Helicopter Engineer

Typical Salary

£30,000 To £50,000

Typical Hours

42 to 44 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Helicopter Engineer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
a graduate training scheme
the armed forces

College / University

You'll need an engineering qualification and maintenance experience to apply for a licence to become a helicopter engineer.

aeronautical engineering
electrical or electronic engineering
mechanical engineering
manufacturing or product engineering
physics or applied physics
software engineering or mathematics

at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

between 1 and 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma or degree

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant courses include the Level 2 and Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation Engineering.

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You'll usually need:

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Other Routes

The way into this job is usually through an aircraft engineering company, some of which offer graduate training schemes.

Flight engineering experience gained in the armed forces may count towards your licence application.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
practical skills for repairing and maintaining equipment
persistence and determination
the ability to repair machines or systems
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
excellent verbal communication skills
the ability to work well with your hands
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

carrying out scheduled inspection and maintenance checks
finding and fixing faults
reporting defects to the maintenance manager
making sure aircraft meet flight safety regulations
working on aircraft and instrument modifications
refitting aircraft
responding to repair call outs
recording completed work

Working Environment

You could work at an airport or on an aircraft.

Your working environment may be you'll travel often and physically demanding.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a helicopter engineer from The British Helicopter Association.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need a Part-66 engineering licence issued through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

There are different categories to the licence, depending on the type of work you want to do, but common ones are:

B1 mechanical – for work on an aircraft’s structure and electrical systems
B2 avionics – for work on navigation, communication and electronic instruments