Sky’s the limit for aviator

For FLGOFF Patrick Phillips, one of RAAF’s newest aeronautical engineers, a passion for engineering was sparked early on. 

“My dad was a mechanical engineer working at the Deep Space Communication Complex in Tidbinbilla,” FLGOFF Phillips said. 

“When I was about five, he rocked up in an astronaut suit he’d borrowed from work. I thought, ‘Yeah, I'm onto this’. I wanted to be involved in cool engineering stuff as I got older.”

Discovering the Australian Defence Force Academy at a Canberra job fair, he saw a unique avenue to combine cutting-edge technology with service. 

“No one from my family is in Defence, but it just sounded like an awesome opportunity to go to a really cool university and do a really cool degree,” FLGOFF Phillips said.

Now, just five years after graduating from Daramalan College, and after completing his undergraduate studies, FLGOFF Phillips is the technical lead for Project Camel Train – a fast-paced Air Force initiative pushing the boundaries of autonomous systems. 

The RAAF Jericho Disruptive Innovation (JDI) team project aims to revolutionise northern Australian military logistics, using smart automation to link remote airfields and coastal bases.

“Every day is a new highlight,” FLGOFF Phillips said. 

“It's been really cool working with a variety of Australian companies on lots of interesting innovation projects.”

The team's hard work recently culminated in a major milestone. FLGOFF Phillips oversaw an historic long-range test flight where the JabX – a modified, optionally crewed Jabiru J400 aircraft – successfully flew itself thousands of kilometres from Brisbane to South Australia with minimal human intervention.

“The JabX performed wonderfully,” FLGOFF Phillips said. 

“This is a huge step. We’ve shown that autonomous logistics over long distances is viable.”

The next phase is even bolder: removing the on-board safety pilot entirely for flights in regional South Australia.

For students looking at their future career options, FLGOFF Phillips’ message is simple.

“There are so many cool opportunities within Defence. I only graduated last year, and I’m already working on amazing innovation projects,” he said.

“The sky really is the limit within the Air Force.”