Student Spotlight - Jessica Harper
Are you considering Aviation as a career? ✈️ Are you looking to study towards a Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence? Would you like your training delivered by an organisation that has more than 90 years of experience in training aircraft maintenance and management personnel for the global aviation industry? Our Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Management degree is the only one of its kind in Scotland and is designed to produce graduate-calibre aircraft maintenance engineers. Having now finished her final year of the course, Jessica gave us a rundown on her time at UHI Perth.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Jessica Harper and I’m from Aberdeenshire.
What course did you study at UHI Perth?
BSc Hons in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Management.
How did you hear about UHI Perth?
I had heard about UHI in school, but it wasn’t until I was looking to leave school - after deciding sixth year wasn’t for me - that my mum actually found my course and I applied.
What were you doing before you came to UHI Perth?
I was doing my final year at school, and it wasn’t working out like I had expected, and I wanted to leave school. I got the call to say I was accepted, and I needed to start on Monday, whilst I was sitting in a physics lesson on the Wednesday!
Why did you decide to pick this course?
I was always looking to work with aircraft, but the manager of my foundation apprenticeship told me that I would never be able to find a course unless I was willing to go to England and it probably would be too difficult. And then I found this course, right here in Scotland, and with some hard work and dedication the course is more than manageable. Here I am now coming to the end of my final year, after attempting to design and build a rocket and testing platform for a third-year project.
What is your favourite thing about the course?
My favourite thing is probably that it’s not just a degree course - you get all your modules from AST as well.
Has there been any standout/memorable moments from your course?
My most memorable moment was flying the flight simulator (sim) and realising it’s a good job I didn’t want to be a pilot! Working on an aircraft for the first time was also very memorable, lots of mistakes and dropping items and having to retrieve them and working as a team to get the job done. It was a lot easier for me to work on parts inside an engine because I’ve got little arms but was sometimes not strong enough to lift up.
What knowledge, skills and experience have you gained from your course that will help you when you leave UHI Perth?
I have gained so much knowledge and skills over the years from basic terminology to rocket science in my third-year project. We’ve done a module on advanced engine performance which was quite difficult, learning the processes in every section of different types of engines and how to calculate pressure, temperature, density, velocity and even nozzle area. We have also covered a lot of aerodynamics on aeroplanes and helicopters, how they fly and how we can make flight more efficient.
Have you undertaken a placement or work experience whilst at UHI Perth?
We’ve completed a lot of practical with AST - working on engines, electrical systems, in a workshop with pneumatic tools and my personal favourite was wire locking. The class was all timed and marked on how good their wiring locking was at the start of the practical and six weeks later we did it again. I was able to do it the fastest with the tidiest locking wire!
Have your lecturers been supportive during your studies?
The lecturers are amazing and a lot of them have their own side projects that they work on, which are really interesting to hear about. They also have their own areas of expertise which is useful for questions and projects.
Any other achievements you have gained on your journey?
There have been so many achievements throughout the years. I’ve been able to pass all my exams first time and have achieved high scores on my practical assessments. I’ve grown a lot - not just as a student - but as a person too, and there’s so much more I am capable of now. I have achieved more than I could have ever thought was possible.
What do you like about the campus/facilities?
The hangar in particular has a lot of equipment that has been useful and fun too. Like the wind tunnel has been very useful to see the interaction of airflow with an aero foil and I know quite a few people are using it for different things for final year projects. The flight sim is also just really fun, and we have had to use it to gather data for a report last semester. The library has also been great for our late-night study sessions, and we were also able to use the whiteboards for our calculations - even though sometimes we needed more whiteboard space for the size of the calculations.
Have you enjoyed studying at UHI Perth? Any highlights?
I have really enjoyed studying here and my class just made that a whole lot better. Whether it was lunchtime debates, card games, or football, we were always keeping ourselves occupied.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of your studies?
I love going hiking when I have a bit of free time. My personal favourite at the moment is Ben A’an it’s got an amazing view, especially at sunrise.
What are your future career plans?
At the moment I’m looking to work for Ryanair as they have one of the best training programmes and they are always looking to recruit more mechanics and engineers.
And finally, what advice would you give to someone thinking about studying at UHI Perth?
If you’re coming into my course, we have been the guinea pigs, and the course has changed a lot since we first started but listen to absolutely everything and the tips and tricks your lecturers give to you. But mostly just enjoy it, there’s so many things you’ll learn and amazing opportunities that you will get and take every one of them!
