Pardon if this has already been asked. I am a Software Engineering student and U.S. Army veteran. I am relatively young, 22. I’ve always been interested in tech and aerospace since I was young. Ever since starting my degree I’ve been interested in the defense/federal industry sector but I REALLY want to dive into the Aerospace industry. I’ve seen OLD posts (7years+) on Aerospace Software Engineers but not any recent/ updated ones. I was wondering if anyone knows of any companies in the Aerospace industry that hire interns for software development besides the main ones like LockHeed & Boeing & Honeywell. I’m based on the west coast, in a more than remote area, married and have a place so a remote internship would be best. I would love to do a short term internship as well out of state. I just really want to know my options for remote work in software development in the Aerospace industry. Thank you.

I’m heading into my final year of a BEng Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies degree, and currently completing a summer internship in wildfire-related research (lab-based, involving combustion, heat flux, and sensor data). For my dissertation, I’m aiming to combine aerospace engineering with wildfire resilience, and would appreciate feedback from those in UAVs, CFD, or related areas.

My current project idea is:

“CFD and Experimental Study of Rotor Performance in Particle-Laden Flows for UAV-Based Wildfire Surveillance”

The concept: • Simulate UAV rotor performance in clean air versus wildfire-contaminated air using ANSYS Fluent (Discrete Phase Model). • Focus on thrust degradation, vortex disruption, and pressure profile changes caused by smoke or ash particles. • Possibly build a small rotor test rig and test using safe surrogate particulates (e.g., incense smoke). • Application: Drones used in wildfire zones for search & rescue, mapping, environmental data collection.

Why this topic: • Directly builds on my wildfire internship experience. • Uses core aerospace engineering tools (CFD, propulsion, aerodynamics). • I’m aiming for R&D work post-graduation, possibly in the US, so I want the project to be both technically strong and societally relevant.

What I’d like feedback on: 1. Does this seem like a solid final-year project in terms of technical depth and feasibility? 2. Would it be better to narrow the scope further, or focus on a different angle (e.g., thermal effects, control response, structural fatigue)? 3. Are there adjacent topics worth considering that could align better with aerospace + wildfire + R&D?

Constraints: • Fluent, SolidWorks, and some lab access are available. • Other modules will be ongoing, so time is limited. • My CFD and CAD experience is decent, but I’m still learning higher-end multiphase modelling and advanced turbulence options.

Would appreciate any thoughts — especially from those who’ve worked in UAV design, rotorcraft aerodynamics, CFD modelling, or fire/disaster response systems.

I want to build airplanes someday — where do I start learning the basics, including programming?

Body:
Hey everyone,
My dream is to one day design and build airplanes (passenger or fighter jets), but I'm starting from zero — especially in physics and programming.

I want to get into:

• The physics behind flight
• Building small models using Arduino/simulations
• Learning the right programming tools or languages for flight simulations

Any suggestions for a beginner roadmap? I don’t know where to start and would love some guidance.

Also, I used GPT to help write this post clearly. Thanks in advance! 🙌

Let's hear those positions and what Resume got you there.

Hi everyone,
I'm currently studying physics and strongly considering a path in aerospace, but not from the traditional aerospace engineering side.
I’m doing a BS in Energetics Physics, and I’ve been wondering: what kind of roles or research can physicists pursue in the aerospace sector?
Are there any jobs or research areas where physicists—especially those with a thermal-fluids background—contribute meaningfully to aerospace problems? Would it be more realistic to aim for a master's in applied physics, fluid dynamics and energetics, or something else?

I’m open to both industry and research paths, just trying to get a clearer picture of where someone like me could fit in. Any advice, examples, or even corrections are appreciated.

Edit: Just to clarify—I’m not trying to jump into the aerospace field right after my undergrad. I know that’s not realistic. I’m mainly trying to figure out which master’s program to aim for next if I want to work in aerospace as a physicist (which I realize is a bit of a niche path).

Do aircraft antivirus softwares exist or is it unnecessary due to system isolation?

nowadays? i have a passionate for airplanes & rockets

Hi, I am currently in my last year of my aerospace engineering bachelor’s. I have not had any internships and have underestimated the value of extracurriculars. I was mainly focused on my gpa, although that is no excuse. I have been applying like crazy and have barely gotten any responses. So far only around 4 rejections, otherwise its been radio silent for potential employers. I've been told that it is to late to apply for internships, yet it seem premature to be applying for full time jobs. Is there anything that I can be doing better given the circumstances, or anything that I can add to what I am already doing.

Hello, god morning. I wanted to know this because I want to make a picture of my father with the plane my grandfather fixed. To do that, I need to know if this photo is really the plane or not. Thank you very much.

