Museum of flight versus future of flight for aerospace-engineer-student-to-be

[newtoseattle]

Hello
A family member of mine is visiting to check out UW's school of engineering. He has done quite well with his early community college - advanced math and science and really wants to study aerospace engineering (he is just starting his second year).

Would either of the museums be an interest to him at that level? - I'm assuming the future of flight in mulkilteo would be better?

Also - any chance anyone have any pointers for him? He is in a state without good/great engineering and at his state college would likely just end up with a mechanical engineering degree. Would he then really have to get a master's to do work in aerospace? That is one of the big reasons he is looking out of state (and he just doesn't want to stay where he is at).

Went to community college first for financial reasons - not because of grades, etc.

 

[oneill225]

UW

Sounds like a bright future ahead.

I think either museum would be great. The Boeing Flight Museum is at a Smithsonian level and it digs deep into the earliest days of Boeing.

Not a tip, but an endorsement; I can tell you that Boeing and the UW are partners in trying to recruit new engineers in the Pacific Northwest. I think he would be hard pressed to find a better aerospace engineering school than the UW. Also, it will be easier to intern with Boeing if he is already going to school in their backyard.

My Dad is a retired aerospace engineer with Boeing (went to UW). He has many fond memories except for the daily commute.

Good luck to him.

 

[ncbill]

Hello
A family member of mine is visiting to check out UW's school of engineering. He has done quite well with his early community college - advanced math and science and really wants to study aerospace engineering (he is just starting his second year).

Would either of the museums be an interest to him at that level? - I'm assuming the future of flight in mulkilteo would be better?

Also - any chance anyone have any pointers for him? He is in a state without good/great engineering and at his state college would likely just end up with a mechanical engineering degree. Would he then really have to get a master's to do work in aerospace? That is one of the big reasons he is looking out of state (and he just doesn't want to stay where he is at).

Went to community college first for financial reasons - not because of grades, etc.

Willing to let them move in with you to establish residency?

"The Washington National Guard can pay up to 100% of your college tuition. If you are a WA resident and attending a WA school, you can qualify for a State Tuition Waiver at UW, WSU, EWU, CWU, and WWU."

https://gowaguard.com/service/the-results/money-for-school.html

 

[Chuckanut]

I think the Museum is better myself. IIRC, the future of flight is very interesting, but and one gets to see how the planes are built. However, the Museum is a #1 class act. They even have one of the old 'flying cars" and a SR51 blackbird. Very cool.

Oh, they also have the Space Shuttle trainer. It's a huge mock-up of the Shuttle and again very cool. I think you can make an appt. to sit in the trainer and 'fly' the Shuttle, but you should check on that ahead of time.

 

[Beldar]

Take him to both museums, they're worth it. Plus, the Boeing plant tour is something anyone would enjoy.

Oh, they also have the Space Shuttle trainer. It's a huge mock-up of the Shuttle and again very cool. I think you can make an appt. to sit in the trainer and 'fly' the Shuttle, but you should check on that ahead of time.

DW & I attended adult space camp in the 90s and were each shuttle commander in our separate classes. As much as we tried, the software would not allow us to fly the shuttle into the hangers during landing

_B

 

[Bigdawg]

I'm out here at NAVAIR. Not all of our engineers are aerospace. A good chunk are mechanical, electrical, computer science and systems. Good luck. Many paths to the same destination.

 

[stepford]

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is a must see, but for a hard core airplane nut the absolute best I've been to is the National Museum of the USAF at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton. Some utterly unique and remarkable aircraft there. I wandered around for hours with my jaw on my chest...

 

[Retch The Grate]

I think the Museum is better myself. IIRC, the future of flight is very interesting, but and one gets to see how the planes are built. However, the Museum is a #1 class act. They even have one of the old 'flying cars" and a SR51 blackbird. Very cool.

Oh, they also have the Space Shuttle trainer. It's a huge mock-up of the Shuttle and again very cool. I think you can make an appt. to sit in the trainer and 'fly' the Shuttle, but you should check on that ahead of time.

It's actually a Lockheed M-21 Blackbird. My favorite plane in their collection.

The Museum of Flight is wonderful. When I lived in Renton I would take any out of state visitors to it. When I've been back to Seattle now that I live in California, I've been on two separate trips to the museum.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Museum of Flight! If you have an engineer's bone in your body, the SR-71 will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

 

[samclem]

I love airplanes and air museums. I would like to find a museum that does a good job of explaining each artifact, especially the design tradeoffs and compromises made, unique construction methods, etc. While the outside of a plane can be beautiful, the stuff under the skin can be more interesting. Too few museums remove some panels so visitors can see the structure, too few have those great moving models of engines with cutaways showing the valve train, etc. I really appreciate exhibits that get a little deeper into the guts of the planes, and I don't see those types of museums/exhibits very often.

 

[Chuckanut]

It's actually a Lockheed M-21 Blackbird. My favorite plane in their collection.
.

Thanks for the correction. It is an amazing aircraft.