Download - Royal Australian Navy

NAVY ENGINEERING BULLETIN MARCH 2003
35
CPOATT - Aviation
Technician
Inaugural Diploma
Presentation
October 24, 2002 saw the inaugural presentation of the ‘Diploma in
Aeronautical Engineering - Maintenance’, to graduates of the first two
CPOATT-AT courses, co-conducted by the Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology (RMIT) and the RAN.
CPOATA ROHAN DENMAN
NASPO
HMAS ALBATROSS
The presentations were made by
Professor Nelson Chen, Vice
chancellor of RMIT and CAPT
DePetrio RAN (COS-AVN).
The graduation represented the
culmination in the shift of
technical training towards a
competency-based scheme,
which began with the introduction
of the Technical Training Plan
1992 (TTP92).
The presentation also marked the
successful association between
RMIT and the RAN, in the delivery
of Aviation Technician training.
The coupling of the RAN’s
Advanced Technical Training
continuum and RMIT’s Aerospace
Engineering Curriculum being the
result of many years’ hard work.
The Aviation Advanced Technical
Training Continuum is designed to
provide the RAN with Chief Petty
Officers who can undertake the
demanding duties of Flight Senior
Maintenance Sailor (FSMS).
Such duties require high levels of
professional competency,
foresight and flexibility. The
responsibilities associated with
Technical Airworthiness cannot be
under-estimated, and the
associated training must be of
the highest standards. It could
be argued that the position of
FSMS is one of the most arduous
tasks that can be given to a Non-
Commissioned Officer, in the ADF.
BACKGROUND
Most ADF personnel are aware
that the environment in which we
operate and work has changed
significantly in recent years. This
is particularly so in the areas of
technology, acquisition and
Industry policy, as well as the way
government expects us to
manage our assets and
expenditure. 1
No longer can we operate with a
purely military mentality,
distancing ourselves from the
civilian world. The ever increasing
sophistication of ADF Aviation
assets, combined with an
increase in Defence
civilianisation, has seen on-going
Contractor involvement in
maintenance and management
activities.
Concurrently, the shift to Tri-
Service Aviation Regulations has
seen an increase in the need to
meet higher airworthiness
standards. ADF Aviation technical
personnel are often delegated
specific authority to make
engineering decisions. These
personnel are required to
understand the legal liability for
their decisions, or the decisions
of staff who make decisions on
their behalf. The modern
Technical manager is therefore
required to have a higher level of
awareness, technical expertise
and management skills, than their
predecessors.
They are required to be more
safety and quality assurance
focused, while aiming to get the
most out of their equipment,
people and money – both afloat
and ashore. This need requires
special engineering and
management skills. The modern
Technical manager must have an
understanding of whole of life
management, mathematics,
statistics, as well as being able to
define measurable performance
and quality indicators.
Inter-woven with the expectations
described above, has been the
need to develop, articulate and
implement career structures that
deliver the engineering expertise
required by the ADF in the future.
There is also an on-going need to
ensure that our knowledge
remains current, with well
considered professional
development and career
management programs that
consider the needs of the ADF
and the individual.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In June 1998, The Chief Naval
Engineer endorsed the
establishment of an Advanced
Diploma (in a relevant technology
discipline)(ADT), as the indicative
minimum educational