By: Natasha Zabala Nathan Starke Nathan Starke Alex Ogletree Alex Ogletree Flight Operations Engineer

These engineers work on projects at Dryden flight research center that involve aircrafts of flight vehicles. These engineers work on projects at Dryden flight research center that involve aircrafts of flight vehicles. Theyre involved in the system tests and safety tests, and major repair work on aircrafts. Theyre involved in the system tests and safety tests, and major repair work on aircrafts. May fly an aircraft as a flight test engineer to help conduct and coordinate research activities. May fly an aircraft as a flight test engineer to help conduct and coordinate research activities. Career Overview

Flight operations engineers are involved in the development and execution of the comprehensive systems tests and safety checks that are carried out after major aircraft modifications. During these tests, flight operations engineers seek to identify potential safety or flight hazards so they can be eliminated or corrected. Roles and Responsibilities

A flight operations engineer has many roles that include: Providing the hardware development and the installation of flight control and avionics systems for the systems engineers. Providing the hardware development and the installation of flight control and avionics systems for the systems engineers. Project engineers work closely with flight operations engineers in the development of all electrical, mechanical and structural work on the Center's aircraft and are the final approval authority for all aircraft modification work at Dryden. Roles and Responsibilities

Associations Flight Operations Engineers collaborate with two associations. ASI and the Aviation Consulting Association. ASI offers the communication of astronomers worldwide. The Aviation Consulting Association offers publishing opportunities and a weekly newsletter.

Required Skills and Abilities A person in this career must be able to keep a schedule, handle large workloads, be able to operate a PC, and must be problem- solver. They must have natural communication skills, the ability to take charge, and be well organized. They also must be great in science and math, and know how to operate an aircraft for safety checks.

Required Traits The traits that you must have to be involved in this career are: Working well in a team Think creatively Meet tight deadlines Take the lead Work to help others Able to multitask

What classes do you need to take? In high school it would be wise to take advanced math and science classes. You would also benefit from taking engineering for 4 to 5 years. In college, continue to take engineering, (electrical and mechanical) math and science.

Volunteering and Internships Including going to school, volunteering at certain locations can help you accelerate in engineering. Places like the humane society, wildlife center, and the local courthouse will give you some hands-on experience, and allow you to learn what a job is really like. Intern at NASA to experience the career first-hand, and get a chance to talk to people in the field your interested in.

Conclusion Flight operations engineers are mainly concerned with the system tests and safety checks for aircrafts. They are also associated with ASI and Aviation Consulting Association, each with their own benefits. Some of the skills, abilities, and traits need for this job are: - Able to operate a PC- Must be well organized - Must work well in a team - Able to multitask In high school and college, it is very important to take advanced math, science, and engineering classes. Volunteering at various places will increase your work ethic, and taking an internship at NASA will allow you to collaborate with people associated with this profession.

Bibliography Miller, Susan. "Flight operations engineer." NASA information summary. 13 Nov Dryden Flight Research Center. 3 May Aviation Consulting Association LLC. "Benefits." Aviation Consulting Association. 9 June Golfstream. 3 May Battista, Russel. "academic programs." 22 March Office of Public Affairs. 3 May Canright, Shelley, and Brian Dunbar. "NASA education." Achieving Competence in Computing, Engineering and Space Science. 10 Apr NASA. 3 May 2009.