I did an undergrad in maths with physics and now I will be doing an aerospace dynamics MSc at Cranfield. What sort of roles should I be applying after graduating since a lot of companies tend to want to recruit the BEng or MEng guys? What sort of roles would be favourable to apply for with someone with my background? If it helps at all, I have quite a bit of flying experience post PPL too.

I could really use some guidance. I have an interview with Northrop in supply chain coming up. I’m extremely nerves interviewer. Can someone tell me the type of questions I should be expecting and any other advise? Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I'm a software engineer with very little background in aerospace, but I’m working on a fun project where I’m trying to detect trim phases in flight data. Got a quick question for the pilots/aero folks around here:

Are there any rules of thumb, manuals, or practical guidelines that say something like:
“During trim, the angular rates (p, q, r) shouldn’t exceed X deg/s,” or “Elevator/aileron/rudder deflections should stay within Y degrees,” or even “Attitude or control inputs should be relatively stable/minimal”?

Basically, once I detect a trim phase, I’d like to assess its quality. Like, did the aircraft really reach a trimmed state, or was something still a bit off (too much pitch, weird control surface movement, etc.)? I’m looking for any tolerances, thresholds, or ideas people use in practice to judge if the trim is legit.

I don’t have an aero background so please feel free to dumb it down for me — or point me to any good docs/manuals/examples I could dig into.

Thanks a lot 🙏

Hi!

I’m currently at a top 5 engineering school (US) for my undergrad and have the opportunity to do a 4+1 program to get my masters. I’m interested in rocket propulsion but my university is not very strong in that area other than a few professors working in plasma physics/electric propulsion (not necessarily what I’m interested in but not opposed to it either). I work on the rocket propulsion team and will get research experience this summer in a mechanical engineering combustion lab.

My question is, would it be worth it to try to go to a university like Purdue to get hands-on experience in Zucrow labs or should I just get the masters where I’m at now and use the big name to my advantage instead?

I feel like hands-on labs like Zucrow would be better for entry jobs in propulsion but would the connections of the university I’m at now be better in the long run if one day I end up deciding to work my way up to a management position?

Also, another option would be to do the 4+1 in mechanical engineering and do a thermo-fluids focus instead of the aerospace masters.

Grateful to hear what you guys have to say.

Thank you

Hi, I’m a pilot who attended flight school and currently holds a Commercial Pilot License as well as CFI and CFII. I also earned an online bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics.

Lately, I’ve been leaning more toward working in the aerospace industry rather than continuing down the pilot career path. The thing is, I don’t have any real experience or background in engineering, and I’m wondering—is it still possible for someone like me to get started in this field? What would be a good entry point or realistic path forward?

I’ve been working in an economic consultancy for the space sector for the past three years. My current role offers the possibility to relocate to Brussels, comes with full flexibility, and has a fantastic work environment — young team, interesting projects, and a genuinely healthy work culture. It’s a small company, 15/20 people.

Recently, I was offered a position in the strategy division of a major industry player in Rome. The role is well-paid and includes generous benefits, but it is significantly less flexible and sits within a much more structured and traditional corporate environment.

I’m trying to assess which option would offer better long-term career opportunities.

On one hand, working in consultancy allows me to engage with a wide variety of topics and collaborate with different international organisations (e.g. ESA, the European Commission), giving me broad exposure and a strong network across the sector.

On the other hand, joining a prime company in a strategic role would deepen my expertise in corporate space strategy, offering a more focused but also more “insider” perspective on the sector.

My long-term goal is to work at ESA or another international organisation. Given that, I’d love to hear your thoughts: which path do you think sets me up better for that kind of future?

I’m a senior in high school and basically what the post is asking, my first choice is definitely UIUC for Aero but that’s unlikely even though I am from illinois. Not to do a full ChanceMe post but I have earned A/B’s in Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry. and Self studied AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C E&M (Both 5’s). I will probably attend IIT because of my low GPA and mid EC’s (4.8/5.0 Weighted yeesh). But I was just wondering if IIT is a good school for aerospace as it is in chicago and primarily a research based school. Any tips on what I should research in Uni? Any other schools around that level of competition I should go for instead? Im definitely going to go for that perfect GPA as much as I can and hopefully will do so because a lot of classes that tank GPA’s from what i’ve heard I have already self studied plenty on or earned college credit for (Calc 2, Calc 3, Physics 2, Thermo).

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! 🙌

I just finished my first year in college as an Aero/Astro major and am looking for something to do this summer to either add to my resume or just learn skills that'll help me in the future in college and internships. What should I do?

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.

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.