< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 76 40 The KiwiFlyer Guide to Aviation Training everything from aircraft maintenance, pre-flight checks and radio procedures, to flying with a general aviation flying instructor. By the end of the course the ATC cadets aim to pass their flight radio exam and get their wings by making their first solo flight. For more information go to www.http://cadetforces.mil.nz/about/ air-training-corps.htm Young Eagles is an aviation immersion programme for young people between the ages of 12 and 18. It is offered by many aero clubs under the auspices of Flying NZ. Young Eagle members experience many different aspects of aviation, from visiting air traffic control units and maintenance organisations, through to flying with an instructor. Whether you are interested in aviation for a career or for recreation, or you are just curious to find out what it is all about, Young Eagles might just be the starting point for your aviation adventure. For more information go to www.flyingnz.co.nz/youngeagles ServiceIQ is the Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for aviation (including pilots), travel, tourism, museums, hospitality and retail, and is committed to helping young New Zealanders make a start in their careers. ServiceIQ offers a wide range of training opportunities including the Aviation Gateway programme. The purpose of this programme is to enable schools to provide senior students (year 11 and above) with access to structured workplace learning that helps them to kick-start their aviation career by gaining foundation knowledge, skills and experience, and to gain unit standards while doing so. For more information go to www.serviceiq.org. nz/schools/gateway-training/serviceiq- gateway-aviation-training/ What about COVID? It wasn’t long after the COVID pandemic started and airlines, particularly in this part of the world, all fell on hard times with many staff taking early retirement or other forms of long term leave. Some Careers Advisors started steering students away from a career in aviation due to these reasons. But as Mark Woodhouse stated in an article last year; “Prior to the COVID pandemic there was an acknowledged and growing shortage of entrants to many aviation professions, especially engineering and piloting. Clearly this has been interrupted, but demand for air travel will eventually resurge and the shortage will manifest again. It is also expected that due to the brutal impact of the current situation on the aviation industry, many current aviation professionals will retire or change careers, potentially exacerbating future shortages. While the actual time required to qualify and gain employment in the aviation industry varies with the role, with the student’s intellectual and financial capacity and with their commitment, between two and five years is not unrealistic. Students entering the industry now will be qualifying at about the time the worst of the effect of COVID is expected to be passing. It appears to be broadly anticipated that efforts to improve testing and the development of a vaccine will see a new normal in about 2022. To students I would say, pursue your dreams. Nothing worth having comes easily. Qualifying and building a career in the aviation industry is anything but easy. It is long and hard, requiring passionate commitment. It always has been. Certainly, COVID adds a dimension to the challenge, but I am very comfortable in my contention that COVID should not be a reason for a determined student not pursuing their passion.”41 2021 #5 Come and see us for affordable accessible recreational aviation services NZ wide l Microlight introductory flights l Simple entry process - NZTA Class 1 medical, FPP l Microlight flight training l Online examination service l Microlight pilot certification l Microlight type ratings for Part 61 pilots (RPL, PPL) l Annual inspections l BFR, medical, membership, inspection reminders Simple, low cost aviation support by pilots, for pilots, in a club-based environment. All for just $70 a year! Affiliated clubs throughout NZ Contact us to get into serious fun! RAANZ (Inc), PO Box 15016, Dinsdale, Hamilton P: 07 825 2800 or 021 076 3483 E: office@raanz.org.nz www.raanz.org.nz CAA approved Part 149 organisation Helicopters and more We’ve spoken to several high profile helicopter operators over the years who have willingly shared their advice to newcomers. Notably it all applies equally well to freshly licensed fixed-wing pilots. In our 2017 and 2018 Training Guides, Toby Reid, then owner of Reid Helicopters Nelson wrote of their expectations of freshly licensed pilots and offered some great advice for those contemplating, or part way through, their training programme. Toby spoke to several others in the industry and shared their opinions too. Gaining a commercial helicopter pilot licence and becoming a commercial helicopter pilot are not the same thing. The former is an exercise in ticking off theory subjects, flying lessons, and hours in your logbook. The latter is a completely different exercise in attitude, hard yards, experience building, professional relationships, and determination. Trainees who know someone in the industry and make the right decisions often manage to get a start reasonably quickly. The ones that don’t however, often struggle along until either paying to get their hours up, or by sacrificing years spent mostly on the ground waiting to build time