An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir April 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 36 | What does it take? I 'm Conal Sheeran, from Athlone, Co Westmeath, and I'm a member of 70th Air Corps Apprentice Class. I am currently in my second year studying for a b Eng in Military Aviation Technology. The apprenticeship takes four years, with each year comprising two academic semesters consisting of six modules, on subjects such as maths, physics, aerody- namics, aircraft structures and systems, and power plant (gas turbine engines). Throughout each semester students complete a number of continuous assessment projects and face final exams on each subject, which provides both a practical and academic challenge. Each year, apprentices also undergo a period of work experience in a live aircraft environment, under super- vision from Air Corps aircraft maintenance technicians. Every apprentice spends time in No 3 Support Wing and No 1 Support Wing hangars, where rotary- and fixed- wing maintenance take place. Time is also spent in Avion- ics Squadron, No 4 Support Wing, where the electronics and electrical systems of every Air Corps aircraft are dealt with. Currently, my class of 20 apprentices is just complet- ing Year 2 Semester 1, which has been the most practical and hands-on semester so far. As part of our power plant module, Sgt Eoin Stanley and Sgt John Brophy, two of our instructors, tasked us with designing and building four working gas turbine engines for our final projects. All of our skills where tested on this project, par- ticularly the CAD (computer-aided design) course we completed in Year 1, which was a huge element in our design process for the engines, along with producing maintenance manuals and illustrated parts catalogues for each. Our workshop skills very much came into play, with every apprentice manu- facturing unique, homemade components, such as compressor and turbine blades for the engines. Our planning, organisational and leadership skills were also being tested, as time was a huge issue, with other modules running concurrently, and the project leader changing each week. Integration with personnel from other Air Corps workshops (who where a massive help), such as the Machine Shop, and the Welding and Sheet Metal Shop, was also a huge factor in this project and gave us an insight into the volume of work that is involved in aircraft maintenance planning. On completion of my degree, I hope to be sent to No 3 Support Wing as part of the maintenance crew for the AW139 and EC135 helicopters. I would highly recommend an Air Corps ap- prenticeship to any school-leaver thinking of a career in engineering. by APTCE CONAL SHEERAN PhoToS by SGT PAUL MILLAR 70th Air Corps Apprentice Class pictured with Brig Gen Paul Fry, GOC AC and Sgt Eoin Stanley at the rear.

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