Tech Reps! Meet the support teams that keep helicopters flying

Technical representatives or ‘Tech Reps’ as they are known in the industry, are instrumental in ensuring that customers’ fleets can fly as much as possible. Present throughout the world, Airbus Helicopters’ dedicated family of Tech Reps play an essential role in finding solutions and solving problems - allowing operators to continue flying their helicopters and carry out their essential missions. 

André Guay - Tech Rep for Airbus Helicopters in Canada 

At the beginning of my career, I would sometimes encounter a Tech Rep from another firm, and when I saw them I thought they had a job I would like!

I have that job now and I still enjoy it, with new challenges every day, the opportunity to travel and to meet new people. I look after about 71 operators and private owners who together represent a fleet of over 200 aircraft engaged in a very wide range of missions: aerial work, geological surveys, medical transport, police, tourist flights etc. The helicopters belong to the entire commercial range of Airbus Helicopters, from the H120 to the Super Puma. As the new generation of helicopters are becoming more and more electronic, a good understanding of their on-board systems is essential to help customers effectively.

In addition to my daily responsibilities, I spend about 5 months a year visiting the workshops. Our aim is to meet each customer or maintenance centre at least once a year, even trying to make two visits per year if possible. During Covid, this was a complicated objective to achieve... It was one more challenge in a job that never lacks one! 

Scott Dodge - Tech Rep for Airbus Helicopters Inc. in the United States

As a technical representative covering the Northeast United States, I’m able to help our customers get their aircraft up and running. I have been in their shoes before, first as a flying crew chief for the U.S. Marines and later as a maintenance technician for an Airbus service center, so I understand where they’re coming from and what they need.

Working at Airbus Helicopters Inc. for the past 17 years has given me opportunities I never imagined. I was a member of the support staff for the record-breaking X3. And for the past seven years, I have worked closely with the team developing the H160. Being there from concept through design and final product has given us a huge advantage in our ability to support customers from day one.

I have been drawn to aviation all of my life. I grew up going to air shows and marveling at the helicopters hovering in the air, magically suspended in the sky. I can now say I’ve been a part of aviation history, and that’s enormously satisfying.

Khushrav Hiramanek - Lead for Civil Helicopters Technical Services Team for Airbus Australia Pacific

I wanted to become a Tech Rep because I had met two great Tech Reps from Airbus Helicopters and thought the job they were doing was very interesting. I decided that one day I too would be a Tech Rep with Airbus. Now I have the honour and privilege to lead the Civil Helicopters Technical Services Team in Australia Pacific.

With four Tech Reps, we provide Technical Support to 660 helicopters in our area of responsibility which covers Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Noumea, Fiji, Solomon Island and Tahiti. The number of Airbus helicopters is increasing, which is a great thing and the workload has definitely increased as well! Being a Tech Rep, we have to be prepared for a phone call from a customer after office hours or on weekends. If there is an AOG situation, the team and I work flexibly, whether that means extended hours and weekends, as it is our mission to resolve customer issues as quickly as possible.

 

Matt Finchman - Technical Support team member at Airbus Helicopters UK 

I’ve worked with helicopters since 1983 and in 2013 I joined the Technical Support Department at Airbus Helicopters UK. I saw the Technical Support Representative position advertised and thought I'd like to give it a try as it sounded like an interesting role. I saw it as an opportunity to use some of my experience to help our customers and our own colleagues alike.

I am not a Tech Rep in the usual sense - here at Airbus Helicopters UK, we are Technical Support team members and act as a first point of contact and try to answer the Technical Requests that we receive from our customers. Since starting I have found it very interesting - you never quite know what is coming next, each and every day and it’s always rewarding to resolve an issue!