Re: Aerospace verses Automotive Industry
Having worked in both, it's my impression that there are indeed many similarities between the two. One of the biggest differences, though, is the level of tolerances. While many of the physical skills required are the same, there is a monumental difference between building, say, a fender for an SUV and building a horizontal stabilator for a fighter jet.
From a Quality viewpoint, it's really not too much different. There's a slightly different standard, modified for that industry from the automotive standard, but the procedures and techniques are nearly identical.
Honestly, I enjoyed my time in aerospace much more than my time in automotive. Not exactly sure why, but I suspect it was the challenge of ensuring that those things were as exactly right as possible. It's a pretty important task, for a lot of reasons.