Edition 1204, December 11, 2008 - Department of Defence

26 PERSONNEL
Ready for take off: Tpr Justin Murphy beside a Black Hawk.
Aircrew included in GORPS
AIRCREW are currently paid on a
time-based progression system but, in
future, pay will be linked to competency
progression under the new Graded
Other Ranks Pay Structure (GORPS).
Members who are already employed
as aircrewman and aircrewman technicians
will have the choice to remain in the
current time-based progression system or
to transfer to the new competency-based
system. The date by which current members
must indicate a preference will be
dvised through the chain of command.
The Defence Force Remuneration
ribunal (DFRT) on November 19
pproved the placement of aircrewman
nd aircrewman technicians into the
newly approved GORPS.
The implementation of the new structure
will be phased in next year, with payments
backdated to September 4, 2008.
Chief of Army Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie
said he was pleased to announce that the
DFRT approved the aircrew submission
and that the decision concluded the placement
of OR employment categories in
GORPS.
“This is great news for Army otherrank
aircrew and it also represents the
final part of the overall Remuneration
Reform Project pursued by the ADF for
soldiers over the last few years,” he said.
The decision to link pay to competency
progression is the result of a competency-based
approach that will better
reflect and remunerate the contribution
of aircrewmen to the delivery of Army’s
aviation capability.
Briefing tours will be conducted
by the Industrial Relations and
Remuneration team early in 2009.
For further information visit http://intranet.
defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/dperscapa/
comweb.asp?page=159268
By Steve Ridgway
TPR Justin Murphy is one of the
latest graduates of the Aviation
Trade Wing at the School of Army
Aviation, Oakey. But don’t call
him a loadmaster.
The whole job-spec has been
rewritten, and thanks to their wideranging
duties, Tpr Murphy and
his fellow graduates are now called
Army aircrewmen.
“I started off in the RAAF as an
aircraft technician, but felt like a
change,” Tpr Murphy said.
“But, as the Air Force had no
helicopters, it meant both transferring
and remustering.”
After graduating successfully on
November 27, Tpr Murphy is now
expected to undertake Black Hawk
missions in East Timor by February.
He said there was a lot more to
the job than simply briefing passengers
on flight safety.
“When you are on a mission a
lot of things can come from behind
or below – and I’m not just talking
about trees,” he said.
“So a key part of the job is pro-
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viding situational awareness to the
pilot – a word-picture of what’s
going on that he can’t see.
“It could be as simple as letting
him know he’s drifting to one side.
Or it could be a lot more tactical.
“If we come under fire my job is
to man the MAG58.
“If we are carrying troops or
stores, the aircraft performance calculations
come into it.
“The centre of gravity has to be
in the right place or the helicopter’s
performance can change – and not in
a good way. I have to calculate the
right weight and balance for maximum
performance.”
He said all the training apart
from the gunnery was undertaken at
Oakey. “There are no ranges nearby,
so we finished off the course at
Townsville.”
Maj Dave Heffernan, OC/SI
Aviation Trade Training School at
Oakey, said the name change to aircrewman
reflected the job performed
in support of Army operations.
“The training continuum has also
expanded in order to meet capability
requirements,” he said.
“Training is modular in approach,
competency-based, industry-recognised,
approved and in place.
“The qualified aircrewman is
now a full member of the mission
crew, who understands the aircraft
as a weapon system, applies aviation
tactics, techniques and procedures,
employs weapon systems and operates
airborne role equipment.
“Graduates will normally be
posted first tour to an airmobile unit
on Black Hawk with the opportunity
to progress to the Chinook helicopter.
“This will expand to include
MRH-90s as they are introduced
into service.”
Employment as an Army aircrewman
is open to Army, Navy and Air
Force applicants through trade transfer.
Overseas lateral transfer applications
are also taken.
Interested applicants can contact the
Aircrewman Employment Category
Manager on (07) 4691 7268. More information
is also available through the Army
Trade Transfers Section on (02) 6265 7795.
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Army December 11, 2008
Flying colours