First Female Air Engineer
For the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s first ever female Flight Engineer, the flight deck of a C-130 Hercules is Sergeant Robyn Claffey’s new office.
First lady
After nearly two years training, all the hard work paid off when she was presented on 12 May 2010 with her brevet by Air Component Commander Air Commodore Steve Moore, in front of fellow No. 40 Squadron friends and colleagues.
SGT Claffey originally joined the Air Force in January 2001 and trained as an Aircraft Technician with No. 40 SQN. During this time, she deployed on numerous operations and exercises around the world, including an exchange with the Air National Guard in Antarctica in 2007. Deciding to swap the hangar for the sky, SGT Claffey’s training to become a Flight Engineer began at the beginning of 2009 and included several prerequisite courses—a ground phase, time in the simulator, and a seven month flying phase. “There was a lot of study,” she said.
As a Flight Engineer, SGT Claffey is one of the flight crew sitting alongside the pilot, co-pilot and navigator in the flight deck of the C-130 Hercules. Part of her job includes checking the aircraft systems before a flight and monitoring things like the engines, fuel and pressurisation during the flight.
Of her new role, SGT Claffey said she is enjoying working with the aircrew and “flying is a definite highlight.”