What are some of the similarities and differences between pilot school and flight engineer school?
I'm not yet sure which career I would like to pursue yet, but know what type of training is required for each will help me make a better decision. #aviation #airline-industry
2 answers
Robert’s Answer
Become a pilot not a flight engineer. The flight engineer is a dying profession since most newer airplanes don't have flight engineers.
Mark’s Answer
Hi Griffin!
A flight engineer gets deep into aircraft systems - hydraulics, pneumatics, electrics, fuel etc. Pilots must know these systems also, but on aircraft that have flight engineers on the crew the pilots may not be as deep in their knowledge.
But having said that...
Most new aircraft have been designed without a flight engineer position. This is for two reasons- first because more people on a crew means more salaries and more scheduling of people which reduces profit; second because smarter airplane systems do not need a flight engineer to manage them. For example, these days a computer can easily manage the fuel system and keep the aircraft center of gravity within limits, but not so many years ago this sort of computer would be too big and clunky to do the job.
As artificial intelligence is developed even further I believe you will see airlines with only one pilot on board in the near future and flight engineers will become a distant memory.
If you want to fly then the pilot track is where you want to go.
Now, if you want to design aircraft systems, that is the task of an aerospace engineer.
I wish you all the best!!
Mark Julicher