Intern - Airspace Operations

At RTX, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference by solving some of the world’s most complex problems. With our three market-leading businesses, world-class operations, and continued investment in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunities few companies can match. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world. 

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced, intelligent solutions that help redefine the aerospace and defense industry. With a comprehensive portfolio and deep technical expertise, we help customers meet the demands of the global market. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense. 

We are seeking an enthusiastic Intern in Computer Systems for Air Transport to join our team in Cork, Ireland. This internship will provide hands-on experience supporting the development, improvement, and testing of aerospace simulation technologies, including a flight simulator, associated software codebase, and the development of an Air Traffic Control simulator. 

This is an excellent opportunity for a Master 1 student to apply academic learning in a real-world aerospace research and engineering environment. 

What You Will Do 

As an intern, you will support the engineering team with a range of software, simulation, and technical tasks. Typical duties may include: 

• Supporting the development, maintenance, and improvement of an existing flight simulator environment.  

• Assisting with updates, enhancements, and troubleshooting within the simulator software codebase.  

• Contributing to the development of an Air Traffic Control simulator, including functionality, user interaction, and system behaviour.  

• Helping to test, validate, and document new simulator features and improvements.  

• Reviewing existing code and identifying opportunities to improve readability, maintainability, performance, or usability.  

• Supporting integration activities between simulation components, tools, and supporting systems.  

• Assisting with the development of scripts, tools, or utilities to improve team efficiency.  

• Carrying out basic debugging, issue investigation, and software testing under the guidance of experienced engineers.  

• Documenting technical work clearly, including design notes, test results, user guidance, and lessons learned.  

• Participating in team meetings, technical reviews, and knowledge-sharing sessions.  

• Working collaboratively with engineers, researchers, and technical specialists across the Cork team.  

What You Will Learn 

During the internship, you will gain exposure to: 

• Aerospace simulation environments and how they are used in engineering, research, and validation.  

• Flight simulation concepts, including aircraft behaviour, system modelling, and scenario-based testing.  

• Air Traffic Control simulation concepts and how ATC systems interact with aircraft operations.  

• Software development practices within a professional engineering environment.  

• Codebase management, debugging, testing, and technical documentation.  

• Agile or collaborative engineering ways of working.  

• The role of research and technology development within a global aerospace organisation.  

• How academic knowledge in Computer Systems for Air Transport can be applied to real aerospace challenges.  

Qualifications You Must Have 

• Currently studying at Master 1 level in Computer Systems for Air Transport, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Systems, or a related discipline.  

• An interest in aviation, aerospace systems, flight simulation, or Air Traffic Control technologies.  

• Programming experience in one or more relevant languages such as Python, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or similar.  

• Understanding of software development principles, debugging, testing, and documentation.  

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a technical team.  

• Strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn.  

• Good communication skills and the ability to explain technical work clearly.  

Qualifications We Prefer 

• Previous experience with simulation environments, game engines, aircraft systems, or ATC-related projects.  

• Familiarity with software version control tools such as Git.  

• Exposure to modelling, simulation, or visualisation tools.  

• Understanding of aviation operations, air traffic management, navigation, or flight dynamics.  

• Experience with UI development, data handling, scenario generation, or real-time systems would be beneficial.  

• A proactive mindset and curiosity about how aerospace systems are developed, tested, and improved.  

About Collins Aerospace in Cork 

Our Cork site plays an important role in advanced aerospace research, innovation, and technology development. As part of Collins Aerospace, you will be joining a collaborative environment where engineers and researchers work on forward-looking technologies that support the future of aviation and aerospace systems. 

This internship is designed to give you meaningful technical exposure, hands-on learning, and the opportunity to contribute to projects that support simulation, air transport systems, and future aerospace capability.