Education & Development Articles
If you have a fascination with planes, helicopters, or jets, then it may be in your best interest to study at an aviation school and receive your pilot's license. If you do not want to pilot a plane specifically, then you can still work in the aviation industry under a different specialty. Keep reading to learn a little bit about a few of these specialties.
Aviation Computer Science
The aviation industry needs a great deal of support from individuals outside of the cockpit to ensure that flights are as safe as possible. Many of the support jobs fall under the aviation science category. Studies in aviation science will involve the learning about the communication systems, navigation controls, FAA regulations, and the general operations of airplanes and airports.
If you have a special ability to comprehend physics, electronics, and computer programs, then a support position as a computer scientist may be right for you. Programming is required to assist with the creation and support of computer programs that help to run the radar, on-board avionics, and auto-pilot systems. While you may not directly be involved with the creation of these programs, you will be able to assist with the flight plan creation as well as the setting of safety procedures or alerts. Also, you may be asked to create add-on programs to assist pilots and flight attendants with the tasks they complete during flights.
During your schooling, you are likely to learn a wide variety of programming languages that include Java, C, C++, and Ada. There is currently no set programming language that all airlines use, so understanding a wide variety is a must to excel in avionics. This is not only essential to programming, but to offer quick assistance with in-flight support if there is a need.
Aviation Meteorology
If traditional science is more of an interest to you, then you may want to think about studying aviation meteorology. Meteorology is an atmospheric science that deals with the observation and understanding of the weather. While most meteorologists study weather as a whole and things like climate change, weather forecasting, air quality, and modeling, aviation meteorology will deal with wind and weather and how it affects aviation. This means that your studies will not only include meteorology, but how things like wind, snow, rain, and ice affect an airplane at different speeds and altitudes. Recognizing dangerous situations and how to quickly change speeds, altitudes, and flight plans will all be things that you may need to do as an aviation meteorologist.
In many cases, you will likely be part of air traffic management or air traffic control within an airport if you study aviation meteorology. If you do not want to work directly for an airport, you can also look for a career with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This organization, along with the World Meteorological Association, helps to set the standards and regulations for air travel. These standards are constantly changing as technology advances and the climates across the world change. While aviation meteorology is considered a very specialized science, it is extremely important in making sure that airplanes, pilots, airplane support staff, and passengers remain safe when in the air and when they also land and take off.
If you are interested in airports, airplanes, or even the weather that may affect airplane travel, then you should think about a career in avionics. Aviation colleges provide individuals with these specific interests with the opportunities to learn specialized trades that are needed both inside and outside airports. There are a wide variety of aviation colleges in the United States, so consider touring one today and asking about the different curriculums that are offered.
For more information, consider a website like http://www.parkland.edu/aviation.
Share7 December 2015
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