"Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that has never been."
–Theodore von Karman, Aerospace Engineer and Physicist

Engineers at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) are creating new worlds and emerging technologies of aviation and aerospace every day. They dream up and design new processes, equipment, and technologies that directly impact the safety of our National Airspace System (NAS). Across numerous Lines of Business (LOB’s) engineers are tasked with ensuring and improving the safe and efficient aviation operations on the ground and in the skies above. This month, we celebrate Engineering Week and recognize all the significant contributions that are made on a regular basis.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that as of May 2020 there are over 1.67 million engineers in the U.S. workforce. In Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the engineering population is almost 18,000 strong. Here locally at the Aeronautical Center, more than 300 engineers serve in a multitude of disciplines and positions. Engineers comprise approximately 10% of the population of Federal employees at the MMAC.

The engineering workforce at the Aeronautical Center is incredibly diverse. Numerous fields and engineering disciplines are represented, many of which overlap and support each other. Aerospace engineers design aircraft and systems which guide the aircraft from taxi to takeoff, and from landing to final destination. Aeromedical research engineers evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an aircraft’s life-saving devices along with the ability of the human body to survive emergency conditions on board. Civil engineers oversee the design and construction of airfields, runways, and taxi lanes. Computer engineers create the complex software programs and network systems that control, track, and operate the National Airspace System (NAS). All of these systems require power and controls which are designed by electrical and electronics engineers. Industrial engineers stand-up the production processes required to maintain the NAS. Radars, support structures, and motors that drive these intricate procedures are designed by mechanical engineers.

This snapshot of some of the engineering professions located at the Aeronautical Center is by no means comprehensive, nor does it even come close to describing the many facets of work that Aeronautical Center engineers perform. Thanks to their drive and aspirations, thorough processes and careful calculations, aircraft and occupants take flight safely and efficiently every day across this nation. Thanks to the dedication and imagination of engineers everywhere, our world is a little more organized, predictable, and safer. Engineers Week is February 20-26, 2022, a time to raise awareness about an occupation that is dedicated to delivering a better quality of life for everyone.