There are hundreds of people at Pratt & Whitney Canada who work daily and diligently to build and maintain PT6 engines. It’s an impressive family of individuals, and this month we’re featuring a few PT6 family members whose passion for their jobs is clearly evident. These are some of the many people that make the PT6 engine great.

With her title, Project Controller for PT6 turboshaft engines, you might think that Geneviève McMurray spends her days poring over financial statements. To the contrary: She’s actually an engineer who works on both pre-certified and post-certified PT6 turboshaft engines at the Longueuil Plant in Quebec. With pre-certified engines, she assists in engine development by writing what’s known as the Product Design Requirements Specification (PDRS) and supporting all the design and substantiation testing to bring the engine to certification. On engines that are certified, she works with helicopter manufacturers in field situations. “Whatever we do, we have to keep in mind that safety comes first,” says Geneviève. “Engine design and maintenance must serve a number of factors, including reliability and customer needs, but keeping the aircraft flying safely is always the most important.”

Her days are unpredictable, she admits. A single call from the production line, Customer Service or a helicopter manufacturer in the morning can keep her busy through the course of a long day as she works to resolve the customer’s issue. She says that her job gives her a great sense of accomplishment. “I enjoy knowing at the end of the day that a customer is happier and flying a safe and reliable engine,” she enthuses. “It takes a lot of hard work, but that’s what we’re here for, and it’s always rewarding.”

Geneviève first joined P&WC when she was a student completing an internship in 1998. After graduation she joined the company full time, working as a test engineer on the certification testing of the PT6C-67C engine and then with the helicopter manufacturer that first used the engine. “Being there in the field really makes you feel attached to the PT6 turboshaft product and to the customer,” she says of the experience.