Our Engineers Have you ever wondered what the role of an aircraft engineer entails? Our engineers work behind the scenes and are a vital cog in our lifesaving service, ensuring our helicopters are airworthy and safe. They carry out scheduled maintenance and rectify any defects that occur. Over the years the team of engineers has grown and now consists of six engineers, all of whom are employed by Gama Aviation – our aviation partner which is funded by our charity. The engineers are required to work flexible hours, so when the aircraft is not operational, maintenance can begin, even if it is early in the morning or late at night. The team is also required to work on a rota 24/7 so that they can be on hand for the Cardiff aircraft, which covers all of Wales from 7pm, if required. What is the role of an aircraft engineer? Liaises with the pilot in relation to any potential issues with the aircraft or operation. Responsible for the successful completion of all allocated, planned and ad-hoc maintenance tasks. Booking and ordering parts and tools. Responds to any unexpected potential problems with the aircraft. Carries out routine maintenance after hours. Assisting EMRTS with medical fit issues. Join pilots on training exercises. Ensures the hangar is tidy and compliant with HSE and CAA regulations and guidance. Assists with public base visits. Another part of an engineer's role is to support TV crews when making reality televisions series, such as Helimeds. When a request comes into the Charity to showcase our lifesaving work, an engineer will work with the broadcast company to set up camera equipment and ensure that all regulations and followed. Spotlight on our engineers Frazer McCall Engineer Frazer is our longest serving engineer and has been with the Charity for 19 years. He has seen first-hand how much the service has developed, from a one helicopter operation to four. He has also experienced many changes during his time with charity, including the introduction of our medial partner, EMRTS, and transitioning from the older helicopter models, such as B0-105 to EC-135 and then more recently to the H-145. Frazer has worked for our previous aviation suppliers, Bond, Babcock and now Gama Aviation. He is extremely passionate about his career and has travelled around the world with his job. He said: “From a very early age I was fascinated by anything mechanical, wanting to know how they worked and how to fix them. Being able to maintain and repair a multi-million-pound aircraft has been both professionally and personally rewarding. “There have been a few instances of having to go out to a field in the middle of the night to fix a helicopter and a few times we have had a bird stuck where the birds have flown in with the crew. It is all part of the job, and it is rewarding knowing you are fixing a helicopter for it to be operational to help save people’s lives. “I feel very lucky and honoured to be able to use my skills and knowledge as an aircraft engineer while supporting a great charity and the local community. Having seen first-hand some of the amazing work it has done over the years, the patients and the families it has helped and supported, I think it is doing a fantastic job – and I am proud to be part of the story.” Mike Gomer Mike has been working with the Charity since 2016. After leaving school, Mike started working in engineering disciplines and with engineering companies in the South Wales area, before going back into full time education to study mechanical engineering. He joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) where he became an aviation engineer, working on tornadoes and later the Dambusters. He worked on the oil rigs in the North Sea and has also worked in the Gulf and in Iraq. Talking about his role as engineer, Mike said no working day is ever the same. He said: “You can’t describe a typical day; it’s such a dynamic environment and it changes on a daily basis. We have two sides of the job which is the scheduled side and the planned side, these are routine jobs for us and more or less the same every shift we are on and then the reactive side. “Our primary goal is to ensure the airworthiness of the aircraft and we do that by planned scheduled maintenance. We plan at least 3-4 weeks ahead to see what maintenance is coming up on our schedule and then we are also responsible in ordering any parts, tools or spares into the base. “We have to process and book everything to make sure everything is compliant. We look after the bulk fuel supply; we take deliveries, and we are responsible for the day to day engineering of the hanger store system. “The reactive side is if there is an issue with the aircraft and we have to use our knowledge and expertise to try and resolve the issue. Once I spent two and a half days over my birthday in temperatures of 30 plus degree stuck on the helipad at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff with the aircraft stuck on it, trying to diagnose a problem so we could get back to the Cardiff base. It was very hot! “The most rewarding part of the job is fixing the aircraft when it has a problem and then watching the crew go to help somebody”. Manage Cookie Preferences