Now in my final year, I have enjoyed every moment of PolyU’s Aviation Engineering programme, and am honoured to have been admitted. The Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering department offers a warm and friendly environment, with excellent support for students from department staff to make them feel at home. I strongly believe that prospective students who are looking for advanced campus facilities and are interested in aviation should consider the BEng(Hons) in Aviation Engineering. The programme has many excellent professors and boasts versatile expertise from the industry as well as academia, ranging from navigation systems to robotics, control, etc. Below are some of my favourite aspects of this programme.

Internship Opportunities

Our department maintains partnerships with many local and overseas aviation organisations to provide internships for students. I had the opportunity to intern at world-renowned companies such as Boeing, Cathay Pacific, and HAESL. Working in the US for six months was an eye-opening experience. I gained insights into the aviation industry and developed my professional engineering, business, and negotiation skills. These experiences taught me that learning never ends, and that it requires patience, consistency, and self-evaluation. Those who choose to learn continuously are the ones who are best prepared to live life to the fullest.

International Exposure

AAE also offers students numerous university exchange opportunities and emphasises the need for international exposure. I had the chance to undertake a student exchange trip to Melbourne, Australia for a semester. There, I made wonderful friends from different countries, immersed myself in a multi-cultural environment, and embraced dynamic changes. This truly changed my perspective and taught me a global mindset.

Competitions

I also had the opportunity to compete with representatives of other universities in Arizona, US to design and construct a UAV. The most exciting part was the challenge of designing an aircraft with multiple requirements, which can only be achieved by complex multidisciplinary work. I applied my knowledge from the programme and developed leadership skills and technical expertise that I would not have gained without the guidance of excellent professors and encouragement from the department.

Projects and Research Experience

Last, our department supports students in exploring their future pathways and encourages them to undertake various kinds of projects and research. With the wholesome support and guidance of Dr Li-Ta Hsu, I had the opportunity to undertake individual research. This enabled me to deepen my knowledge and interests, as well as to develop a closer bond with the department.

Finally, I look forward to many more enriching experiences and have nothing but the utmost gratitude for our department. These four years’ studying at AAE have been the most fruitful imaginable!

LEE Max Jwo Lem

Time flies. As I write this, I am preparing to embark on the final year of my studies. My journey in AE so far has been fruitful and exciting. The courses have given me solid theoretical knowledge of aeronautical and aviation engineering, and training in the Industrial Centre (IC) has strengthened my understanding of hands-on practical tasks in aviation engineering via a simulated environment.

The industry exposure offered by the AE programme has also taught me more about various roles in aviation. Some of my peers have interned with local aviation authorities, airlines, and MROs, and I did on-the-job training in a local MRO through the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers’ Aircraft Engineer Development Scheme. During the pandemic, I also interned with OpenAirlines, working on aircraft noise modelling. The internship exposed me to numerous aviation career pathways and introduced me to research and development in the field.

Although AAE offers close industry connections, with some classes taught by industry practitioners, academic scholarship is the bedrock of the Department. AAE offers undergraduate research opportunities with support from academic staff. My core research interests are aviation operations and human factors in aviation. During my undergraduate research project, I had the invaluable opportunity to extend my minor studies of applied psychology to aviation and deepen my understanding through enquiry-based study.

Offering solid academic support and close industry connections, the AE programme is the right choice for anyone who wishes to study aviation at undergraduate level. This is where your aviation journey will truly take off.

YIU Cho Yin

This programme prepares students to excel in the aviation industry, providing a wide range of learning opportunities, such as pilot-based and manufacturing electives.

One of the highlights of my time as an AAE student was assisting with research on UAV urban navigation. This equipped me with a lot of technical skills that are not taught in class. Besides various research opportunities, entering competitions gave me valuable hands-on experience. I even built a carbon-fibre model aircraft for the AIAA DBF competition. The Department offers many resources to support students’ learning. Moreover, the programme is taught by world-renowned professors and experts from the industry.

CHENG Cheuk Wai

During my four years as an undergraduate studying aviation engineering, I acquired extensive knowledge and skills in various areas of the aviation industry, from theoretical knowledge of aerodynamics, flight stability, and avionics to practical technical skills in aircraft maintenance and component manufacturing.

Meanwhile, the programme gave me international exposure. I received HKAR-66 AML training under the Aircraft Engineer Development Scheme offered by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. I took an exchange study trip to the University of Surrey, UK to attend challenging aerospace courses. I also worked as an engineering intern in a UAV start-up company named Nordluft Automation in Stockholm, Sweden.

I also had the chance to intern as a technician in the HKCAD, during which I gained a tremendous amount of insights into and experience of the Hong Kong aviation industry. Last but not least, I undertook a fascinating and fruitful final-year project. My team and I designed and built a learning-based navigation system for a quadrotor UAV to accomplish autonomous object-searching and object-tracking in an unknown environment with collision-free flight. To conclude, this four-year programme is definitely a fulfilling learning journey for any aviation enthusiast.

YIU Chi Hao

I strongly recommend this programme to students who wish to equip themselves to become professionals in the aviation industry. The programme broadened my horizons and enriched both my technical knowledge and my non-technical knowledge. The programme is taught by both world-renowned professors and experts from the industry.

Besides, AAE provides various opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in events and activities, such as joining international exchanges, internships, and competitions. One of the highlights of my AAE studies was entering the AIAA DBF competition. This is an annual competition that takes place in the USA. Students have the chance to design, build and fly an aircraft, competing with teams from 100 universities worldwide. I entered the competition for two years in a row and served as a team leader. Through this competition, I had the opportunity to put my theoretical understanding of various subjects into practice by creating an actual flying machine. With AAE’s solid support and world-class facilities, we were the only team from a Hong Kong university that managed to construct our aircraft from a carbon fibre composite. Furthermore, the competition gave me the chance to learn soft skills such as project management, acquiring funding, and teamwork.

I very much enjoyed my time at PolyU as an aviation engineering student. I strongly recommend this programme to all students who are looking to join this fast-growing industry as professionals.

CHAN Man Hei

Unlike many of my peers, who were passionate about aviation before entering ATE, I became interested in aviation during my studies at PolyU. I learned much from the diverse curriculum, from aircraft structure and working principles to aircraft maintenance practices. Practical lessons in the IC also consolidated my understanding of aircraft maintenance, a key area of the industry.

In addition to taking programme-specific subjects and receiving IC training, I undertook the newly introduced HKAR-147 aircraft maintenance training offered by AAE. I acquired deeper knowledge of aircraft maintenance, helping me to pursue my goal of becoming an aircraft maintenance engineer. I was also lucky enough to learn both theoretical and practical skills from experienced professionals in the industry.

I also interned at China Aircraft Services Limited during my studies. Although practical maintenance training had unfortunately been suspended due to the pandemic, I gained additional out-of-the-classroom knowledge and familiarised myself with my future work environment. Lastly, I had the invaluable opportunity to enter the HKIE CA Paper competition. Being awarded the championship was the perfect end to my university life.

LEE Wing Tung