Start-up of an educational hydraulic test bench in an unusual setting

We are used to carrying out start-ups all over France and abroad, and we work in a different environmental context each time.

But this time it was particularly rewarding to work close to a hangar housing military aircraft for educational purposes.

Life-size military aircraft to train young people in air force careers and aeronautical maintenance! And not just flight simulators.

So welcome toEETAA 722 in Saintes, Charente-Maritime.

By the way, what is EETAA?

This Air Force technical school prepares students for the French national education system:

• Bac technologique STI2D (sciences and technologies for industry and sustainable development),
• Aeronautics vocational baccalaureate,
• General baccalaureate,
• CAP aeronautics.

But that’s not all!

On arrival, students become military personnel and sign a two-year enlistment contract. They follow a military training program in which physical education and sports take center stage.

On completion of their training, they can move into a variety of professions: aeronautical maintenance, on-board electronics, cyber-defense, etc.

But to receive their diploma, they have to be trained in theory and practice. And for some training courses, they have to understand the hydraulic functions of an aircraft.

That’s when ID System Didactic comes in with the right teaching materials.

The educational objective of the SHCOv2/4.0 test bench for EETAA

We equip various schools in France and abroad with an aeronautical training bench, as shown in the image below.

Objective:
to enable trainees to understand the technical specifics, aeronautical maintenance and safety constraints of the aeronautical hydraulics sector in the best possible conditions.

Miniaturized teaching aids to help you understand how a cockpit, flaps and landing gear work, while taking in the specifics of the aeronautical field.

However, EETAA has the particularity of usingmilitary aircraft, “decommissioned for training”, to train young people. There’s nothing better than carrying out practical work in real-life conditions, on full-scale aircraft. This allows students to experience the realities of the job, and to understand aircraft maintenance under real-life conditions.

It was against this backdrop that a school of this stature decided to invest in our SHCO-V2/4.0 trainer.

Why? Because learners need to grasp the basics of hydraulics, as they “can’t see what’s going on between the controls (in the cockpit) and the landing gear, flaps or brakes”, as Staff Sergeant Pierre-Emmanuel explained to us.

Students will be able to practice on a training bench designed with industrial hydraulic components from leading brands, and learn how to maintain aircraft/helicopter hydraulic systems in a much more fun and, above all, safer way.

But please note that our benches are upgradeable, so they can be used by young people trained in aeronautical maintenance “systems” as well as “avionics”, if we add the digital proportional option (position control).

If you’re interested, you can find out more about theeducational aims of SHCO V2/4.0 here.

A one-day training bench commissioning session

As you can imagine, Damien (our hydraulics technician in the red and grey outfit pictured below) and I are not used to working in an atypical environment.

This time, we had the privilege of commissioning our SHCO-V2/4.0 trainer in the heart of a military school. This educational equipment is already installed in many schools and training centers to train young people in hydraulics.

Damien at the controls of the training bench commissioning (image right).

Anyway, that’s it for now.

As I said at the beginning of this article, this was a unique start-up.

After a few routine checks, we were warmly welcomed by Staff Sergeant Pierre-Emmanuel. He accompanied us to the famous aircraft hangar, where military instructors train students in the air force’s various trades.

Our didactic bench is stored in a dedicated room equipped with a video projector, enabling them to carry out practical work on the bench.

But before getting underway, we took a quick tour of the break room to greet the various instructors.

It’s true that in the civilian world we’re not used to protocol, but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome.

We then proceeded to start up the test bed and carried out a few essential checks and adjustments before starting the training with 7 instructors:

• Chief Warrant Officer Cyril
• Chief Warrant Officer Nicolas
• Chief Warrant Officer Cédric
• Adjudant Sébastien
• Adjudant Frédéric
• Warrant Officer Cyril
• Staff Sergeant Pierre Emmanuel

It took place in two parts. One in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

It’s not every day you get to train instructors in military uniform.

At lunchtime, we were invited by Captain Eric to the officers’ mess with all the instructors. A great moment of conviviality and sharing.

Then we visited the hangar where the different aircraft are stored, with servitude groups allowing students to work directly on the planes.

Here’s a representative photo 🙂

Staff Sergeant Emmanuel set up a servo unit (AMS-TMH) connected to an aircraft to demonstrate landing gear up/down and flap control maneuvers. It was very instructive.

And between us, Damien and I had the privilege of sitting in the cockpit of a Mirage 2000 and getting a feel for what it’s like to fly this type of fighter.

Well, we didn’t think to take a photo, but basically we took the place of the BIA mascots (Juliette and Roméo), who you can find on the
EETAA Facebook page here

Then we finalized the start-up with the instructors.

Find out more about EETAA 722 at www.eetaa722.fr or on the page
www.facebook.com/eetaa722