Applicability of Russian Aviation Degree

username42114

New Member
I know a Russian man with two aviation degrees, the highest being Masters of Aviation with a focus in manufacture/repair. He last worked repairing submarine rocket launchers 1989-1999 (I'm not sure if he worked on aircraft also during this 10 years) and came to the U.S. in 2000. He has since taken small time work, but has lost this and so will be running in to some big problems.

Assuming that he could learn English to a satisfactory degree (to be specified if possible), I have a number of general questions.

1) What would his prospects be of work in the aircraft industry?
2) Specifically what jobs could he do? "Aircraft mechanic" seems obvious, but maybe there are others. His wife doesn't want him to work as a pilot.
3) Should he look for openings on a job site or contact them generally?
4) Would they train him to update his knowledge, etc?
5) What level of English must he have? I suppose the most basic answer to this question could come from tests that he will be asked to take. If you can suggest some for study it could be helpful.
6) How would he compare to those recently graduated (ie. how far behind in knowledge)?
7) How is the supply/demand for whatever position he could be eligible for?
This information would be useful to consider whether it will be better for him to embark on a new path or prepare himself to work in aviation by studying English. Precisely, if he spoke perfect English including aviation terminology would he likely be hired and trained?

Also - He lives in Brooklyn near JFK and Laguardia (if you happen to know anything specific about the area - all the better).

The following is a professional examination of his diploma from the National Aerospace University (now Ukraine) in 1989:

The Presented Diploma of Specialist DI No. 005772 was awarded by the authority of the Chairman of the State Examination Board and Rector of Kharkiv Aviation Institute named after M.Y. Zhukovsky upon completion of the combined Undergraduate/Graduate Program in Mechanical Engineering. Admission to this program requires High School diploma and competitive entrance examinations. The five-year program was initiated at Krivoy Rog Mining Institute and completed at Kharkiv Aviation Institute named after M.Y. Zhukovsky (at present - National Aerospace University) (Kharkiv, Ukraine) in 1989. The National Aerospace University is an accredited institution of higher education in Ukraine, listed in "The World of Learning" International directory of accredited colleges and universities. The program presents a continuous curriculum which incorporates undergraduate and graduate programs. The Diploma, in level and intent, is equivalent to a U.S. Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a major in Aircraft Manufacturing, granted by a regional accredited academic institution in the United States.​
 
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What can I tell you brat. As your friend, I came to this country too old, too poor and too late. With nearly the same equivalent of an aviation degree. Spent a number of years before Uncle Sam officially accepted me to the family. I made several attempts to "convert" my degree with zero results and I tried to penetrate several aviation fields. Tough without experience and connections. Then I just got a job, built my own plane and trying to enjoy aviation as a hobby. I am not rich but I always have a twenty in my pocket.
PM me if your friend wants to meet we are nearly the same age.


 
The first question would be does he have the right to work in the US. If the answer is "yes", then I think a man with those sort of qualifications could find work fairly easily.
 
The process for people from the former Soviet states to convert their education is depressingly challenging. I knew a fellow in Alaska who was a nuclear engineer by trade. He ran a bakery because he couldn't practice his trade after he fled the Soviet Union in the mid 80's and was very successful but always mentioned that he was bitter that he couldn't be an engineer in the US - even though he had the equivalent of a masters.
 
What can I tell you brat. As your friend, I came to this country too old, too poor and too late. With nearly the same equivalent of an aviation degree. Spent a number of years before Uncle Sam officially accepted me to the family. I made several attempts to "convert" my degree with zero results and I tried to penetrate several aviation fields. Tough without experience and connections. Then I just got a job, built my own plane and trying to enjoy aviation as a hobby. I am not rich but I always have a twenty in my pocket.
PM me if your friend wants to meet we are nearly the same age.



Meeting Fencer is always a good idea. Highly recommended! :)
 
My best friend´s parents were immigrants from the former USSR. Both had engineering degrees, but could not find work as engineers when they came to the US and blamed it on the US job market and discouraged my friend from going into Engineering. The parents were able to do alright for themselves as entrepreneuers, fortunately, but reminds me of this video:
 
The first question would be does he have the right to work in the US. If the answer is "yes", then I think a man with those sort of qualifications could find work fairly easily.

He has proper rights to work. I know a story from someone who speaks Russian and English that he passed some tests by an airline, but that they would not hire him because of his English. Nevertheless, I don't believe the details are correct and it would be too difficult to interrogate the persons. Can you elaborate at all? It just seems to me that I would be pretty scared to have him repair my aircraft. Probably you are right and he should just master the English language and that will be it for any career.
 
