14 March 2025
Taking toys apart as a child to find out how they work might be frustrating for the parents, but for Craftsman Johnny Jinx it was the best preparation for his career as an Army aircraft technician.
It was an easy career choice for Craftsman Jinx, and the challenges he has so far faced on his 16-month specialist aircraft technician training course have him convinced he has made the right one.
“I’ve always loved technical stuff, pulling my toys apart and putting them back together, and before joining the Army I was a welder and motor mechanic apprentice, so becoming an aircraft technician was the best choice for me,” Craftsman Jinx said.
“It’s a challenging course; there were a lot of exams at the start but we got through them by supporting each other and now we are getting into the technical side of things.”
Once qualified, Craftsman Jinx will be part of the critical workforce that sustains and maintains the Army’s fleet of CH-47F Chinooks and relatively new UH-60M Black Hawks.
'You need pilots, but without people to maintain the aircraft they are not going to get airborne and conduct the operations the Army requires.'
RAAF School of Technical Training (RAAFSTT) Chief Instructor Major Charles Rose said the skills and knowledge trainees obtained at the RAAFSTT course were essential for the ADF to maintain a fighting force.
“It’s an extremely important role. Yes, you need pilots, but without people to maintain the aircraft they are not going to get airborne and conduct the operations the Army requires,” Major Rose said.
“The students at RAAFSTT learn both academic and military skills so when they do go into the field they are fit to fight, both technically to maintain our aircraft but also to be soldiers.”
For trade transfer students such as Bombardier Kyle Coultas, the course offers the opportunity to specialise in a new career that can fit around his family life.
“I was an artillery bombardier and I wanted to move to a career that gave me more technical, hands-on experience that challenged me and that gave me more stability and less on-call demands so I can spend more time with my family,” Bombardier Coulter said.
“It’s been a challenging transition back into the classroom after being in the workplace for so many years, but the support at the school has made that transition easier. Every day we get hands-on experience to cement our classroom learning in a practical setting.”
In addition to gaining technical skills, members also undertake military skills and physical fitness training to enable them to deploy in operational environments to sustain the fleet in the field.
To find out more about a career as an army aircraft technician or avionics technician, visit ADF Careers.
