Originally Posted by
pimashahs
... Cubdriver, how did you get into the field? I was looking at internships for FTE jobs and I found some but not many. I'm just a little lost on how I can take the next step into this career. I'm only a sophomore in college for my engineering degree and I just want to make sure I do it right this time around.
I got into flight test work through a lateral company transfer while working at a bizjet manufacturer. I had no idea they would offer it to me, but the company I worked for was big on hiring from within. Many companies are.
So... target a company you want to work for, then try and move laterally within after some time showing you are a good person to have around. Good plan, worked for me.
If you poke through the other thread(s) linked to this one on test pilot and flight test work, you can find more tidbits of opinion on how best to target either flight test engineer or test pilot jobs. A have a BS in aerospace engineering, but a mechanical degree would also suffice if you could supplement it with flight certificates. You need to really be into airplanes. If you do not have the AE degree, it would be best if you are a pilot of some sort. I know a fellow with an ME degree who does not fly, but he is a skydiving instructor with an AE degree from a good school, and Cessna Flight Test picked him up recently in an entry level position. But being an airplane pilot helps- have at least a private with instrument rating, better yet a commercial certificate. Most people in a given FT department are at least instrument pilots, except the secretaries maybe. Senior staff are advanced pilots with advanced ratings, it is common for management and non-flying engineers to have turbine types, commercial certs, and considerable flight hours. Of course the test pilots tend to be advanced pilots, usually very advanced although occasionally you will meet one who got in through lateral transfer and has less flying experience. Such pilots tend to be where they are because they are "company men" and know a lot about the particular product.
Short of getting the NTPS half-million-dollar flight test engineering training, you could get an AE degree then go to a quality grad school that offers flight test engineering curriculum. University of Tennessee Space Institute is an example of such a school, but there are several. Wichita State University is another, University of Kansas also. An advanced degree would probably substitute for going the lateral transfer route that I used, it says "this person knows what he/ she wants to specialize in (flight test), no doubt about it, and has a good start".
Good luck, it's a great field!