Bunbury Catholic College graduate Adam Francki knew he wanted to be a pilot from the moment his dad took him up to the cockpit and he laid eyes on the horizon.
Years later he has flown for the United States Air force and recently graduated from test pilot school, being only the second Royal Australian Air force pilot to do so in 30 years.
“When I was about five years old, Dad took me up to the cockpit of an airliner I saw all the buttons, saw the horizon and thought yes this is what I want to do,” Mr Francki said.
“That gave me direction throughout primary and high school and got me interested in flying.”
Mr Francki joined the airforce in 2007, training for two years before getting his first posting, which saw him transport national and foreign dignatories across the globe.
“I was pretty lucky, I was a 21-year-old, as a co-pilot flying the Prime Minister and Governor General all around the world,” he said.
“I visited 25 different countries, in 2012 I had the privilege of flying the Queen around when she visited – that was pretty cool to walk down the back of the aircraft and go wow the Queen is sitting right there.
“I was then posted to P-3 Orion maritime and strike aircraft, I was heavily involved with MH-370, we were doing 12 hour missions every day trying to find debris from that aircraft.”
With an impressive list of achievements already to his name, the talented pilot said it had taken a lot of hard work to get where he was.
“You’re looking at five years worth of university and I’ve got more than 4000 hours of flight experience – I started flying when I was 16 years old – I’d flown solo in an aircraft before I had my L-plates,” he said.
“Whilst I was at school, I was working at Crazy Clarkes stacking shelves trying to save up for flying lessons so I’ve definitely had that clear direction the whole way.
“I think it’s important for the youth of Bunbury to realise anything is achievable as long they have the drive and motivation to pursue their goals.”
Listing his 12 months at the Unites States Air Force Test Pilot School in California as the most rewarding and challenging thing he has ever done, Mr Francki said the course had been a stepping stone for several NASA astronauts.
“Coming from Bunbury, I think many people there probably don’t think that ‘hey I could end up flying fast jets for the United States Air Force in California on the other side of the world’ – if you set your mind to it you definitely have the ability to do it and I’m proof of that,” he said.
He is currently posted in Adelaide to the RAAF Aircraft Research & Development Unit.
