VISUAL: RMIT Logo. We see an airplane landing on a runway.
AUDIO: Jet engine roars. Calm piano music.
VISUAL: The arrivals boards shows incoming connections. Kerry walks through the Melbourne Airport terminal and meets her friend.
AUDIO: Sounds of the Melbourne airport terminal.
KERRY SPEAKS: I grew up in a small remote town and the only way to realistically get there was by plane, so for me, aviation has always been about bringing people together.
VISUAL: Amanda notices Kerry and her friend and smiles. She enjoys seeing people re-unite at the airport. Shortly after she returns to her work – walking through the terminal and airside.
AMANDA SPEAKS: My family's from Sri Lanka, so travel has always been a big part of my life. I love working at the airport as a turnaround coordinator. I always feel a little closer to home.
TEXT ON SCREEN: Making the World a Little Smaller – Aviation at RMIT
VISUAL: Aircraft prepare for departure. The airport staff prepare cargo. Further away an aircraft is taking off. We cut to inside the Operations room of the Point Cook RMIT Flight Training. Carl is standing with binoculars, watching aircraft take off and land. He sets down the binoculars and picks up a map.
CARL SPEAKS: I had to consider so many factors when creating my first flight plan 'cause even a small error on the map could mean missing the destination by a couple of miles.
VISUAL: Carl prepares his flight plan, using maps and ERSA flight documents. He notes down the flight plan on a map. At the end of the scene an aircraft takes off and through a transition becomes a miniature aircraft landing on a desk, on a map of the world.
VISUAL: Inside of a classroom at RMIT. Kerry and her classmates are working on an assignment, mapping flight routes on a large map of the world.
KERRY SPEAKS: For me aviation is all about the people side of the business. In one of our classes, we had to create an airline from scratch. We looked at flight routes, crew scheduling, cost of aircraft, and even accident analysis. The only way to get planes off the ground is to find a solid business model.
AUDIO: Upbeat music.
VISUAL: Kerry and her classmates consult books and other materials to create a fictional airline. On the map, Perth of the hub of their new airline and the flight routes span across the whole world.
VISUAL: In front of RMIT and the State Library, Amanda is walking to meet her supervisor.
AMANDA SPEAKS: For my final year project, I became a network analyst. Jetstar is bringing a new long distance aircraft into the fleet. Building on travel data, I explored how customers could benefit from new routes between cities in Australia and Asia.
VISUAL: Amanda is placing a poster on the window – it shows possible flight routes using the new Airbus long range aircraft. She sits down and works with her supervisor to consult possible flight routes for Jetstar using the new aircraft.
AUDIO: Calm piano music.
CARL SPEAKS: Aviation is the safest industry for a reason. Training to be a pilot at RMIT, the instructors expect a professional standard from the get go. We go through the checklist, practise emergency procedures, and build a mind map of the route.
VISUAL: Carl is sitting in a flight simulator with an instructor. They go through the checklist and procedures. Carl confirms that everything is correct and reaches out to increase the thrust of the aircraft.
KERRY SPEAKS: My team took the airline planning a step further. We designed a modular system for Airbus to retrofit existing A400m aircraft. Our goal is to create a global fire fighting network to save forests and lives.
VISUAL: Kerry is presenting her innovative solution in front of a full room of Airbus staff. Her teammates set down the aircraft on the desk and show off a modular system. This allows the Airbus A400m aircraft to be temporarily converted into fire-fighting aircraft. In the presentation we can see the components of the system and showcase of the aircraft flying over a bush fire. The group applauds.
CARL SPEAKS: The pilot licence from RMIT is internationally recognised, opening the skies to other countries. For me, this feels like the beginning of a really exciting journey.
VISUAL: Carl walks up to a small aircraft. As he gets in, he puts on the headphones, goes through the checklist and lines up on the runway. From distance we can see the aircraft take off. Carl is inside, taking in the view. The aircraft is cruising high above the suburbs, with a view of the ocean.
AMANDA SPEAKS: The innovation in technology presents airlines with new business opportunities. Studying aviation gives you a chance to become a part of an industry that brings people together and makes the world a little smaller.
VISUAL: Amanda is walking airside, observing the aircraft being loaded up and prepared for departure. We cut inside of the terminal, where she’s walking with Kerry – consulting items on a clipboard. Finally we see another montage of aircraft being prepare for departure, ending with a shot of an aircraft taking off.
AUDIO: Jet engine roars. Calm piano music.
TEXT ON SCREEN: Study Aviation at RMIT. Making the World a Little Smaller.
VISUAL: RMIT Logo. rmit.edu.au
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