what do "Project Engineers" for airlines do?

[bgaviator]

My friend is an aerospace engineer and sometimes sees postings for project engineers for various airlines. Although after reading the descriptions it sounds more like a maintenence function. He doesn't have an A & P but does have B.S. in aerospace engineering. Is this a job function he could do, or is it essential that he have an A&P license?

 

[Captain X]

Did the job listing say it required an A&P?

A Project Engineer is usually a person employed for the facilities and building construction projects that a company takes on -- in this case terminals, etc.

They normally are not an engineer by degree but usually have a degree in some construction related field (Architecture, Construction Managament, etc.)

 

[LearLove]

yes and no - project engineer exist in all area of engineering not just construction or civil engineering.

A project engineer is like the boss or chief engineer on a project. He/she is usually a senior engineer with several years field exp. He/she will have a team of engineers/draftsman/machinest under him/her that execute tasks to get the project/design finished.

When I was an engineer my boss (the chief mechanical engineer) was also my project engineer. we designed motors for machine tools. my aqssignment was shaft and bearing design. other engineers on the project designed housings and cooling systems ect for the motor. we also had machinest, techs, electrical engineers and draftsmen that worked on the team/project under the project engineer. The project engineer oversaw all of our work.

basically "project engineer" is an industry term for manager.

As for an engineer or project engineer working for an airline your probibley going to be writing work orders and specs for inhouse aircraft and equipment modifications. also you will deal with specs that concern mx and inspections. sometime the faa that oversees a paticular airline and the manufacturer of the airlines' aircraft may give the airlines' engineering dept the blessing to make certian mods without the faa/manufacturer getting involved. for example a engineer/project engineer for FDX may design a modified system for sliding cargo palletts into the aircraft. this may or may not include a design change the the aircraft structure or flooring. it all depends on the regs and what their allowed to do.

 

[peter185]

This was on the AA employee website today.


Engineers at American's Tulsa Maintenance Base are rolling up their sleeves to help the company in its fuel conservation efforts. They are finding innovative ways to reduce weight and decrease drag on American's fleet, which helps American remain "Fuel Smart."


Even altering the smallest aspects on a plane can have a huge impact. Brad Francis, senior engineer, found this to be true when he recommended and helped implement the removal of the logo lights, which are located on the tops of the horizontal stabilizer and are used to illuminate the AA logo on the tail. The old lights were replaced with a more streamlined composite light system on the wingtips. The new light system weighs less and reduces drag of the plane, so it helps conserve fuel and saves American $300,000 in annual fuel costs.

"Every bit that we can get off weight-wise is worth looking at," Francis said. "It's something we can directly impact."

Engineers continuously search for ways to make sure all of the airplanes are functionally efficient, and Erik Miller, engineering manager, said he believes Fuel Smart is a perfect fit in that mission.

"Fuel Smart has become a critical element for ensuring our airplanes operate efficiently and profitably," Miller said. "In these days of maximizing load factor, cargo and the cost of fuel, every ounce counts."

As part of a weight-reduction plan, Miller and his fellow engineers identified that by removing the in-flight telephone infrastructure on the Boeing 757 fleet they could decrease the weight on the aircraft. Engineers developed a plan and worked with mechanics on the process for removing unnecessary wires. The weight savings from this process is about 75 to 100 pounds.

Fuel Smart suggestions come from all of the different departments across the company, and the ideas are researched by engineers to see how they can be implemented.


Brian Pelton, senior aircraft engineer, helped on a Fuel Smart project suggested by the product team to remove the bleed air filter solenoid valve from the MD80 fleet. This valve was originally installed to help reduce erosion, but it was deactivated because it clogged easily.

The valve removal eliminates that inefficiency and saves the airline about 70,000 gallons of fuel and $151,000 per year.

"Fuel Smart is a good program," Pelton said. "It allows people that have ideas to get it in the hands of those that can do something about them."