Brendan Raychaudhuri

Duties include:

• Sensor Operator. This is the primary role of an Aircrewman. As a Sensor Operator I operate the sensor suite the aircraft is equipped with such as RADAR, SONAR, various cameras and the Electronic Warfare system to achieve mission outcomes. Missions vary widely and include tactical, such as surface and sub-surface warfare, and non-tactical such as search and rescue for various reasons such as fires, floods, accidents, missing persons etc.
• Search and Rescue. As a SAR asset my role in our crew composition is to utilise the aircrafts sensors, primarily RADAR and various cameras, to firstly locate the survivor or the scene of action. From that point I operate in the role of hoist operator, wireman or rescue swimmer to carry out the evolution as required.
• Qualified Aircrewman Instructor. In this role as an instructor I teach the Operational Flying Training syllabus to students coming through MH-60R training at 725 Squadron. The majority of the instruction I provide is related to operating the aircrafts sensors. The other portion of the syllabus is in relation to search and rescue training and aerial door gunning.
• Course Manager. I have a responsibility to manage various courses of students coming through Operational Flying Training. Duties include all administration associated with service life, leave approvals, annual performance reporting, mentoring etc.
• Aerial Door Gunner in support of tactical missions.
• Support to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
• Maintaining flying and non-flying currencies. We have an array of currencies that require maintaining to ensure we are able to fly. Flying currencies are such as hours by day and night, non-flying currencies are such as Annual Medical, Dental, Helicopter Underwater Escape Training, Risk Management and Non-Technical Skills (formally Crew Resource Management, Aviation Medicine, CPR and First Aid etc.
• Overseeing the conduct of maintaining and ordering aircraft related stores such as sonobuoys and aerial delivery equipment to ensure the squadron has what is required in a serviceable condition to be able to achieve mission objectives and tasking.

Duties included, but not limited to maintaining:

• Helicopter transmissions
• Fluid power systems
• Monitoring systems
• Engine systems and controls
• Auxiliary systems
• Flight control systems
• Environmental systems
• Aircraft structures and aircraft finishes
• Ground support equipment
• Landing gear
• Aviation safety equipment