FUTURE LEARNING MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2020
Stick ‘n Rudder Flight School
Australian Army
Melville SHS Aviation Program
Aviation High School
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport
Brisbane Airport Corporation
Aviation For Future Thinking Teachers - Brought to you by STEM Punks®
Editor’s Note
In 1903 the Wright Brothers first took to the skies, and then in 1969, man landed on the moon. From that first flight, aviation evolved and innovated to space travel in only 66 years. Since then it has continued to evolve and innovate, with bigger, faster, more powerful airliners and aircraft. With everything we know about modern travel there remains a certain excitement and mysticism around flight. As a five year old girl I distinctly recall my first flight: a Qantas Boeing 747 “Jumbo Jet” from Heathrow to Sydney. I remember standing in the terminal, gazing out at this incredible machine that would take me and my family halfway around the world to our new home in Australia. The buzz I felt through my veins started something in me known as the travel bug and I’m really fortunate to have seen a lot of the world since that first trip on “The Flying Kangaroo”. This year has been surreal for travellers and aviators. Some of us are lucky to be able to fly within our states, but for most of us the thrill - or just sheer convenience - of air travel has eluded us. There remains optimism in the industry, however, and a buoyant mood signals a clear intention to regroup and recover. Here’s to when we’re all able to take to the skies again. As this issue illustrates, those seeking exciting careers in aviation are rewarded with variety. Airports are like small cities and employ a plethora of positions from ground crew to air traffic controllers to engineers and everything in between. As well as careers in Defence, there are no shortage of options to those looking to work in the aviation industry. We hope you’ll be inspired by the remarkable people we’ve met this month. Finally, I hope you take some well-deserved time to enjoy the coming season – all of us at STEM Punks are getting into the spirit of Christmas and we hope you are too. Fiona Holmstrom Editor & Publisher BFA (CW) MWEP fiona@stempunks.com.au
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In this issue
03 The ‘Aviation Bug’ 04 Melville SHS Aviation Program 06 Stick ‘n Rudder Flight School 08 Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport
10 Brisbane Airport Corporation 12 Aviation High School 14 Major Jennifer Roberts 17 Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage
The ‘Aviation Bug’ by Michael Holmstrom STEM Punks CEO
Robinson R44 Helicopter - Robinson Factory USA
Q: How do you know there’s a Helicopter Pilot in the room? A: He or she will tell you! Learning to fly a Helicopter is one of the most challenging tasks I have ever embarked on mastering. It is a frustrating journey of hand and feet coordination mixed with a new level of multi-tasking. Nevertheless, the feeling of taking off in a Helicopter, slowly lowering the nose and pulling collective is a feeling that is indescribable. Flying smaller Helicopters also gives you a sense of true freedom and gets you as close as possible to the feeling of soaring high like an eagle. In our stories this month, we hear from several Aviation students and Professional Pilots. In their stories there is a common thread of passion for the craft of flying and the skills you learn that you can take with you throughout life. Becoming a Commercial Pilot is a journey and it brings with it amazing experiences and the application of STEM skills in real-world problem solving. Learning about the physics of rotary-flight, navigation, and meteorology are all skills that are very useful. It is also a great way to gain interest in core STEM skills while having heaps of fun. If you are keen to try flying and are prepared to get “the aviation bug”, do a test flight. That is exactly what I did and it was a life-changing moment!
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School Spotlight
Melville SHS Aviation Program
Melville Senior High School is an Independent Public School with a population of approximately 1400 students. Located south of Perth’s Swan River, Melville SHS offers a six-year specialist aviation program for 120 students from Years 7 to 12. It also provides an introductory eight week Come Fly With Me course for 21 selected primary school students, between Years 5 to 6, which culminates in students going on an actual flight. Teacher and flight instructor Randall Brink is justifiably proud and passionate about the aviation program he has nurtured and grown, since he arrived in 2003.
