Sometimes, the aircraft engineer's job can be frustrating.

Your figure is usually somehow hidden "behind the scenes", related to the non-profit side of the company, while others like the pilots are taking all the glory.

Human nature is generally commanded by superficial perceptions, and seeing well-dressed and uniformed crews provides a neat image, while nobody wants to see a guy on his dirty clothes around an aircraft.

However, we shall not let this human nature affect our own perception of what the job means. We all know how big our responsibility is.

Not only the operation itself, but the life of many is at our hands, and it depends on our integrity as professionals. Those who have been somehow involved in an incident/accident can sadly relate.

Sometimes, things like time pressure, recognition, etc... may not be aligned with the importance of our job. In few occasions, even salary does not match the reality of it.

This is the point where we must draw the line.

An aircraft engineer is a professional who has spent years and years of training and experience building, in order to perform the most critical tasks and release the aircraft for service in a safe manner. Nobody should ever underestimate you or the importance of your work, especially in the financial part.

Skilled engineers come at a price. And sleeping well at nights, comes at a price.

What comes cheap at first will end up being expensive, and human lives are something no company should bargain with.

At the end, the engineer will be that guy who will silently watch the aircraft fly away, knowing that everything will be alright.

Think about it before you budget for the team you want.