Dean Sowerby, Apprentice, QinetiQ Apprentice Training School at MOD Boscombe Down
Over August I finished my time at the Ground Support department (GSE), which I found really valuable, and the people there were excellent. I then went on leave for a couple of weeks, during which I travelled to Austria to see a friend, and had a great time out there doing a variety of activities and generally relaxing.
When I got back to work I started straight away on a new placement: this is in Hangar 168, working on the Merlin depth maintenance. This is a major servicing of Merlin, which basically means stripping the aircraft down to its bare bones. We take more or less every component and system off the aircraft and inspect them for any damage or generally anything unusual. Anything that is deemed unserviceable is replaced, and anything that is serviceable is put back on the aircraft.
This process is repeated for everything until the Merlin is fully up and running again. A major servicing is a long process, and this one is not expected to finish until January, so, all being well, I’ll be on the project until completion.
It’s already shaping up to be a great placement for me as there’s so much work to do and all of it helps towards my NVQ and getting that finished. I’m only a week into this placement and already I’m really enjoying it!