The entire course is STEM focused
Randall explained that from very humble beginnings, the program is now accommodated within a purpose-built Specialist Aviation Centre at the school. Inside are two full motion flight simulators. Students are able to sit on the simulator seat and as the student flies the real-life simulator, the entire platform moves. The computer laboratory also houses Microsoft Flight Simulator programs that allow students to fly in one dimension. Students may also opt to undertake discounted flight training on planes based at Jandakot Airport, but this is optional. “The entire course is STEM focused,” Randall said. “For example, students learn about the principles of flight, aeronautics, human factors in aviation, engineering and aircraft mechanics.” In keeping with Melville’s theme, ‘The Future of Aviation,’ in 2018, the Remote Pilot’s license (RePL) was introduced. Aviation Program students are able to commence studying for their RePL in Year 9 which encompasses learning about the flight rules and regulations for flying drones. Students must undertake five hours of drone flying, using one of the school’s ten Phantom 3 DJI drones. In Year 10, students may then undertake heavily discounted, independently administered CASA testing and flight testing to achieve their RePL. Eighteen students have now successfully qualified for the RePL at Melville SHS. Many graduates of Melville’s Aviation Program have realised their dreams or are now studying toward a career in the aviation sector. A few years ago, a former student won an international STEM competition and was rewarded
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with one week of training at the NASA Space Camp, located at the U.S Space and Rocket Centre. A female graduate is now the operations manager at a Perth flight school. Recently, a former student joined the Royal Australian Air Force, and she is going to be trained to fly the C-17A Globemaster large transport aircraft. Many graduates are also working or studying across aviation specialisations such as design, maintenance, jet propulsion and engineering. Randall laughed and spoke warmly of one former student who is now Chief Pilot and also his aviation boss at the Flight Training School that Melville SHS uses at Jandakot Airport. That’s success! Further information about the Melville SHS Aviation program can be located at: https://www.melville.wa.edu.au/specialist-programs/aviation-studies/
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Stick ‘n Rudder Flight school Paige Stevenson - Student pilot
freepik
Paige Stevenson credits an amazing teacher who inspired her interest in STEM subjects and the aviation field. Since graduating from high school, Paige is now studying for a Bachelor of Aviation at Griffith University. Paige spoke passionately about her university studies that have so far included taking simulator classes and learning about flight dynamics and instruments.
When STEM Punks spoke with Paige, she was about to go on a trial introductory flight at ‘Stick ‘n Rudder’ at Caboolture Aerodrome. Paige said, “I’ve never been in a plane properly before, only as a passenger. I’m really excited to see if this is really what I want to do.” Paige hopes to join the Royal Australian Airforce and become a pilot or be accepted into the Qantas Group Pilot Academy. Are you keen to learn how you can start your flying career? Give the team at ‘Stick ‘n Rudder’ a call, they are there to help you get a start in Aviation. Or for study information, see griffith.edu.au/aviation. 6
Stick ‘n Rudder Flight School: 0413 650 387
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griffith.edu.au/aviation
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport
disclosure
Damien Bell and Timothy Carney Airport Tours are available to selected community interest and education groups, subject to the availability of a Wellcamp Airport Team member
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport is the first privately funded, major airport in Australia’s history. It is privately owned by the Wagner family. Executive General Manager of Wagner Corporation, Damien Bell, spoke proudly to STEM Punks of the airport; the services it provides and the regional communities that it supports. “The airport isn’t just a big 2.8km runway, it’s actually about community and servicing that community. We service both the travelling public through regular public transport flights and we also service local
producers and exporters, through the cargo freight service that we provide as well. It’s a very community-based asset.” In keeping with the community-based ethos, Damien said, “We don’t subcontract out to service providers. We employ everyone from cooks and check-in people, baggage handlers, equipment managers, maintenance, field and civil engineers. The range of employment is really a lot bigger and has more breadth than people might expect. It’s really a very large team.” During peak periods, the airport employs between 150 – 160 people. Looking toward the future, Damien said, “We’ll also involve inland rail and rail intermodal terminals to make sure that we really deal with transport efficiently. We’ve also announced government support for an entertainment precinct.” In discussing his career, Damien said that he initially studied economics at university and never considered that he would one day be overseeing an airport. Damien’s career advice is straightforward. “Don’t chase money. It won’t make you happy. I know it’s easy to say that, but ultimately chase your passion first. If it’s a passion of yours, the success will come to you.”
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Timothy Carney is a graduate of Aviation High School, and he is now the Business Development Manager at Wellcamp Airport, located just fifteen kilometres from Toowoomba. After graduating from Aviation High, Timothy initially undertook a food business program at the University of Southern Queensland. Sometime later, Timothy decided to go back to his ‘roots’ and study aviation. Timothy explained to STEM Punks that he then transferred into the Bachelor of Aviation and majored in Aviation Management, which he completed in 2019. Timothy spoke about the aviation sector. “A big thing in aviation is that it is all about leadership, teamwork and communication. It’s always important when you’re working in a team to clearly communicate with all of the people around you, so they know what you’re doing and what your intentions are. So then you can work together as a team towards a common goal.” “Looking back, one of the things that I would say to myself is, don’t worry about the end goal. You will eventually get there. It does seem like a long way off, but it does come very fast. Just take your time and experience the journey.”
