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LiveWire
PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:54 am 
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I'm shopping for a lap top computer and am going to be taking Common Core at BCIT then moving on to the AME-E course or maybe Industrial Instrumentation & Controls Technician.

Will I have much use for a lap top computer in either of these courses? One with 3d graphics capability etc....


Last edited by LiveWire on Tue May 01, 2012 3:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

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conehead
PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:46 pm 
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It's imperative that you check with the school before making any decisions in this matter. My son is attending an Engineering program at a school in Ontario, and a laptop is a necessity. But the kicker is, the school makes it mandatory that you buy their computer, because it is pre-loaded with their software.

By the way, speaking as a very experienced AME "E" type guy, I recommend that you pursue the Industrial Instrumentation & Controls Technician road. You'll have a better life.


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iflyforpie
PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:57 pm 
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+1 On the Industrial Instrumentation & Controls Technician course. The future of aviation is bleak in Canada.


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Pat Richard
PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 2:21 am 
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Don't listen to the naysayers, if you love airplanes go for it! I've had nothing but good experiences in aviation and would recommend it to anyone!
Buy the best laptop you can't afford and take out the biggest student loan you can get.

You only live once.


Pat Richard



What??


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azimuthaviation
PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 5:57 am 
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-1 On the Industrial Instrumentation & Controls Technician course.

Take the avionics course, work in aviation a few years. If you don't like it, quit. Electronics is electronics, your skills are very transferrable but working in avionics will give you superior hand skills and higher standards. Lots of former avionics guys have made the transition to instrumentation, security systems, mass transit, industrial turbines, metering, vibration analysis, SCADA, NavCanada, jobs that do not require red seal or other government type trade certifications but utilize the same skills. If you decide to make the switch those couple years in avionics as well as the course will pay off financially since when you join the other trades youll be on par or better that your colleagues.


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NeverBlue
PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 2:55 pm 
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Quote:
Don't listen to the naysayers, if you love airplanes go for it! I've had nothing but good experiences in aviation and would recommend it to anyone!
Buy the best laptop you can't afford and take out the biggest student loan you can get.

You only live once.


Pat Richard


What the....

Alright...who stole Pat Richard??????

...has he been kidnapped by aliens and replaced by a respectful individual?

....or is he bipolar?


Quote:
What??


oh, I get it...funny :roll:


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NeverBlue
PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:08 pm 
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Quote:
Take the avionics course, work in aviation a few years. If you don't like it, quit. Electronics is electronics, your skills are very transferrable but working in avionics will give you superior hand skills and higher standards. Lots of former avionics guys have made the transition to instrumentation, security systems, mass transit, industrial turbines, metering, vibration analysis, SCADA, NavCanada, jobs that do not require red seal or other government type trade certifications but utilize the same skills. If you decide to make the switch those couple years in avionics as well as the course will pay off financially since when you join the other trades youll be on par or better that your colleagues


I would tend to agree, however take the year of core to figure it out.
Don't listen to the negative posters here. Because they don't like what they're doing doesn't mean you won't.

I do know a lot of people that left avionics and did have a leg up in the other electrical/electronic industry they entered...especially in the troubleshooting department.

If you're young you have lots of time to figure it out.

Don't spend a lot of money on a computer. Anything you do in avionics will only require a windows based system and not much more. Graphics is of no importance in basic training really...it won't hurt but not necessary.

Quote:
The future of aviation is bleak in Canada.


sure it is...in a few years there will be no Canadian registered aircraft right? :lol:


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iflyforpie
PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 7:08 pm 
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NeverBlue wrote:

sure it is...in a few years there will be no Canadian registered aircraft right? :lol:


I doubt the number of registered aircraft are keeping up with the number of techs being pumped out of the puppy mills. And how many of those said Canadian registered aircraft are heading overseas for third party maintenance or being continually re-registered as companies fold or return leases?


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CID
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 2:12 pm 
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Ask anyone in Canada working in any profession and they will tell you the future is bleak. It's a obligatory response among people in a common group.