from ferry flights. If you really want opportunities, you need to seek them out and be flexible about where you work. You may not be moving back home for another 5-10 years. Dave Armstrong of Kaikoura Helicopters pointed out that they don’t just need someone to be a great pilot, they need to be a great tour guide too. “If they haven’t got a personality, they haven’t got much to offer us. Neat presentation, honesty, commitment and loyalty are also important.” Those are comments that came through strongly from other operators as well. Great client interaction is essential,” said Tim Barrow of Volcanic Air Safaris. Another common theme was the recommendation not to just send a CV, but to show how keen you are by going and visiting. This sentiment was strongly voiced by Mark Williams, owner of heli- ag company Lakeview Helicopters. We spoke to Mark about career options in helicopter agriculture. There would always be qualifying requirements – experience in a 300 or R44 due to the good power management skills they teach, but equally important is who a candidate has trained KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 76 42 The KiwiFlyer Guide to Aviation Training with, has worked with, and was mentored by. “When there is a shortage of pilots, operators do ask around if anybody knows someone who is good and ‘needs a go’. If a student goes down that track though, they really have to stay connected to the industry until their number comes up. They need to make themselves known but also be prepared to knuckle down and ground crew for two or three years if necessary while they wait for an opportunity.” On the subject of on the job training Mark talked about “candidates learning to enjoy simply flying the helicopter well. The job is not to beat up your mates on the way home, but to come home safely every day.” Mark makes the point that training an ag pilot takes time and money; “Trainees do need to recognise that they need to pay or contribute in kind for their training, and as much as it is great being able to give somebody the skills, there has to be some certainty from my point of view that they won’t just accept the rating and then bugger off.” Like others, Mark says he’s willing to give new pilots a go. “I’m willing to accept candidates with a fresh CPL and minimum PIC time, but it depends entirely on if I like the person and what their background is, and whether their work and training history indicates the right sort of attitude and work ethic. I can tell a lot just by looking at and in the car they drive up in. I can also tell a lot by looking at what they’ve done since leaving school. Have they worked hard and how much have they paid their own way? That said, the best way to get a start ag flying is to come and be ground crew and prove yourself. That’s not working for free either. Ground crew get paid well if they work hard.” Mark Law had some great advice too: “If you pause right now and look within yourself and ask these questions you could get to second base: • Am I punctual; can I get going without a prompt? • Do I like constant, repetitive physical and mental work? • Can I dissociate myself from my phone, tablet and social media without withdrawals across a normal 8 hour working day, and still function? • Can I take a kick up the bum and or constructive criticism without featuring a ‘poor me, hard done by’ attitude? • Can I communicate personally which mean;, stand and look people in the eye and converse clearly and confidently? • Am I friendly, happy, humorous, and helpful? • Am I determined and without expectations of flying immediately; i.e. expecting hard yakka on the ground within the industry before even looking to start flying? • Can I turn my hand to other jobs, not just the flight controls? • Am I able to innovate myself, the company, others and our industry? • Do I expect to work within my home town community, or am I more realistically prepared to spread my wings and get worldly? • Do I understand common sense and how it fits with life and work? • Will I listen to experienced folk? • Will I enjoy working in all weather conditions? If you are armed with these expectations and attributes, not only will you enjoy a great aviation career, you will tackle most other work challenges and be a great asset to everyone.” Those comments apply not just to helicopters, but all aviation careers in general. Will there still be Pilots? If it isn’t COVID decimating the need for pilots then according to some headlines that appear from time to time, it’s Artificial Intelligence instead - given airliners will surely be pilotless in the future. Really? That’s a great headline, but in our 2018 Training Guide Mark Woodhouse described this hypothesis as abject nonsense. Mark quoted numerous research papers in support of the need for pilots for a very long time yet and noted that the futurists nearly always picked a time span of 15-20 years for their predictions - enough to convince people they’re working on something that could prove revolutionary very soon, but not enough to actually be embarrassingly proved wrong. So let’s imagine as an example that researchers manage to develop a network of computers for an aircraft, that could guarantee 99.999% reliability. In 2018 there were around 120,000 flights per day. At such a reliability rate the world would suffer 440 accidents per year! At the very least, pilots are there, not for what they do, but what they can do. That’s