{"id":5104,"date":"2021-08-23T08:41:01","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T08:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.execujet-mro.com\/?p=5104"},"modified":"2021-08-23T08:41:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-23T08:41:01","slug":"how-a-chance-encounter-with-an-australian-air-force-vip-aircraft-changed-a-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.execujet-mro.com\/zh\/2021\/08\/23\/how-a-chance-encounter-with-an-australian-air-force-vip-aircraft-changed-a-career\/","title":{"rendered":"How A Chance Encounter with an Australian Air Force VIP Aircraft Changed A Career"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) celebrates its 100th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary. ExecuJet\u2019s Richard Porter tells how a chance encounter with a RAAF\u00a034 Squadron\u00a0Falcon 900 in the early 1990s would prove to be a defining moment in his career<\/em><\/p>\n

ExecuJet MRO\u00a0Services\u00a0Regional Sales Manager for Australasia, Richard Porter, is based in Sydney but started his career in the UK as an Airframe Fitter\u00a0for British Aerospace.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0emigrated to Australia in the early 1990s and his first job in Australia was working as a line maintenance technician for a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company at Sydney Airport maintaining Beechcraft 1900s for regional carrier Impulse Airlines.<\/p>\n

His earlier experience at British Aerospace \u2013\u00a0performing\u00a0sheet metal and final assembly work on BAe 146 aircraft at Hatfield Aerodrome, north of London \u2013 helped him to get the job.<\/p>\n

But the\u00a0defining moment of his career\u00a0came\u00a0when he got a call from his Sydney employer to\u00a0assist with an\u00a0inspection on a business jet. The MRO company had a contract\u00a0performing\u00a0the heavy maintenance for the RAAF 34\u00a0squadron\u2019s fleet of government VIP aircraft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI walked into the hangar and sitting there was a Falcon 900 in the livery of the RAAF. From that moment on, I wanted to\u00a0work with\u00a0business jets.\u201d<\/p>\n

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RAAF Falcon 900<\/p><\/div>\n

The RAAF and Dassault Aviation have a shared history. The RAAF used to operate the Dassault Mirage III fighter. In terms of VIP aircraft, the RAAF operated the Falcon 20 and then later moved to the Falcon 900. Today the RAAF operates the Falcon 7X as VIP transport.<\/p>\n

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RAAF Falcon 20<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOne thing that differentiates a Falcon is craftsmanship,\u201d says Porter, adding that the true beauty of a Falcon lies beneath the skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen all of the inspection panels are removed during the check, all of the systems inside that you normally cannot see, are engineered impeccably. This is the result of Dassault\u2019s CATIA software,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The engineering is very precise\u00a0on\u00a0Falcon\u00a0aircraft. There is a focus on weight reduction and efficiency. Falcon business jets draw\u00a0on Dassault\u2019s fighter heritage. If you look closely at a Dassault Mirage fighter and you look at a Dassault Falcon 20 leading edge system, it is just a scaled up and scaled down version of the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no doubt\u00a0that\u00a0the research, development and innovation that goes into Dassault Aviation fighters has later been applied to its business jets,\u201d says Porter, adding that the Falcon 7X\u2019s fly-by-wire system is derived from Dassault\u2019s Rafale fighter.<\/p>\n

He says the high level of craftsmanship also applies to the interior cabin. \u201cEven in areas that are\u00a0not going to be seen by the aircraft owner, it is all done perfectly. The attention to detail is very impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen\u00a0I had the opportunity to visit\u00a0Dassault Aviation\u2019s final assembly line in Merignac, southern France, it\u00a0was like visiting a high-tech laboratory.\u00a0The wings\u00a0align\u00a0perfectly with the fuselage\u00a0structure, so that when they attach, it is a smooth and seamless process. It is so precise and fantastic to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

ExecuJet MRO Services has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation since early 2019 and is an approved service centre for Dassault Aviation\u2019s range of Falcon business jets. If you fly a Falcon, call us today to learn more about our comprehensive range of MRO services.<\/p>\n

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The Royal Australian Air Force now flies the Falcon 7X<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) celebrates its 100th\u00a0anniversary. ExecuJet\u2019s Richard Porter tells how a chance encounter with a RAAF\u00a034 Squadron\u00a0Falcon 900 in the early 1990s would prove to be a defining moment in his career ExecuJet MRO\u00a0Services\u00a0Regional Sales Manager for Australasia, Richard Porter, is based in Sydney but started his career in…
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