NCW – the future is here

Around the clock: Portable night lights are turned on for night maintenance on a 5 Avn Regt Black Hawk based at Qasim Aviation Base in Pakistan as part of Op Pakistan Assist.

Team effort: On the ground Cpl Michael Leadbitter, Cpl Tyran Jarman, Cfn Trent Kingston and Cfn Michael Trickett get a main rotor blade ready for fitting by Cfn Jason Barrett and Cfn Jeremy Shields up on top of a Black Hawk during routine maintenance.

Aussie spirit: Aircraft structural fitter Cpl Tony Ebdon paints the boxing kangaroo on the side of a Black Hawk.

Clear communication: Sgt Sheldon Medford (front) and Tpr Adrian Hill liaise with helicopter crews from the joint air operations centre at Qasim Aviation Base.

Story and photos by Flt-Lt Trevor Grant
Volume 11, No. 38, March 8, 2006

IT IS said that without them, pilots would be pedestrians.
They are the “buccaneers”, the 5 Avn Rgt maintenance crews who keep our Black Hawks flying, and it’s their dedication that has helped our aircrews perform so many tasks over the years; from humanitarian aid in Pakistan to troop and logistic support in Australia and in places such as Timor-Leste.

The maintenance crews are always the first out of bed, often well before first light and sometimes working in arduous conditions from extreme cold to sweltering tropical heat and rain, to make sure that the aircraft are prepared and ready for the first task of the day.

“It’s a great experience to be deployed overseas, doing our job to help the Pakistani people,” Cfn Luke Buchanan said.

He and his colleagues work tirelessly inspecting, refuelling and maintaining the helos after each sortie and keeping them in flying condition to meet the demands of the tasking requirements. And late into the night when the last flight has landed, the maintenance crews keep working, preparing the aircraft for the next day of flying.

They take these early starts and late finishes all in their stride.

They are methodical and dedicated in what they do because they know people’s lives depend on their actions.

Nothing is left to chance.

Systems are checked and double-checked, inspections are carried out and all routine maintenance is performed to the highest standards and on schedule to make sure the aircraft are safe to fly.

B Sqn TST Comd Capt Steven Cleggett said: “I’m proud to be deployed with such professional soldiers who have achieved such amazing results keeping the aircraft serviceable here in Pakistan.”

The aircraft periodically undergo deeper level maintenance, and it’s the job of the day-maintenance crews to carry out this maintenance.

This involves such things as removing engines, rotor blades and detailed inspection of the aircraft and systems.

These jobs can take weeks to complete, so it’s important that the details of every task completed are accurately recorded in the aircraft’s maintenance logbook.

At any given time you can see these people going about their tasks with the utmost dedication and professionalism because the work they do is vital to the aviation mission.