also a reason to question the hype behind the numerous pilotless air taxi companies currently rushing to carry passengers from A to B. Not for me thanks; I’m rather too aware of all the things that could possibly go wrong. Michael Norton F KRecreational and Professional Flight Training at the South Canterbury Aero Club Situated in the uncongested airspace of South Canterbury, surrounded by wide open space bordered by the Southern Alps and the sprawling coastline. South Canterbury Aero Club is ideally located to help you achieve your aviation goals with both professional or recreational training. South Canterbury Aero Club and its professional instructors embrace club- style flight training, meaning training at your pace, in your time, supported by our friendly team of instructors, club members and students who are interested in your success. The club offers training in general aviation aircraft towards private and commercial licenses. SCAC also offer Terrain Awareness, Basic Mountain Flying in real mountainous terrain, Tailwheel Training in our Super Cub, as well as Spin and Aerobatic Training in our tough, modern, well-equipped and professionally maintained Alpha A160 trainers. Operating from Richard Pearse Airport just 3 miles north of Timaru City, means low training costs with no unnecessary holding, airways or tower fees and no excessive landing frees added onto every flight lesson. Over the last six years under our current Chief Flying Instructor the club has maintained an immaculate safety record and maintained a better than 90% pass rate on flight tests for our students including PPL, CPL and Instructor’s ratings. SCAC is nationally renowned for its strong youth flying including Young Eagles and the Gateway Programme, helping our youth members achieve credits towards their school NCEA certificates through their flight training achievements during secondary schooling. Many of our youth members have also achieved large flying scholarships through FlyingNZ, helping them financially towards their flying goals. Through becoming a South Canterbury Aero Club member and learning to fly with us you will have many opportunities to get involved with club activities outside of your regular lessons, including fly- aways, social events and regional and national flying competitions. Many of our commercial students and instructors have gone on to fly in other commercial operations, including Ag flying, Sounds Air, Air New Zealand, Glenorchy Air and Air Safaris. For more information please contact Club CFI and Manager Aaron Pearce on 03 688 2355, send a text to 027 846 6287, email: cfi@scaeroclub.co.nz or visit: www.scaeroclub.co.nz South Canterbury Aero Club’s two Alpha A160 trainers in formation. Regular club activities Competitive Rates PPL - CPL - BFRs Ratings Very experienced B-Cat MEIR Commercial Pilot-Instructor Wanganui Aero Club 06 345 0914 WanganuiAeroClub.co.nz or look us up on Facebook Come and enjoy our friendly training atmosphere at the Wanganui Aero Club 43 2021 #5Aviation is an exciting, technologically advanced and innovative industry. Those who embark on a career as a pilot find it to be an exhilarating, challenging and rewarding experience! In New Zealand hundreds of pilots graduate every year – and a large proportion of these come from their local Aero Club. Aero Clubs offer some of the best all round pilot training afforded in the aviation industry. In most cases there are no official academic prerequisites to undertake flight training. There is a common misconception that top results in certain subjects, eg. mathematics and physics, is a requirement. Although a good grounding in science subjects and mental arithmetic is desirable, it is certainly not necessary. In quite a few instances it has been noted that once someone has started their journey towards their Commercial Pilots Licence, and in particular has reached their first solo flight, the study they have completed has flowed into their everyday schooling subjects. Medical standards do apply, and to enrol in some training programmes, other criteria such as pre-screening interviews and aptitude tests must also be met. A number of Aero Clubs around New Zealand now run the Young Eagles programme. This programme is specially designed for students between the ages of 12-18 years old. It gives the students a basic understanding and introduction to the world of aviation. This allows the student time to work out if an aviation career is for them. As well as Young Eagles, some of these Aero Clubs work with Gateway to offer aviation trade subjects which can earn NCEA credits. All in all, pilot training and ancillary aviation vocations are accessible to nearly all students who display a real interest or passion in any aspect of aviation. Your local Aero Club will be able to inform students of exactly what’s involved and help them make the best decisions about their flight training and future aviation career.45 2021 #5 You’ve received your newly minted Commercial Pilot Licence and it’s time to take the next step. There’s an expectation from your flying school that since you’re one of their better students, you should carry on training and attain an instructor rating. That’s what ‘everyone’ does to build hours so they can eventually apply for a job flying tourists or on regional charter ops. But what if spending tens more thousands of dollars on instructor training doesn’t feel like the best idea and what if you don’t