Having said that, I totally agree with NeverBlue. An AME absolutely doesn't need a high power computer. Buy something that you can use to access the internet for information and email, write reports and take notes. The smaller and more portable the better. Don't use a tablet like an iPad etc as you will only become frustrated if you type at any reasonable speed.

If your course ends up involving analysis for electronic circuits, even that software isn't very demanding.

If you're going in to engineering or design, the requirements change dramatically. Especially if you try to run any 3D CAD.


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rubberboot
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 5:54 pm 
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An AME absolutely doesn't need a high power computer.


thats like telling a pilot he only holds the seat cushion down...

i would at least get something that has enough power to handle America's Army 3 (free download) or Battle Field 3 ($59.99). gives you something to do besides drinking :partyman:


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conehead
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 9:39 pm 
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LiveWire: I will repeat what I said in my original post in answer to your question.

"It's imperative that you check with the school before making any decisions in this matter. My son is attending an Engineering program at a school in Ontario, and a laptop is a necessity. But the kicker is, the school makes it mandatory that you buy their computer, because it is pre-loaded with their software."

I don't know if BCIT has such a policy, but if they do, and you have already purchased your own computer, then you will have wasted your money. You will have to purchase a computer from the school anyway.


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CID
PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 2:13 am 
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Quote:
thats like telling a pilot he only holds the seat cushion down...


I disagree. Just as I don't think a pilot needs a laptop computer at all.

So enlighten me. What software would an AME in school require computing horsepower for and what would he/she need it for once they were gainfully employed?


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rubberboot
PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 6:07 pm 
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I totally agree. A Mk I black (or blue) pen and a ton of paper, with the optional binder mod will work just fine for most schools.

However, a laptop/desktop computer can carry out the following -

email, netflix, youtube, facebook, America's Army 3, World of Tanks, Startrek online, MicroSoft Flight sim (current one is free to play, pay for add-ons), word - resumes, very important, and other fine (reletively) inexpensive programs. These help when your funds are low, and beer at the bar is $5-6 a bottle (and higher at the strippers :D ). Other than the resume and email thing, it is for entertainment. I want to try Battle Field 3, but I'm too cheap to spend $59.99+tax.

Quote:
So enlighten me. What software would an AME in school require computing horsepower for


None.

I only suggest getting something that has some "power", so during school and after school is done you have something you can upgrade to keep current, then have a 2 year old boat anchor that you have to replace for $1000+.

CID - I was only kidding around. You are 100% right - you do not "need", but lets face it we all "want" a more powerful (bigger, faster, stronger...) computer.

Quote:
thats like telling a pilot he only holds the seat cushion down...

meaning: telling a pilot that he isn't important..(ie. he is a paperweight, wheel chock, boat anchor... you get the picture)

I'm trying not to take things too seriously :lol: , bad for my Karma...

Respectfully,
r/b


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NeverBlue
PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 7:13 pm 
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I doubt the number of registered aircraft are keeping up with the number of techs being pumped out of the puppy mills.


34947 Canadian registered civil aircraft as of December 31 2011

...again with a shot at the colleges. What does that make highschools?

Education is never a bad thing...no matter what you do with it...lots of graduates never even try to get a job in the field they've studied.
Ask any university grad if they're working in their field of study and I'll bet you 7 out of 10 will say they're not.


Quote:
And how many of those said Canadian registered aircraft are heading overseas for third party maintenance or being continually re-registered as companies fold or return leases


Who cares? My shop's full...full for a reason...few are leased and their owners would never think of flying overseas.

...climb back in your hole where only airlines exist...where ever that is.


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kstokes
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:05 pm 
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You won't need one or use one at all, in any part of the program - except for screwing around, during dead time - we have a LOT of long coffee breaks in the AME program. Common core was great, you may want to evaluate the AME-E program thoroughly before you decide to take it.


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helicopterray
PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2012 1:17 am 
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Quote:
What software would an AME in school require computing horsepower for and what would he/she need it for once they were gainfully employed?


I use mine for maintenance manuals and parts catalogues for working at remote sites. And yes, the QA has me on the revision list for current updates.
I'll also use it to program cycle counters on the aircraft.


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