Well yeah English would be pretty necessary, I think. But I know a Bulgarian guy who speaks essentially native level English, has an engineering degree from the homeland, and seems to make a decent living working on (wink wink...I think he essentially builds them, shhhhh!) Homebuilts, specifically composite homebuilts. I mean he's not getting rich, but he gets by. I would imagine that there's some similar niche that your Russian friend could fill, perhaps.

I mean say what you will about their geopolitics, but the Russians have turned out some of the greatest mathematical and scientific minds of the 20th century (and one imagines the 21st). There's nothing half-baked about their technical prowess.

PS. I guess I should add that that's not pride of origin. I'm 100%, hilariously non-Russian, in spite of the screen name. As in like I wouldn't be surprised if no one in my gene pool has visited Mother Russia, let alone lived there. I just always thought they made the best Villains. But engineers are a close second.
 
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Well yeah English would be pretty necessary, I think. But I know a Bulgarian guy who speaks essentially native level English, has an engineering degree from the homeland, and seems to make a decent living working on (wink wink...I think he essentially builds them, shhhhh!) Homebuilts, specifically composite homebuilts. I mean he's not getting rich, but he gets by. I would imagine that there's some similar niche that your Russian friend could fill, perhaps.

I mean say what you will about their geopolitics, but the Russians have turned out some of the greatest mathematical and scientific minds of the 20th century (and one imagines the 21st). There's nothing half-baked about their technical prowess.

PS. I guess I should add that that's not pride of origin. I'm 100%, hilariously non-Russian, in spite of the screen name. As in like I wouldn't be surprised if no one in my gene pool has visited Mother Russia, let alone lived there. I just always thought they made the best Villains. But engineers are a close second.

It helps that their populace probably "believes" in science. Meanwhile here we are in America debating evolution...
 
And yet we built the Saturn V. I've no explanation. Seriously.

Well we have some seriously smart engineering types here. We just have a very clear divide between the scientifically educated and uneducated in the US. If you were to go to BluePilots.com you would find that the majority of the people who post on there are of the anti-science "climate change is a hoax" crowd. By extension, they also are the anti-science "evolution isn't real" crowd too, because you can't really buy-in half way. :)

I find it simply amazing that people who depend upon engineering and science for their livelihoods (aviators) can be so backward.
 
Yeah I mean say what you will about Communism as an ideology, and there are a LOT of bad things to say. But it does at least seem to bring the Serfs a bit closer to Modernity. The problem seems to be that it also leaves them looking for a bear-wrestling blackbelt to become the Tsa...uh I mean President.
 
I'm not Russian (and don't play one on TV) but I do have a masters degree from a big ten school in Human Factors and Safety in Aviation. When I was off because of my accident I looked into using that degree as a backup if I couldn't get my medical back. What I found wasn't real encouraging, NTSB and FAA all want check airman time/ground instructor on top of the degree. Since he has a focus in repair does he have his A&P? Maybe he could start out doing maintenance for the airlines and move up.
 
Yeah I mean say what you will about Communism as an ideology, and there are a LOT of bad things to say. But it does at least seem to bring the Serfs a bit closer to Modernity. The problem seems to be that it also leaves them looking for a bear-wrestling blackbelt to become the Tsa...uh I mean President.

There's also the whole argument that Russia doesn't really fit the mold of a true Communist society.
 
There's also the whole argument that Russia doesn't really fit the mold of a true Communist society.

I'd make the argument that the USSR was what inevitably happens when a true Communist society is attempted. But it's a fair point. Sky-Bully knows that Stalin wasn't exactly what Marx had in mind, forsooth! Another place where our educational system lets us down, I think. A friend of mine was a teacher in a high school for a while and had a copy of The Communist Manifesto wedged in between, you know, Wealth of Nations and Democracy in America, etc etc. A kid, no joke, came up and asked him why he had a book from The Enemy on his shelf. It is to facepalm.
 
I'd make the argument that the USSR was what inevitably happens when a true Communist society is attempted. But it's a fair point. Sky-Bully knows that Stalin wasn't exactly what Marx had in mind, forsooth! Another place where our educational system lets us down, I think. A friend of mine was a teacher in a high school for a while and had a copy of The Communist Manifesto wedged in between, you know, Wealth of Nations and Democracy in America, etc etc. A kid, no joke, came up and asked him why he had a book from The Enemy on his shelf. It is to facepalm.

Look at what Oklahoma is trying to do with regards to American History, for God's sake. Scrub-a-dub-dub let's forget whence we came...

Anyway, I agree with your point that perhaps the USSR is what would come from any attempt at a Marxist/Communist society. But I can guarantee you that starting off by murdering a few million peeps didn't help them get a "clean start." Or maybe a cleansing was in order...I dunno.
 
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