>Sort of related but I, a 28 year old tech guy, am going back to school part-time to get a BEng so I can get into more aerospace-heavy roles.

Best of luck to you friend. Absolutely worth it if you can hack it. I tried at 26 after a few years in the industry, and failed miserably. Protip: pay for a good math tutor.

It's the technician life for me, unfortunately.