think instructing is your thing? And if it isn’t your thing could you really do the job justice and deliver the value that students deserve? You might have had an instructor at some point who was just going through the motions to log hours, and you don’t want to become that person. You know that multi-engine time is a prerequisite for many employment opportunities but paying for that is yet another prohibitive cost. You also know that flying in circles or with friends back and forwards for an expensive coffee somewhere will put time in your logbook but it is only time. That time might look good on the surface, but is it ‘experience’? What if you could attach yourself to a company flying scheduled and charter services, multi-engine IFR using Performance Based Navigation RNP and GNSS procedures all as a matter of course? And what if you got the right-side seat alongside a Pilot/ Instructor who really enjoys mentoring new CPLs and passing on his thousands of hours of operational experience, who is also a recognised PBN specialist. You could log ferry flights as PIC time and after completing a company OCA commence and complete the intial 40 hours ICUS training rtequired for Part 135 charter operations. Unfortunately you wouldn’t get paid for taking up that empty seat, but on the other hand, you wouldn’t be paying either. This is a career path that has become available to at least one student a year, thanks to internships offered by Ross McCallum at RidgeAir, based at Woodbourne Airport in Blenheim. Ross is Chief Pilot of their Part 135 Charter operation and also a B-cat advanced multi-engine IFR instructor. Aside from charter operations, RidgeAir provides niche multi- engine IFR training specialising in Single IFR to Multi rating conversions, IFR renewals and recurrency and important in the NSS environment, RNP GNSS training and certification. Over the past 10 years many students have passed through RidgeAir and completed their Multi Engine or IFR training or upgrade with Ross. More than 80% of these students are now employed full time in some flying capacity, either in GA or working for an airline. Students who have also become interns have consistently amassed 100 hours of multi time alongside all the benefits of mentored experience within a busy charter operation. Ross describes RidgeAir’s internship framework as a means of “giving something back to the industry and students” and says “the system has enabled many new CPLs to accelerate their career and quickly step into a flying job,” – a description borne out by the success of those that have passed through the programme already. Ross says it really is a process that he hopes more operators will try to adopt. RidgeAir’s aircraft The RidgeAir Piper Seneca is fully equipped and certified for all RNP operations, having a G500 glass cockpit coupled to a Garmin GTN 650 and Garmin 530W GPS. Aircraft systems are complemented by a KFC 150 auto pilot and flight director system with altitude alerting, and the Seneca is fully de-iced with oxygen for those times when a bit more altitude is required to avoid the weather. There’s also air-conditioning. Ross says the glass cockpit has been a real advantage to students that are coming up for an airline interview which is typically done in a very similar environment. Benefits for Trainees Ross says the Seneca’s glass cockpit is not dissimilar to what a pilot might expect say in a Dash 8 or ATR cockpit. Trainees get real experience and exposure to flying the glass cockpit and associated systems, plus using the GPS similar to an FMC where approach SIDS and STARS can all be loaded and flown using full GPS steering. The G500 also allows Vertical Navigation guidance for RNAV approaches which brings up a display the same as you would see when flying an ILS; these can be flown fully coupled to the auto pilot or hand flown using the Flight Director. With his dual GA and Airline background Ross is able to provide very valuable training scenarios that better prepare students for their all-important interview Sim Check which includes a comprehensive insight into true airline two crew operating procedures. Another benefit is that training with Ross is all carried out one on one – there’s no waiting in a queue to get an aircraft or instructor, and Ross can generally help out with transport to and from training each day. RidgeAir provides all necessary charts and documents plus Bose noise cancelling headsets. Rates are inclusive of Airways and landing fees aside from entries into Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch which attract a small additional charge. There is no charge for pre- flight and post-flight briefings. RidgeAir can also provide and certify the ground theory component for initial GPS certification. Students at RidgeAir looking to upgrade or renew their rating can typically be all done and dusted in 5-7 days due to the personal nature of the training – “You’re not just a number here,” says Ross. For more information If you are interested in receiving personal one on one instruction from a highly experienced flight instructor who has a very practical approach with a commercial edge, then contact Ross at RidgeAir on 021 246 2544, or ross@ridgeair.co.nz or www.ridgeair.co.nz RidgeAir’s highly equipped Piper Seneca is certified for all RNP operations. After the CPL What about a MEIFR rating, PBN training and an internship? The KiwiFlyer Guide to Aviation TrainingKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 76 46 Owned and managed by Mark and Ruth Woodhouse, Waypoints Aviation provides a comprehensive range of study support material for student pilots working through their licence examination credits. Mark is an experienced airline pilot and ATPL ground instructor. Much has been added to the Waypoints online library throughout the last year. Resources offered include the PilotBooks series of flight and ground training textbooks, Apple eBooks, online Mock (practice) Exams, and Ground Courses. The majority of this material development has been led by Mark himself, who is continuing to extend the range as opportunity permits. PilotBooks and eBooks The well-known and respected PilotBooks series of flight and ground training textbooks for the PPL, CPL, IR, BTK and ATPL have been authored by Study Support from Waypoints Aviation Pilot Books - Ground Courses - Mock Exams - iBooks Walter Wagtendonk, Stewart Boys and Mark Woodhouse. These books have become the de facto purchase for most new student pilots starting their careers and many will be pleased to hear that Waypoints are presently also developing more volumes in the series. Waypoints are continuing to work on a project to convert the PilotBooks range of conventional paper textbooks to eBooks. To date sixteen of the textbooks have been converted, i.e., the Flight Training Manual and Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 17 can be purchased through the Apple iBookstore. See the Waypoints website for more details. [KiwiFlyer has sampled these on an iPad. They are easy to use, very elegantly presented, well-illustrated, and include interactive question and answer sessions for each chapter, as well as links to Waypoints mock exams. Considering these are textbook, they have a great deal of visual appeal - the layout, fonts, and use of imagery are very good. Tools to view the different layers in each book (chapters, sections, questions, etc.) are all user-friendly. Text is searchable, and you can add highlights and notes to it for your own reference. It’s also of course much more portable than a textbook and easy to refer to whenever the opportunity permits. If you’re an iPad using aviation student, this is probably a study option that’s perfect for you. And if you haven’t got an iPad it’s potentially enough justification to buy one.] Ground Courses Waypoints provide ground courses for the higher level professional licences and ratings. ATPL theory, and BTK ground courses are run in conjunction with and based at the Nelson Aviation College in Motueka. Waypoints works very closely with the College. Apply now for the February 2022 intake! • enrolment@waikatoaviation.co.nz • 07 843 5655 TAKE OFF WITH THE DIPLOMA IN AVIATION PPL, CPL and Instrument Rating • Flight Instructor and Airline Preparation Strands • Obtain 342 NZQA credits • Student loan funding covers most tuition fees for eligible students • waikatoaviation.co.nz The KiwiFlyer Guide to Aviation TrainingGCH Aviation Group is a fully certificated helicopter training provider under CAA Rules Part 141. Online Mock Exams Waypoints Mock Exams are multi- choice practice exams, styled on the real CAA/ASPEQ examination. Question bank sets are available now for 23 subjects covering all of the PPL(A) and (H) subjects, for all of the CPL(A) subjects, for BTK, for IR Air Law, for six of the ATPL(A) subjects, and most recently also for those studying to obtain a Microlight Pilot Certificate (MPC). In addition, MPC candidates can now sit both their MPC Operational knowledge and MPC Technical knowledge exams online with their Instructor present, using the Waypoints website. At the conclusion of an exam, a certificate is generated showing the mark achieved and the syllabus reference for any questions answered incorrectly. Existing and new mock exam question banks are under regular development with each mock exam you sit being uniquely made up of a set number of multi-choice questions generated randomly from a large master question bank, covering the full syllabus of each subject. All content is modelled on the type of questions you may get in the real CAA/ASPEQ examinations. These mock exams are designed to fine tune and focus your knowledge in preparation for the real examination. Each multi-choice item comes with a syllabus reference and a study reference. Free Stuff Waypoints believe passionately in quality training. Consequently, there is a huge amount of freely downloadable training resource material on their website. There are Powerpoint briefings for common flying lessons, pilot notes for various aircraft including Tomahawk, Chipmunk and Tiger Moth, aerobatic training notes and also low-level display flying notes written to support the NZ Warbirds low level display flying course. Material on the Free Stuff page is offered as a free download, in pdf and MS Word formats, as it becomes available. The content has been produced and collated from a wide range of sources and where possible full credit has been given to the original author(s). For more information visit: www.waypoints.co.nz or Facebook.com/WaypointsAviation 47 2021 #5KiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 76 48 Heliflite Charter and Training at Ardmore and 145 (Maintenance). As well as learning to fly helicopters, our students are able to learn about the maintenance that keeps them in the air, and our busy Part 135 charter operations also mean that students