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Brisbane Airport Corporation Maddison Charteris and Robert Scodellaro
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) is the operator of Brisbane Airport, which is the third largest airport in Australia, by passenger numbers. It is also a suburb in its own right. The airport has two major terminals and accommodates 34 airlines that fly to 85 different domestic and international destinations. Over 425 businesses are located at Brisbane Airport and employ nearly 24000 people. Within this bustling and complex environment, Maddison Charteris is the Stakeholder Communications Advisor at BAC. Maddison completed her Bachelor of Communications and Public Relations at Griffith University. While still an undergraduate she worked in a communication and engagement role at Brisbane Airport, in relation to the development of the new runway. Recently, following the onset of the pandemic, Maddison moved into the Corporate Communications Team. Her role is to ensure that all stakeholders, across the entire airport precinct, are aware of any impacting activities, but also what BAC is doing more broadly. Maddison spoke with STEM Punks and explained, “For example, around the COVID 19 pandemic, it was really important that all of our key stakeholders were aware of what Brisbane Airport’s response was to that crisis. Also, what we were doing to help them as we moved forward.” Maddison considers that an important aspect of her role is to be an effective communicator and to understand what the other person is trying to achieve, so that she can assist in trying to align with those goals. Maddison acknowledged, “Sometimes you’re not going to get an outcome that everybody is happy with, but it’s really important to make sure that everybody understands why something is going a particular way.” When asked to reflect upon her role and what she enjoys about it, Maddison responded, “Definitely the variety.” She further expanded, “I love the learning opportunities and I really enjoy the fact that every single day is different. Everybody is so willing to teach you different things, if you don’t fully understand them. I think some of the really important skills, for me, are just maintaining relationships.” What advice would she give to her younger self? “You can get any opportunity if you’re passionate about it and you’re driven to get there, you will be able to do it. It might just be a longer journey than you expected, but you can absolutely achieve anything that you put your
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Brisbane Airport Corporation employs thousands of people and contributes more than $4 billion annually to the state’s economy
Robert Scodellaro is Head of Project Services for the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), at Brisbane Airport. Robert studied for his engineering degree at the Queensland University of Technology and was inspired to go into engineering by his grandfather, who was a builder. When Robert graduated, he initially worked as an engineer in construction and after a number of years he commenced work for BAC. Since working for BAC, Robert has worked on commercial developments and has also been involved in the building of aprons to increase aircraft capacity at the international terminal. When STEM Punks spoke with Robert, he acknowledged that, “What attracts me to engineering and specifically civil engineering, is the immense variety of work. It’s vast and different every year. Apart from the airport here itself at Brisbane Airport, we also have a large commercial portfolio of land beyond the airport. In some respects, we’re a city council as well as an airport operator.” While Robert’s role is project based and heavily engineering focused, Robert also spoke of engineering in the operational space. “Technology is a big focus and becoming more and more so, in the aviation industry. How do we change how we operate from a technology point of view, to make it more efficient and more friendly?” Robert highlighted the increasing importance of data analytics within the aviation industry. “A lot of this industry is around data analytics and how we shape our business, what direction we take in the future. All that comes from the analytics of data that we’re capturing.”
