News article
Apprentice’s calm thinking pays off in Flying Spanners
An Alice Springs heavy vehicle apprentice and his boss have demonstrated that calm thinking under pressure is the way to win the Red CentreNATS flying spanners competition.
CJD Equipment second-year apprentice Ethan Staniforth and local branch manager Adam Britten took 23 minutes and 3 seconds to dismantle and rebuild a motor vehicle engine to win the fourth annual Flying Spanners grand final on Sunday.
In doing so, they upstaged their more fancied interstate opponents whose time in the heats – 16 minutes and 8 seconds – broke the record set last year of 17 minutes and 33 seconds.
But the Tasmanian pairing, Tobias Micek and Trent O’Shea, encountered a dislodged rocker bridge in the final, which cost them vital minutes. Until that point, they had been the front runners in the two-team contest.
Charles Darwin University Alice Springs-based Automotive Engineering teacher Russ Horan, who co-judged the final, congratulated the 14 participants for their courage to have a go.
“Overall it was probably the best Flying Spanners we’ve run,” Mr Horan said.
“In each of the four years that we’ve run this competition, CDU Automotive apprentices have made the final, and in three of those years they have been part of the winning team.
“It’s one thing to know your way around an engine, but you also need steady hands and the ability to think clearly under pressure. The real trick is to not be in too much of a hurry.”
Mr Horan said the winners had won two tickets to next year’s Summernats car festival in Canberra and $1000 vouchers for flights and accommodation.
Related Articles
2000 students filter into $30.8 million health teaching and training facility
More than 2000 students from 10 health disciplines are set to filter into Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) newly-completed $30.8 million Centre for Better Health Futures throughout 2026.
Read more about 2000 students filter into $30.8 million health teaching and training facility
First “hype cycle” of AI development put tech above humans
Users around the world have rushed to adopt artificial intelligence - especially in safety-critical fields - but a new study has revealed the hype has prioritised technology for technology’s sake instead of human-centred development.
Read more about First “hype cycle” of AI development put tech above humans
Nanoplastics hindering cognitive abilities of fish, international research shows
Nanoplastic exposure can impair the cognitive abilities of fish and could lead to significant impacts on marine species’ ability to survive, according to a new international study.
Read more about Nanoplastics hindering cognitive abilities of fish, international research shows