with us have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a real-world commercial business. Our fleet of modern helicopters range from two-seat piston, up to large multi- engine turbines. We offer full pilot licence training (with most students choosing to fly the Robinson R22, R44 or Schweizer 300), as well as type ratings in larger turbine aircraft. We are also certificated by NZCAA to provide Robinson Safety Awareness training, mandatory for all new and existing R22 and R44 pilots. We pride ourselves on offering a Private Pilot training programme that caters to each student’s particular and individual needs. Whether you wish to learn in one of our helicopters, or your recent purchase, we will ensure your training is conducted with your safety and enjoyment foremost. For those wishing to further their experience or embark on a flying career, our Commercial Pilot training includes many practical skills that are highly valued by commercial operators. Our CPL students gain a lot of exposure to commercial- style flying as part of their course, and we encourage the inclusion of a large amount of R44 time to ensure students are in the best position to land that elusive first flying job. In the later stages of our CPL course, we treat all of the flying as though it was a commercial job which ensures that pilots are well versed with the legal and other requirements of flying for hire and reward. Our standard CPL course includes two type ratings and an unrestricted night rating on top of the usual minimums if time allows. All of this commercial focus means that by the time our students obtain their commercial licence, they are ready to be a valuable asset to any flying organisation. We have a great team of experienced and highly qualified pilots that include IFR rated A-Cat and B-Cat instructors, as well as a professional group of ground staff to ensure that you are guided through your training efficiently and enjoyably. If you are interested in what it takes to learn to fly helicopters, come along and try one of our 30 minute introduction flights. Our Instructors will give you a taste of everything, from pre-flight preparation through to the ultimate test of co-ordination - hovering! Our training rates are some of the best in NZ plus we offer discounts for bulk training packages such as ‘buy ten hours and get one free’. We welcome you to swing by to meet the team and enjoy a tour of our facilities at 57 Victa Lane, Ardmore Airport. For more information contact Sylvia on 09 299 9442 or visit our website www.heliflite.co.nz To become great at anything you need to know your equipment inside and out. Based in Auckland at Ardmore Airport, Heliflite not only operates helicopters, but also repairs, builds, and maintains them. We are a one stop shop for everything rotary, and offer a full range of helicopter services including maintenance, training and commercial ops. Our group of accompanies are certificated by NZCAA to Rule Parts 141 (Training), 135 (Charter) SCENIC FLIGHTS HELI CHARTER HELI FISHING PROPOSAL FLIGHTS HOTEL TRANSFERS COMMERCIAL OPS PHOTOGRAPHY PPL and CPL TRAINING CAANZ CERTIFICATED R 22, R 44, S 300 SAFETY AWARENESS COURSES TYPE RATINGS INSTRUCTOR RATINGS NIGHT RATINGS (unlim) 09 299 9442 sylvia@heliflite.nz www.heliflite.co.nz The KiwiFlyer Guide to Aviation TrainingNelson Aviation College prides itself on focusing on the needs of our students and delivering quality programmes, using a modern fleet of aircraft and simulators for advanced training. The flight school offers onsite accommodation, student loans and an environment and culture that is the perfect fit for your development to become a professional pilot. TRAINING BEYOND THE STANDARD +64 3 528 8382 enquiries@nelson-aviation.co.nz www.nelson-aviation.co.nz Here is what some of our students say about NAC “I spoke with a few Air NZ employees and they all spoke very highly of PFTO’s, and specifically NAC. The style of business is smaller than some other organisations. Another reason is the terrain and the area. I know it to be fantastic, and there are so many valuable conditions we encounter. I’m massively impressed. It’s easy to talk to whoever you have to. As most of the instructors have trained here, the standard is the same amongst them so it’s easy to transition. They’re all fantastic and really nice people. The theory material that we are provided makes it so much easier when you’re studying. The whole experience is positive. I’ve found it enabling.” Jordan Osmaston “Living in the onsite accommodation was handy and it made study easier because you could all do it together.” Tegan Knightbridge “When I was looking for an aviation school, I visited all of them. What hooked me on NAC was the people. I felt more welcome than anywhere else. In terms of the terrain, you’ve got access to the North and South Islands, probably the best part of the country to fly. I loved the AIC course. The guest speakers were one of the best parts, learning different aspects of the aviation industry, from the flight attendants, the maintenance engineers and from the experience of the pilots. I definitely recommend it.” Tom Shaw “I can feel that the students aren’t a number because the school is giving me special training. They see my weaknesses, so I can have additional training to focus and help me improve. I’ve developed into a much better pilot.” Kit Chiu Enquire now for 2022 course intakes in February, May and AugustNext >