an engineer, so, that time could be from four to six years after any training that is done.  Another key thing about the armed services is the structure....not that a job with the airlines would not be structured, however, the airlines will not be quite as involved as the armed services in your off-duty time.  That is, most officers will have responsibilites that will go beyond a nine-to-five job.  This is particularly true if you live ON base vs. OFF base in the armed services (which many young officers do)......living on base has cost reduction advantages for sure, and, close access to your work location.  But, you will be living in quarters that, because they are provided by the armed services for your use, will be periodically inspected, etc., and not really your own.  A BIG advantage of the armed services is that, during the time of your service, you will be protected from the ups and downs of the economy.  The airlines, on the other hand, ride the economic wave pretty much right up front....as you have noticed since the 9-11 attacks.  So, airline employment may not be quite as stable as the armed services.

In both cases, whether it is airlines, or whether it is the armed services, aerospace engineers will only be needed in limited locations where aircraft rework projects (requiring more than just a mechanic to sign off on the work) and the like are performed.  An example of this is Tinker AFB outside Oklahoma City for the Air Force or the Oakland/San Francisco area for United Airlines (just to give two examples).  The airlines usually have just one location, and, maybe, two, where they hire significant numbers of aerospace engineers.  Each military branch will be similar...one or two locations.

Another thing to think about as you serch out career options is working for aerospace manufacturing.  In general, aerospace manufacturing has also taken a hit since the 9-11 attacks BUT not so much on the military side.  For example, The Boeing Company's "Military Aircraft and Missiles Group" (which is based in St. Louis) has been hiring pretty steadily since 9-11, not only in St. Louis, but in places like Wichita, Philadephia and the Phoenix/Mesa area.  Check out their website at www.boeing.com and go to the employment page.  They do ALL of their hiring via their website.  You must apply via their website.

I hope that this information is of assistance.  Best wishes to you!

Sincerely,

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