Flight Lieutenant Rosemary Taouk discusses her experience and career as a flight test engineer in the Royal Australian Air Force.
As a little girl, I would watch the clouds and plane-spot, and I remember asking my mother how heavy an aircraft was. I still recall my complete awe when she told me it weighed as much, if not more, than a building.
It was then that I resolved that I would be part of whatever magic it took to make such giant structures glide so seamlessly in the skies above me.
Many years later, I continue to be captivated by the power of the human will and the whimsical and scientific aspects of human flight. We live in an incredibly exciting time and these feats of technology, engineering and human intellect are part of why a career in engineering was the only path I could ever see myself pursuing while I was growing up.
As it stands, women comprise less than 14 per cent of the engineering workforce in Australia (Engineers Australia). In fields like petroleum, mechanical and electrical engineering, numbers can be as low as 8 per cent (Society of Women Engineers).
While there are myriad reasons that account for this disparity, I believe a large part is attributable to the absence of role models. This is one of the reasons I volunteer for STEM outreach and mentoring initiatives – for both young girls and boys.
‘We live in an incredibly exciting time and these feats of technology, engineering and human intellect are part of why a career in engineering was the only path I could ever see myself pursuing while I was growing up.’
That isn’t to say that many giants of STEM haven’t been women – Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and Ada Lovelace come to mind – but there are many others whose contributions have been overlooked or whose stories are not in the public psyche and vernacular, though they should be.
It is pivotal we discuss these women and how different the world would be without them. We would not have WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth (Hedy Lamarr had a hand in all three), digital computers (Grace Hopper), telecommunications devices (Shirley Ann Jackson) or refrigerators (Florence Parpart), to name a few.
I believe more people should highlight the achievements of, and offer support to, the female engineers in their workplace. Talk to the young girls in your life about women inventors and how the sky is not the limit, but just the beginning when it comes to their dreams and ambitions.
As for my own career in Air Force, it has been an awe-inspiring adventure from the very start. In my first posting, I led a project as an aerial delivery design engineer at Air Mobility Training and Development Unit. I was tasked with overseeing the external lift of a 6×6 G-Wagon. While I had never been taught about the aerodynamics of a truck at university, the best thing about studying engineering is you learn to think critically and the skills are transferable to other areas.
I cannot describe the rush I felt when I eventually saw a truck ‘fly’ after months of hard work, and how grateful I was to Air Force for putting so much trust in me as a very junior aviator.
Most recently, I have been competitively selected to undertake Test Pilots’ School and subsequently worked for Aircraft Research and Development Unit and HQ Test and Evaluation Directorate as a flight test engineer. Flight test is an incredible discipline that involves more of the complex problem-solving techniques that drew me to engineering.
‘There is a place for everyone in STEM; all it takes is an inquisitive mind, passion, curiosity and the desire – however naïve – to make the world a better place.’
I never know what each day will bring: whether it is a human-machine-interface assessment for an aircraft cockpit; an air-to-air refuelling campaign with a new tanker/receiver pairing that has never been tested before; flying outside an aircraft’s known envelope; or helping the Roulettes take off from small, unprepared runways by evaluating accelerate-stop distance.
The same principles apply: know your systems, do the required research, consult with your subject-matter experts, incrementally and safely build up to each test or manoeuvre, and leverage the invaluable teamwork, communication and collaborative skills we all need and hone as military professionals.
I am so thankful to the Air Force for believing in me, investing in me, and continuing to support my professional development and higher education. As a current PhD candidate, I am a lifelong learner and will likely continue to be – there is just so much to be curious and excited about.
Education – especially one in STEM – is a huge gift and a way to continue to be in awe of the world we live in and excited about what the future holds for exploration, technological innovation and discovery. There is a place for everyone in STEM; all it takes is an inquisitive mind, passion, curiosity and the desire – however naïve – to make the world a better place.
