Having wanted to do engineering since childhood, Megan picked up her life in Northern Ireland and moved to Salford. Since graduating in Summer 2024, she has her sights set on becoming a pilot. Read on to see Megan’s take on studying BSc Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Salford.

What made you want to study Aeronautical Engineering?

I always knew I wanted to do engineering since I was young, as I was always intrigued by the internal mechanisms of little gadgets. I would build coin rejection candy machines to very basic claw machines that made use of the electric motors that Lego produced. I was unsure of which particular field of engineering to go into until I developed an interest for commercial aircraft at high school. In 2019, I flew on the Airbus A380 to Thailand and admired that the aircraft made use of 4 engines and the two-story cabin. After discussing career options, I decided to study Aeronautical Engineering.

Tell us a bit about your course.

This course will teach you a wide range of topics concerning the basics of flight aerodynamics, from the intricate flight control systems to structures and navigation systems and many more aspects of aviation that you may not have thought about. You will also gain experience in CAD using Solidworks and another piece of software called ANSYS Fluent where you can simulate an object such as a wing in a flow of air to see how it behaves under different circumstances.

How did you learn on the course? Were there practicals/fieldwork/projects/guest speakers?

You will have lectures almost every day and tutorials alongside those. Practicals are a big part of the course and will rapidly develop your report writing skills, along with solidifying your understanding of concepts by being able to observe them in person. Various group projects will encourage you to work together with your peers and test your ability to work together to produce a final piece of work. The final year project will allow you to become more independent, whilst conducting your own research on your desired topic. You will also go on a flight course with the National Flying Laboratory Centre which operates Cranfield University’s aircraft. This will allow you to experience how the aircraft reacts when acted on by external forces. It’s an excellent opportunity to further your understanding on concepts you’re taught in class and experience them in real time.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of studying here?

I was definitely nervous when coming to Manchester as I have never been here before, let alone living away from home. It was also exciting to start fresh and be able to go to university where I would be learning about a field that I was passionate about. It is very different from high school where you have to learn about subjects that you don’t overly have an interest in. You will find some modules more challenging than others and, in terms,

How many days a week were you on campus for teaching? How did you split your time between campus and your own learning and preparing for assessments?

I was on campus almost every day of the week, with some days going from 9am until 6pm. The amount of days spent campus will decrease during your final year as it is meant to allow you time to conduct your individual research for your final year project. It was good to take time to review notes and lecture slides when returning home as every small amount of time will add up in a beneficial way. Regarding assessments, any free time during the week was used to focus on reports due, along with the weekends. Taking the Easter holiday as a revision period for exams was also very helpful and allowed for past paper questions to be carried out, and gain an overall idea of how the exam paper would be structured. Mock examinations were also carried out by the lecturers to ensure you were prepared and, if not, additional time could be spent as a class covering a particular question.

What did you think of the university’s facilities and equipment?

The university has a low speed wind tunnel which I used for an aerodynamics project and was very fun and interactive when it came to mounting a modelled wing inside, to collecting the data. The Maker Space is an area where projects can be made due to the vast range of tools and machinery available, in particular the 3D printing machines. There are also plenty of technicians to offer you help.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoyed playing badminton and table tennis in the sports hall as part of the society that the university has, or booking a court to play with friends. They also have a 3G AstroTurf pitch where I tried out the women’s football society.

What was your favourite thing about being a University of Salford student?

My favourite thing about being a student was the sense of achievement I felt just being able to be at university and the thought of my parents being extremely proud. Being able to meet people who are just as passionate about aviation or engineering in general was a great experience. Not only that, but being able to create meaningful friendships with people who have been with me since my first year here is something I will always remember.

Finally, where do you want your degree to take you?

Initially, being a pilot would be incredible, but I think it would be good to go into the more engineering industry and gain plenty of experience. I have thought about aircraft accident investigation or something more towards aerodynamics, as my final year project topic was the investigation of winglet design. I am still quite unsure and hope to figure out what path I would like to take in the near future!