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School Spotlight
Aviation High School was established in 2007 to provide direct pathways for students seeking careers in the aviation and aerospace industries. Located not far from Brisbane Airport, the state high school, which is also a public independent school, includes Year 7 through to Year 12, and now caters to over 500 students. Head of Department Senior Schooling and Partnerships, Denise Dunn manages the academic and vocational pathways for Years 10, 11, and 12 at Aviation High School. In an interview with STEM Punks, Denise said, “We take students from within our catchment area who are interested in a career in aviation or we’re their local high school. Our charter is to embed as much aviation aerospace into our curriculum as possible, and to provide our students with amazing work experience opportunities and industry partnerships. A big whack of my job is liaising with industry such as Qantas, Virgin, Airwork Helicopters, Airbus, the Brisbane Airport Corporation and Boeing, to establish some opportunities for students to start their networking.” Denise outlined to STEM Punks, that students still undertake the normal suite of curriculum subjects such
Aviation High School
as math, english, and business but they are also able to take a course in aerospace systems in the senior school curriculum or aerospace in the junior school curriculum. Denise spoke to how the school is continuing to adapt the curriculum to address broader industry needs. “We’ve also pivoted to bring in data analytics as part of the P-Tech (Pathway in Technology) Project, from Skilling Australia Foundation and we’ve included data analytics. They are core skills that any industry needs, not just aviation.” Teacher, former flying instructor, and charter pilot Keren Ham emphasised the breadth of opportunities for students within the aviation sector, when she spoke with STEM Punks. Keren observed, “Really, the thing about the aviation industry is that there is so much scope for whatever it is you want to do. You may not want to be a pilot and you may not want to be an engineer, but if you have a love of art or you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, there is a role for you in the aviation industry.” In an interview with STEM Punks, student Ashley Player spoke about his interest in aviation. “Aviation is really interesting to me because you get to see things that most people don’t, and you can travel pretty much anywhere. You get to travel and earn money at the same time.” Teacher and former RAAF member Jack Clarke, spoke with STEM Punks and highlighted that during his twelve years at Aviation High School, “Many students come through who have benefited and gone into aviation and other areas. One of our students was Cathay Pacific’s youngest pilot, and the first female army helicopter pilot was one of our graduates. Then we have students everywhere from maintenance at Jetstar, to flying commercial aircraft. We’ve got military and civilian pilots and a few students have gone into the maritime industry but drawing from their aviation skills and taking that into the maritime environment.” Further information about Aviation High School can be located at: https://aviationhigh.eq.edu.au/
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Australian Army Major Jennifer Roberts
Major Jennifer Roberts, Australian Army. When Jennifer Roberts was a little girl, she was fascinated by helicopter and aeroplanes. It was her passion and she wanted to fly. Jennifer made her dream come true; she is now Major Jennifer Roberts, an experienced helicopter pilot in the Australian Army. Jennifer spoke with STEM Punks about her aviation career. “The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has great training and obviously you get your training for free. So that spurred me on, and I joined the military.” Since joining the ADF, Jennifer has flown S70 Blackhawk helicopters and most recently, Jennifer has been flying the MRH90 Taipan helicopter. Jennifer explained that this helicopter is essentially a multi-role battlefield helicopter that is used for transporting people and equipment into contested areas and then getting them back out again. Since joining the ADF, Jennifer has been deployed on operations to East Timor as part of a quick reaction force. During this deployment, Jennifer recalled flying a particularly rewarding mission. In very bad weather and during the night, she flew to an island off the coast of East Timor to evacuate a group of people that required medical attention. Jennifer reflected, “So, really nobody else would have been able to do that except for Army rated helicopter pilots. That was a really rewarding mission and a good use of our skills.” Jennifer spoke about how she used her STEM skills on any typical day. “Before I go flying, I have to look at how far I’m going to go, how long it’s going to take me and how much fuel I have. Then I do calculations in order to make sure I can do that mission. Then when I go flying, I need to recalculate those sorts of things as well. So, I’m using my maps before and after my flight or before and during my flight.” Jennifer explained that when any mission is completed, they conduct a debrief to discuss how the mission went. She may then start to plan for upcoming missions.
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Follow your dreams because you can make them a reality.
Jennifer reflected on her job as an Australian Army pilot. “The best thing about my job is that every day you go flying is something different. There’s always a new challenge or something that you haven’t seen before. There’s no point in time where you feel like you’ve got everything you could possibly know, under control. I love the challenge of always learning something new. The one piece of advice I would give, is no matter what, follow your dreams because you can make them a reality.”
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Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage Tom Hingley
Tom Hingley is a technical assistant with Asia Pacific Aircraft Store. When Tom completed high school, he studied for a Bachelor of Aviation, majoring in flight operations through the University of Southern Queensland. While studying, Tom started flying at Air Gold Coast to attain his commercial pilot’s licence. After Tom finished his commercial licence training, he moved to the Northern Territory and got a job as a commercial pilot with Katherine Aviation. In this role, Tom spent 15 months flying around the vast expanse of the Northern Territory and Arnhem Land. Tom then moved back to Brisbane so that he could undertake study to upgrade his commercial pilot’s licence to an air transport pilot’s licence. Tom had applied to Cathay Pacific and other airline companies but unfortunately, he was struck by turbulence in the form of COVID19. As a result, Tom has remained in Queensland and is currently assisting engineers in the maintenance and ongoing storage of aircraft.
Tom’s advice to STEM Punks readers is to, “study hard. It’s a competitive environment and it’s quite challenging but very rewarding. Keep doing math and science subjects, that will put you in a good position.”
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