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Two Timorese trainee helicopter pilots have joined the Babcock Offshore Services Australasia team.

Pedro De Jesus Ximene Belo and Alcino Do Carmo Borromeu are among 19 Timor-Leste nationals employed by Babcock, who are providing offshore helicopter services to ConocoPhillips as the operator of the Bayu-Undan Joint Venture Project in the Timor Sea.

The group is comprised of the two trainee pilots, two trainee apprentice engineers, 4 qualified Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and ground operations as part of an agreed local content plan between Babcock and ConocoPhillips.

Babcock advertised all positions locally in Timor Leste and the recruitment process was carried out within 2017. Babcock committed to train the two pilots over the course of a four-year contract as agreed in the local content plan. The pair have started training with very little or no flying experience.

Pedro, 28, and Alcino, 25, began company inductions in Dili before travelling to South Australia to begin their intensive Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) training course with Flight Training Adelaide.

The 61-week course involves 165 flying hours, 54 simulator hours and approx. 900 hours of ground school. The trainees will then come away with a CASA License (Commercial Pilot License), Diploma in Aviation CPL  and a Multi Engine Command Instrument Rating.

After some well-deserved time off, Alcino and Pedro will spend six weeks undertaking H175 simulator training in France before heading home to Dili for four to six weeks of line training. During this time, they will get an understanding of offshore operations and undertake Dangerous Goods and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training and become qualified H175 First Officers.

Pedro is one of seven siblings. His younger brother looks up to him as he also hopes to be a pilot one day. Pedro completed high school in 2008, and after a year of studying engineering at Curtin University in Perth, he decided it wasn’t the right path for him. He began a helicopter training course in Brisbane with the Becker Helicopters Pilot Academy for two years.

Pedro then moved back home to Dili and worked with Malaysian Helicopter Services, later moving to Malaysia to undertake an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) course. Pedro says he very much enjoys working in aviation. His career aspirations are to stay in Timor-Leste and continue to fly offshore.

Alcino is engaged and plans to be married within the next couple of years. At just 19 he worked for ConocoPhillips in a helicopter administration position before becoming an onshore travel administrator and quickly advancing to Helicopter Assistant Manager.

When the opportunity to train as a pilot came up, Alcino decided to give his childhood dream a chance. He plans to remain working for Babcock and is looking forward to new opportunities and challenges.  Both Pedro and Alcino are extremely grateful to work and train in their chosen field in their home country as there are few opportunities available locally.

ConocoPhillips awarded Babcock Offshore Services Australasia the contract to provide offshore helicopter support services to its Bayu-Undan Joint Venture operations in April 2017, and services began in January 2018.

ConocoPhillips recently recognised Babcock’s exceptional service with a supplier recognition award for their professionalism and focus on execution during the transition to a new helicopter provider. The award will be presented to Babcock at a ceremony in Dili this week.  

Pilotu Timor Oan hahu sira nian Treinamentu

Estagiariu Pilotu Timor oan nain rua hamutuk ona ho ekipa Babcock Offshore Services Australasia nian.

Pedro De Jesus Ximene Belo no Alcino Do Carmo Borromeu mak entre husi ema Timor oan nain 19 ne’ebe servisu ho Babcock, kompaña ida ne’ebé agora fornese servisu aviasaun ba Conocophillips hanesan operador projeitu Bayu-Undan iha Tasi Timor.

Babcock anunsia posisaun hotu-hotu iha Timor Leste no prosesu rekrutamentu hala’o iha 2017 nia laran. Babcock komitmentu ona atu fò trainamentu ba Estagiariu pilotu Timor oan nain rua iha tinan hat nian laran hanesan deside ona iha dokumentu konteidu lokal. Sira nain rua ne’e laiha esperensia atu semo ho helikopteru wainhira hahu sira nia treinamentu pilotu nian.

Pedro, 28 and Alcino, 25 hahu trainamentu ho introdusaun kompaña nian iha Dili antes atu ba Australia Sudeste atu hahu sira nia kursu intensivu Pilotu Komersial nian iha Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) Kursu ho durante 61 semanas  ne’e sei involve 165 oras ba semo, 54 oras ba simulasaun (Simulator) no mais ou menus 900 oras ba estudu (Ground School).

Depois trainamentu ida ne’e, Estagiariu Pilotu Timor oan nain rua sei hetan lisensa CASA nian ba Pilotu komersial nian, Diploma Aviasaun komersial no Multi Engine Command Instrument Rating.

Depois sira ba feriadu, Alcino no Pedro sei tuir treinamentu semana 6 iha Fransa kona ba simulasaun H175 antes mai fali Dili atu tuir treinamentu iha semana 4 ou 6 laran. Durante iha periode ida ne’e nia laran sira sei aprende konabá operasaun iha tasi no sasan perigosu sira (Dangerous Goods), Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) no sei sai kualifikada ba H175 premeiru ofisial (First Officers).

Pedro iha maun alin hamutuk  nain 6, nia hateten katak nia alin ikun mos espera katak aban bairua sai pilotu hanesan mos nia maun. Pedro kompleta nia estudu sekundaria iha tinan 2008, hafoin nia kontinua estuda Engineria iha Universidade Curtin iha Perth, Australia. wainhira nia estuda iha Universidade nia deside katak area ida ne’e la’os dalan diak ba nia, tan ne’e nia muda fali no foti kursu konabá helikopteru iha Brisbane ho Akademia Becker Helikopter Pilot nian iha tinan rua nia laran.

Depois remata nia kursu, nia mai fali Dili no servisu hamutuk ho Malaysian Helicopter Service (MHS), hafoin ida ne’e nia ba fali Malaysia atu tuir fali kursu an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) . Pedro dehan nia kontente tebes atu servisu iha area aviasaun nian nia kareira aspirasaun sei hela iha Timor no kontinua semu ba tasi (fly offshore).

Alcino agora dadaun prenda ona no nia planu atu tuir kazamentu iha tinan hirak tuir mai, nia servisu ho Conocophillips ho idade 19 ho posisaun administrasaun ba helikopteru nian antes ne’e sai hanesan  Onshore Travel Adminsitrator no lalais ne’e nia muda fali ba Helicopter Assitant Manager.

Wainhira oportunidade ba estagiariu pilotu nian iha, Alcino deside kedan atu realiza ninia mehi wainhira nia sei labarik. Nia deside atu servisu nafatin ho Babcock no hare ba oin kona ba oportunidade foun no desafiu sira.

Sira nain rua kontente no apresia tebes ba sira nia servisu no sira bele hetan sira nia preferensi treinamentu iha sira nia rain rasik hanesan oportunidade ne’ebé iha sira nia nasaun.

ConocoPhillips fò kontratu ba Babcock Offshore Services Australasia atu fornese servisu apoia helikopteru atu supporta operasaun iha kampu Bayu Undan iha fulan Abril 2017, no operasaun komesa iha inisiu fulan Janeiru 2018.  

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