Georgie

5.30 AM

Wake Up, Breakfast, Gym

My day normally starts around 5.30 am, with a cup of coffee to help me start the day. I like to snack away on a bowl of muesli topped with some Greek yoghurt and fruit as I flick through the news apps on my phone.

In the morning I like to head to the on-base gym, so after breakfast I jump into some gym gear and head to the gym for a workout. The gym on base is massive, as it has to cater for all of the Navy personnel and other Defence workers. It has been a really good way to meet people, because you can participate in team sports with all different members of the Defence community. After the gym, I have a quick shower and get ready for my day at work. Because I work at an operational unit with large machinery and sometimes aircraft, I have to wear steel-capped boots with utility pants and a cotton polo. This is to make sure I remain safe while in the workplace.

7.30 AM

Getting into Work

I typically try to get into work around 7.30 am with the rest of my team at the Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Test Unit (AMAFTU). We start by grabbing a coffee in the break room and discussing the plan for the day and what we need to achieve today. Today, my main task is to scan the cockpit of a Boeing EC-135 with one of my supervisors.

Before I head upstairs to my team’s office, I check the unit’s 3D printer to see how our print went overnight. I have had to design a bespoke case (see photo) for our upcoming flight trial aboard the newly commissioned HMAS Supply. I spend a bit of time cleaning up the print and make sure I have gotten all of the supports off cleanly. I also make sure to clean up the printer, to ensure the next print is clean. 

As soon as I get upstairs, I check my emails to make sure no urgent tasking’s have popped up that need to be completed. After I have checked my emails, I like to grab a cup of peppermint tea and start on my project. 

9.00 AM

My Project

While at my rotation, the unit Commanding Officer has assigned me the task of redeveloping a Mission Planning Performance Tool for the MH-60R aircraft (helicopter). This task really allows me to apply the skills I learnt during my aeronautical engineering degree. My role is to take a previous version of the Performance Tool and update it to reflect the current Flight Manual. This involves digitising paper performance graphs, identifying formulas based on aerodynamic theory, writing macros and much more. This task incorporates a lot of engineering aspects, but I can always get advice from the unit’s engineering team for guidance if I need. 

12.00 PM

Lunch

The team likes to gather in our office breakroom to have lunch together and talk about what is going on. This makes it really easy to make friends in the unit, and learn more about everyone’s roles. On Thursdays, we tend to organise take-away for the unit and try different restaurants around the local area, which is a fun way to explore. 

12.45 PM

Scan 

My unit recently purchased two 3D scanners to help model difficult to model surfaces, such as complex contours or complex environments. Today we are using one of the 3D scanners to scan the interior of the Boeing EC-135 cockpit for future human-machine interface analysis. This involves jumping in a powered-down helicopter and scanning both areas where both the pilots and the passengers sit. The scan of the cockpit required a few tries because I am still learning how to best use the equipment. My supervisor was really patient and showed me ways I could improve the scan. 

3.00 PM 

My Project

Upon returning to my section, I continue work on my main project incorporating some feedback I received from the flight test pilots in the unit. In my area, we have a flight test engineer, flight test pilots, engineers and maintainers. We all contribute to the flight test process and provide a different capability to AMAFTU. The feedback from the pilots has meant I have decided to change the colour scheme of a document so that it can be better viewed through night-vision goggles. 

4.00 PM

Wind Down

As it gets to then end of the day, I like to set myself up with a plan for tomorrow and identify what I achieved today. I like to make a list on a sticky note and pop it on the corner on my monitor so I can easily find it tomorrow. Before going home at 4.30 pm, I make sure I haven’t received any urgent emails, no new 3D prints are needed, and that my work stations are clean. 

5.00 PM

After Work

After work, I like to wind down by doing some of my favourite hobbies such as model making, sewing or painting. Some nights I like to treat myself with a pizza and some wine while others I like to meet up with some of the other engineers and pilots from the other units around base. Usually I fall asleep around 10pm with my latest fiction book still in my hand.