James Drudy

Experience

• 

  Irish Air Corps

  Jun 2005 - Jan 2006

  Engineering Student

  As part of the Cooperative Education programme, while studying in UL, I spent 8 months on placement in industry focusing on the following activities:- Spent 10-12 weeks working in each of the Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing & Engineering Departments. - Spent time performing maintenance on aircraft under the supervision of licensed engineers. Time was also spent gaining an understanding of the work done within the Technical Services Department, especially the paperwork belonging to aircraft.- Completed research and presented findings regarding “Field Maintenance for Remote Helicopter Operations and Proposals for the Irish Air Corps”- Along with 2 other students on work experience, designed and oversaw the production of prototype adaptors required by Irish Air Corps to weigh and find the C.O.G. of the Pilatus PC-9M using load sensors on jacks. Show less

• 

  Westair Aviation Ltd

  May 2006 - Sept 2006

  Maintenance Engineer

  - Performed line maintenance on Piper Aztecs, HS-125 (700 series), Bell 430 & Gulfstream 550.- Aircraft re-fuelling.- Sourcing and ordering aircraft parts, oils, and fuels.- Used and updated the CALM Aircraft Management System- Compiled and updated lists of service bulletins for the above mentioned aircraft.

• 

  Airbus

  Sept 2007 - Dec 2013

  I assumed the role of lead stress engineer with A350XWB Wing MAP where the team was responsible for enabling the build of the first and all following A350XWB wings. We were the face of design engineering for manufacturing engineering & production. This role required me to move sites a number of times in a short space of time spending 11 months in Broughton (North Wales), 3 months in Bremen (Germany) before moving to Toulouse. We operated in a high pressure & deadline orientated environment where safety was our number one priority. My responsibilities included:- Ensuring all systems installation related concessions, design query notes & special instructions which impact stress were completed on time and to quality so as not to delay production. - Ensuring the team was enabled to answer all above mentioned systems installation related items by the mainstream wing design organisation that completed the baseline design. This was achieved by developing relationships & contacts within the mainstream organisation to ensure all stress dossiers & calculation files were completed, released & available to our team. - Shift Leader for Engineering (Broughton only) – Due to delays multifunctional teams were placed on shift in the production facility. Disciplines represented included Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Production, Procurement, and Supply Chain etc. I represented Design Engineering.- Supplier Management (Toulouse only) – Different suppliers (e.g. GE, Spirit, FACC) were responsible for different wing components. I liaised both with the suppliers and with the Airbus customer team leaders responsible for each supplier to ensure that the priorities in terms of concession closure at the F.A.L. were consistent with the priorities within the supplier base. Show less Following a change in company strategy, my focus switched to A320neo (new engine option) for the existing A320 family. I was responsible for the integration of wing stress activities on A320neo while maintaining responsibility for my work in Future Programmes until December 2010. My responsibilities on A320neo included: - Integrating static stress and F&DT activities on the wing for A320neo. I was initially the single point of contact for static stress, F&DT, FEM & Loads. From August 2010, I liaised with and reported to the Wing Centre of Excellence stress lead for A320neo. - Performing, reporting & presenting the results of fatigue & damage tolerance sizing on the pylon attachment fittings to allow successful completion of the Milestone Gate 4 (MG4) reviews. - Supporting local and transnational meetings for A320neo stress & related activities as a loads focal point for Structures on the wing, with particular emphasis on liaison with Global Finite Element Models (GFEM) & Loads regarding requirements.- Providing task leadership and direction to a sub-contract team from Atkins working tasks in the lead up to the MG3 review in September 2010 and the MG4 review in September 2011. Show less Following completion of the Airbus graduate programme, I began working in the Future Programmes where the team was responsible for developing the next generation singe aisle wing (i.e. A320 replacement). My responsibilities included:- Performing stress analyses on various wing components (e.g. spars, root joint) to allow completion of various feasibility & trade studies, ensuring on-time programme progression. This involved working transnationally with teams from Airbus in France which provided challenges & opportunities to learn in a different working environment early in my career. These tasks allowed me to gain experience using Nastran & Patran Finite Element software and the Airbus stress tool, ISAMI.- Providing cross-programme advice to R&T partners.- Providing supervision & technical support to temporary team members (e.g. DEGs, Interns) during placements within the team. Show less I completed six placements while on Airbus' graduate programme. These are listed below along with the main tasks completed:Landing Gear Structures – Stress- Long Range Fatigue Philosophy Validation.A350 XWB Ribs – Design- Testing of Automated Rib Modelling Tool & Trade study for A350XWB Tank Boundary Seal Plate Design.Future Programmes Wing – Stress- Wingtip Attachment Joint Sizing.A350 XWB Fuselage Structural Assembly – Manufacturing- Support of the Supplier Selection Process for the assembly of Fuselage Sections (e.g. process, jigs, equipment).Aveos Fleet Performance – Liaison Engineering- Based in Montreal on my external business placement working in the Liaison Engineering/Technical Services Department for Aveos Fleet Performance supporting heavy maintenance activities on A330, A340, B767 & B777 aircraft.In-service Repair – Stress- Provided solutions within the stress domain (also gained exposure to fatigue) to damage reports sent to Airbus by operators. Show less

  • Lead Stress Engineer

    Sept 2011 - Dec 2013

  • Stress (Static & F&DT) Engineer

    Mar 2010 - Sept 2011

  • Static Stress Engineer

    Jul 2009 - Jun 2010

  • Direct Entry Graduate - Structures

    Sept 2007 - Jul 2009
• 

  CAE Parc Aviation

  Jan 2014 - Oct 2015

  Engineering Services Manager

  I joined CAE Parc Aviation to establish the new engineering services office in Singapore at the beginning of 2014. I was primarily focused on the provision of technical services to aircraft leasing companies and airlines, in particular the Design Organisation Approvals service and the Continuous Airworthiness Management service. As the focal point for technical services in the Asia Pacific region, my role also incorporated a number of customer facing activities. I interacted directly with existing and potential customers on a regular basis on behalf of the Sales & Marketing department and I constantly looked for opportunities to grow the business within the region. I also interacted with Asian airlines on behalf of the Sales and Marketing department regarding the provision of leased and/or permanently placed flight crew. Show less

• 

  AerCap

  Nov 2015 - now

  • Vice President Technical

    May 2019 - now

  • Vice President, Engineering Services

    Nov 2015 - Apr 2019