GSE Technician
Job Group
- Airman
Job Availability
- Full Time
The Role
As a GSE Technician you’ll be a member of the ground crew, jointly responsible for maintaining the ground-based mechanical equipment required to support RNZAF aircraft operations. Your duties will include the routine maintenance of a range of motor vehicles. In addition you’ll repair and maintain refuelling equipment, ground power units, hydraulic rigs, hoists and other small engine equipment.
Job on Base
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
GSE Technicians are specifically responsible for the maintenance of all the Air Force’s specialist vehicles. You’ll be involved in the daily maintenance, fault identification and rectification of a wide range of vehicles, with special emphasis on heavy vehicles such as fire engines, forklift trucks and aircraft tugs, to name a few.
GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
Aircraft ground support equipment encompasses all equipment required to carry out aircraft maintenance activities and support flying operations. This equipment typically includes ground power units, hydraulic rigs, aircraft loading devices, and a wide range of small engine equipment. As a member of the GSE Technician team you’ll be responsible for the maintenance and repair of this specialised equipment.
Job on Deployment
Our aircraft do deploy overseas in remote locations and when they do they need Ground Support Equipment to continue to operate. The deployed camp itself also needs Ground Support Equipment such as generators to function. As a GSE technician you may be required to serve overseas to maintain this equipment on site. This is a crucial, hands-on role that provides great experiences at home and abroad.
Career Progression
After gaining considerable experience, you’ll be given greater responsibilities encompassing the management of aircraft support equipment. As a senior GSE technician you’ll be required to perform military command and leadership duties as a team leader and maybe required to manage section budgets. Team leaders are responsible for the personnel under their command, including the conduct of personnel performance appraisals, mentoring, personal development planning and the maintenance of discipline. With substantial trade knowledge and experience you may also be appointed as an instructor where you will train and assess trainee GSE mechanics and develop junior GSE Technicians.
General Requirements
- You must be at least 17 years of age.
- Meet the citizenship & security requirements to gain CV security clearance for this trade.
- Restricted Class 1 Manual Drivers Licence essential, full Class 1 preferred.
Educational Requirements
You must have a minimum of 12 NCEA Level 1 credits in English, Maths and a Science or Design Technology subject.
A Certificate of Entry to Automotive Trade would be an advantage.
Period of Service
Your training is some of the most thorough and advanced in the world. On graduation as a GSE technician, you’ll be contractually obliged to spend another 24 months in the Air Force.
Training
Basic Training
Upon successful enlistment into the Air Force you will be posted to RNZAF Base Woodbourne (near Blenheim) for your Recruit Course. Here you will do 12 weeks of basic military training to find out if you’ve got what it takes to be in the Air Force, and learn various subjects including:
- Organisation and Administration
- RNZAF Customs and Protocol
- Drill and Parades
- Military Field Skills and Weapon Training
- First Aid, and Search and Rescue Techniques
- Physical Fitness
- Teamwork and Self Discipline
Job Training
Aeronautical Engineering Fundamentals Course
After your Recruit Course you will complete a full-time 17 week Aeronautical Engineering Fundamentals Course. This course covers:
- Personal Qualities and Attitudinal Expectations in the Aviation Workplace,
- Aviation Workplace Safety,
- Aeronautical Engineering Trade Science and Administration,
- Aeronautical Engineering Tooling and Processes,
- Aeronautical Components/Systems, and
- Maintenance Practices.
This course is a requirement for all technical trades within the RNZAF and sets you up well for your career as an aviation technician.
Primary Trade Training
On completion of the Aeronautical Engineering Course you will carry out a two to three week course to enhance your skills in technical administration and the use of fuels, oils and lubricants specific to the GSE trade. You will then start advanced trade training. This takes the form of an apprenticeship towards the NZQA-accredited NCAE (Heavy) under the Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) scheme and takes around three years to complete. In conjunction with NCAE training, you'll also complete all classes of driving licences required for the specialist vehicles you will maintain (up to and including Class 5) and additional training targeted at specific aspects of maintaining aeronautical support equipment.
Ongoing Training
On graduating from primary trade training you will start an apprenticeship towards NZQA NCAE (heavy option) under the Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) scheme. This training takes approximately three years to complete and includes:
- Correspondence courses, where you will learn the theory aspects of the trade
- On-the-job training, where you learn by actually doing the work
- Workplace practical assessments, to check your competency to complete the work unsupervised
- Some polytechnic block courses
- In conjunction with NCAE training, you will also complete all classes of driving licences required for the specialist vehicles you will maintain (up to and including Class 5) and additional training targeted at specific aspects of aeronautical support equipment maintenance
You will undertake advanced trade training in the workplace of a GSE section at RNZAF Base Auckland, RNZAF Base Ohakea, or RNZAF Base Woodbourne.
On completion of advanced trade training, as a GSE technician, you will receive a NZQA National Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Heavy). You will be qualified to undertake the full range of maintenance duties on RNZAF specialist vehicles and aeronautical support equipment.
You will also be eligible for deployment overseas as a camp technician.
Postgraduate Training
After graduating as a GSE technician you will be eligible to undertake postgraduate training in the maintenance of aviation fuel equipment. This is a competency based training package, which is done in the workplace using the Air BP Aviation Fuel Training scheme and normally takes six months to complete.
It includes maintenance of the Deployable Bulk Fuelling Installation (DBFI).
On completion of this training you will be eligible for deployment overseas in support of DBFI.
Specialist Training
There are a number of other postgraduate courses available that can be undertaken on an as-required basis for career progression, such as NCAE (Light) and A-Tech, or to meet other RNZAF requirements.
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