Personal Statement:Aeronautical Engineering 6

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Aeronautical Engineering Personal Statement

Your chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11 million. On the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000. Statistically, you are at far greater risk driving to the airport than getting on an airplane.

Travelling by plane is now the safest method of travel, and yet how can something that flies at 33000ft, cruises at a speed of 900 km/h and weighs upwards of 500 tonnes manage to fly safely? This is what originally interested me in aeronautics; I want to know how such complex machines can be built to maintain such high standards both in performance and safety.

I became fascinated in planes the moment I stepped on one. I was quite young at the time and the sheer size of the plane and the noise as raced down the runway got me hooked. I used to live under the flight path of Concorde in Twickenham. I remember running outside to see it roar past everyday. I would have loved to have been able to work on Concorde as it was an amazing plane, a supersonic jet which could travel at twice the speed of sound and at heights of 60000ft. It had been the safest working passenger airliner in the world according to passenger deaths per distance traveled. However, mainly due to the reduction in air travel following the 9/11 attacks and rising maintenance costs, Concorde was withdrawn from service on 24 October 2003.

As I got older I became interested in Science and Mathematics, particularly Physics. I took Maths, Physics and Chemistry at AS level, achieving AAB respectively. This included 98% in both Module 1 and Module 2 physics. I am taking all 3 subjects at A2 level this year and hope to achieve the same overall grades. The topics that interest me most at college are Module 2 physics and the Mechanics 1 module in Maths, as both use logical and problem solving skills to identify the best way to solve the question and the best equation to use and mathematical skills to then solve the problem correctly.

Last year I also represented my College's Tennis Academy team, which involved me training Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings before college, with matches on Wednesday afternoons. Having this commitment taught me to manage my time and balance my college work with my sport and social life. I decided not to play for the Academy team this year, opting to focus on my studies instead. I wish to study Aeronautical engineering at university as I would love a career in the aeronautics industry, ideally designing and constructing aircraft or accident investigation and safety testing. I have firm links with the RAF and am applying for University sponsorship at present. A career as an Engineering Officer in the RAF appeals to me as I feel the lifestyle, sense of community and working environment would suit me. I would also love to work on some of the incredible planes they have in service, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon F2 and the C-17 Globemaster.

At present I work part-time at EDF Energy as a customer service adviser, I have worked at EDF for around 6 months in total. It is a job which I enjoy quite a lot and has helped develop my inter-personal skills and given me a sense of responsibility. I have also worked in a Fish & Chip shop for 9 months. For my work experience I worked as a tennis coach at Exeter Tennis Centre, coaching both adults and juniors. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working as a tennis coach and would be definitely something I would look into to help fund my studies at university.

Outside of college I enjoy keeping fit, mainly by running and cycling. I think that physical fitness is an important part of my life as it builds confidence and self-esteem and especially in engineering which it is quite a practical, hands on subject, being in a good physical condition is key to carrying out the task effectively.

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