Feature story: Field Representative of the Month -- Robert Arthur
Rob covers all of Australia , plus Papua New Guinea and Fiji . The area has around 110 Turbomeca operators with more than 300 engines. We so enjoyed his responses to our e-mailed questions that we include them in their entirety.
What do you see as the highlights of your career?
My career started quite high. I was apprenticed to the British Aircraft Corporation during the main production and development years of Concorde, not a bad aircraft to start on. This period included working on BAC 1-11, BAe 146, HS 125 aircraft and F111 military jets. It was later that I specialized on gas turbines as a field service representative for Rolls-Royce.
Tell us about your main areas of expertise.
With R-R I specialized on military aircraft. I spent over 14 years integrated with four air forces, living and working in locations from the north of Scotland, south to Australia, East & West of England, southern California (it never rains) to the mountains of Saudi Arabia and the deserts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
What most impresses you from those varied experiences?
I suppose the most influential period was in the years spent in the Middle East ; the contrast between environment and culture left an indelible impression on me. I consider it a great success to be accepted and trusted by customers that become friends across cultural and religious barriers.
What keeps things interesting for you?
The diversity of my customers is quite astounding. From millionaire celebrities to hard working contract engineers. The one thing that connects us is a love of all things that fly. I still get that 'buzz' when I've rectified a problem and the customer is operational again -- it's like scoring a try or making a great tackle when I played rugby!
