Have Small Children but Want an Aviation Degree? Other Things You Can Do besides Flying

If you have small children it would be hard to be a pilot and fly around the country much of the week. If you are interested in aviation, there are many more things you can do besides just flying a plane. Below are two of these things so you can determine what you would be best for you.

Air Traffic Controller

If you are a person that handles stress well, you may want to consider a career as an air traffic controller. Airplane pilots rely on the air traffic controller to tell them by radio when they can go up, turn right, turn left, etc. The pilot has no way knowing what way the airplanes behind them are going to turn. You will also make sure there is a safe distance between takeoffs.  You will let the pilot know of any changes in the weather ahead of them so they can be prepared. As the airplanes are coming into the airport you will direct the planes to the right hangar so they know where they need to land.

As you can see, if you make a mistake doing this, it could cause a major crash, hence the reason it is so stressful.  To do this job, you would use an air traffic control system and work along with highly skilled individuals using very advanced equipment.

If this is something that interests you, the Federal Aviation Administrator has set for minimum requirements you have to follow to become an air traffic controller.

Aerospace Engineer

As an aerospace engineer, your job will be to develop new technologies to be used in aviation, as well as in space exploration and defense systems. You may specialize in production methods, structural design, navigation and control or guidance. You can also specialize in the type of aerospace product you will work with, such as commercial airplanes, spacecraft, or helicopters.

This job entails working in an office setting, but there may be times you will be required to do outdoor work. For example, you may have developed a new rocket engine and need to do a test fire.

To become an aerospace engineer, you need to obtain an aerospace engineer degree. You can obtain this degree from many colleges as well as some aviation colleges. Check out http://aviation.parkland.edu/ to see what kinds of programs are offered.

Talk with an aviation college in your area to learn more about these careers, as well as others that you may be interested in.