VIDEO: How blades are made...our technicians explain at Avion des Métiers
19 June 2015
(Activate subtitles to watch in English)
The Avion des Métiers exhibit at the 51st Paris Air Show gives air-show-goers and visiting student groups an inside look at not only how an aircraft is constructed, but also who the people are behind the work. Actual technicians from a number of companies staffed various exhibits, explaining their profession and demonstrating to the public how various parts of an aircraft are made.
At the blade construction booth, composite manufacturers working at Airbus Helicopters’ La Courneuve blade manufacturing facility, just down the road from Le Bourget, shared their experiences and encouraged the next generation of students to join their ranks.
“It’s a good profession. It’s educational, with lots of diversity in terms of composites,” said composite manufacturer Pierre Visage, who started out in plastics before finding his way to blades at Airbus Helicopters.
“We must make quality products, which are a vital component of a helicopter, and we have lots of responsibility,” said fellow blade repair technician Jack Jouffraud. “What we do is also for our customers’ safety, so that they can fly in complete safety. This makes me happy.”
The factory at La Courneuve will begin to move to a new location nearby at Paris Le Bourget at the end of the year. The technicians there manufacturer the blades for Airbus Helicopters’ rotorcraft, including the new blue edge blade that will equip the H160 and the future X6, which was announced just days ago during the airshow.
