Our People in NSW
Cheye’s Choppers in Sumatra Mercy Op - Cheye Farrell
Cessnock’s Cheye Farrell is now doing his bit in Australia’s Sumatra rescue operation.
These days Cheye is an Able Seaman in the Navy and he’s specialised as an aircraft maintainer. Now he’s aboard the Navy’s amphibious support ship HMAS Kanimbla alongside the Sumatra shore, and playing an integral role in keeping his ship’s helicopters flying.
Cheye job is to keep the two Sea King helicopters in good working order as they ferry emergency teams and supplies backwards and forwards to earthquake-shattered towns and villages.
“A lot of my work takes place on the ship’s flight deck,” Cheye said. “This includes launching and recovering the aircraft whenever the ship is conducting flying operations.”
When the aircraft are not flying, Cheye and his fellow specialists work on the helicopters’ many electrical systems.
“There’s always something that needs to be done,” he said. “We have to make sure the aircraft is performing at its best for the pilots.”
After completing his basic training in Victoria, Cheye was posted to RAAF Base Wagga for his 18 months aviation training. He was then posted to HMAS Albatross, the Navy’s air base, at Nowra to complete his training and was then ready to join the fleet.
Cheye has now been in the Navy for five years and during that time has seen a bit of the world.
“I was onboard HMAS Success last year on an exercise that took us as far as Hawaii,” he said.
HMAS Kanimbla is one of two RAN amphibious transport ships and is normally based at Garden Island in Sydney.