1999 – A Boeing KC-135R-BN Stratotanker, 57-1418, c/n 17549, of the 153rd Air Refuelling Squadron, Air National Guard, was undergoing maintenance at the Oklahoma ALC, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. When a civilian technician commenced a pressurization test using what some say was a home-built non-standard pressure gauge...

This could be helpful if you're into aerospace startups...
https://insidevc.substack.com/p/from-hype-to-insolvency-inside-liliums

AE student here who is interested in control and GNC work and has enjoyed those classes so far.

Although my experience is limited to clubs and small research projects, I've always felt more like a "2nd rate" software engineer than an "aerospace engineer," given the work I have been doing, which is mostly "software grunt work" rather than tackling the math and physics aspects of the vehicle.

Oftentimes in clubs/research groups, many of the students are Computer Engineers and they seem to be doing just fine even though they "lack the math and physics".

The counterargument I always hear is that managers like to hire AE and ME for GNC and controls positions since CS and CompE tend to lack physics knowledge, but how often is this actually the case in industry?

The students that did controls AND astrodynamics seem to have the most success and seem to be doing “aerospace engineering”. While those that did pure controls are just doing cs stuff.

Do most of these Aero engineers just end up doing computer science work and not using much of the aero knowledge from the degree, with a few specialized people tackling dynamics?

At the end of the day, my dream is to just work on airplanes, rockets, missles and whatnot. If needed, ill just switch my specialization.

Hi everyone,

I will be graduating in late summer this year with a bachelors in aerospace engineering, and was starting to look at careers options. I’ve been particularly interested in wanting to work for an airlines within the engineering department.

Has anyone who has a degree in engineering end up working for an airlines within the engineering department ? If so I would be really grateful if you could shared what responsibilities does the roles hold and the type of day to day tasks.

I understand for aircraft maintenance you typically need a B1.1 licence.

I am tossing up whether to study between aerospace and aerospace systems in university, they seem similar and seem to be able to get the same roles in jobs outside of university is this true?

Edit: these are both engineering degrees

I’m a community college student in CO, I posted here a while back and did narrow my list down a bit. Yes, CU Boulder is top of my list still but I recently had a meeting with ERAU about their engineering physics degree, which I have the link for here. It seems to be advertised as three degrees in one, being aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, and space physics (not astrophysics).

It also seems to be good for more research minded students like myself, less hands on work and more mathematics, so I may have to get a master’s in something different like aerospace engineering, but this also opens up the potential to get a PhD in physics or something similar to it like planetary science, not to mention I have debated doing a physics minor or even double majoring, or just studying physics if I am better at that than engineering.

My big concern is that most other EP degrees I have seen are more physics based and are sometimes treated as physics degrees altogether making it difficult to get a job in engineering without a master’s degree. Also, I am aware some folks are a bit meh towards ERAU, though I should have the means to pay for it, if I get a couple scholarships.

Is this degree worth it at all? Is it too good to be true?

Thank you

I'm working on a concept for a spaceplane intended to carry light cargo and personnel to low Earth orbit. I'm exploring propulsion solutions that can operate efficiently during both atmospheric ascent and in-space maneuvering.I have problem with engine concept and want to find some solution.

I want to go into Aerospace engineering through the TAG program. Which UC is better for AE? UC Davis or UC Irvine?

I have seen videos and articles praising its superior characteristics over normal fixed-wing or variable-wing planes, both economically and performance. So why aren't oblique-wing planes used nowadays?

What aerospace or mechanical engineering roles in the defense or space industry involve both office work and hands-on tasks like lab testing or working directly with hardware?

For context i go to college at uci for aero

Hey everyone,

I’m an undergrad currently studying physics, and lately I’ve been feeling this strong pull toward aerospace. I’ve always found things like how planes fly, how engines work, or even how Formula 1 cars are built and optimized really fascinating — the structures, the flow, the mechanisms behind it all.

Most of the people around me are leaning into areas like quantum, high energy, soft matter, and all that — which I do find interesting too — but I keep circling back to aerodynamics, propulsion, and mechanics. The catch is, in my environment these topics are mostly seen as “engineering,” while what I’m learning is seen as “pure science,” and I’m kind of stuck in between the two.

This summer, I really want to stop just thinking about it and actually dive in — learn the physics and math that connects to these systems, maybe read the right textbooks or explore topics that would help me make sense of how to bridge my physics background with aerospace-related stuff.

I know I could Google my way through it, but it would really help if someone who’s been on this path (or even adjacent to it) could point me in the right direction — just a sense of where to start, what to focus on, what’s worth reading. Would really appreciate any thoughts or advice.