A Heart in the Clouds – Carly Sherriff. Introducing our Second Winner for 2025
We see Carly in ourselves as she confesses to being a person who, when she spots a plane in the sky, stops everything to watch it pass overhead - working out what it is, where it’s going and where it’s come from – marvelling at the technology and physics that keep it in the air. We feel it takes a special type of aviator to be so in love with flying that your world temporarily stops spinning as a plane is flying overhead.
Carly Sherriff at IAANZ
Many people equate Queenstown with millionaires; and consider the town to be ‘Dollars Central’. But Queenstown functions as well as it does because of the community of normal everyday families who live and work there – and wealth is far from their plate. Like the rest of us, they do their best to get by; and Carly’s family is no different.
Carly is someone who lives life in vivid colour. She’s a strategic and a no-nonsense thinker. Steadfast in her long term desire to be an airline pilot, she has been deliberate in her decisions to keep her plans to fly front and central in everything she pursues.
Her multiple character references all talked about a bubbly and helpful personality. Knowing that she doesn’t come from a monied background like some of her Queenstown peers, Carly worked hard both in part time and, once she had finished school, full time work to raise funds for her training.
Flight from QN-MF// (empty to collect pax) - Air Milford (Cessna Caravan 208), PIC Antony Sproull
For the last five years, Carly has been responsible for her own finances, and she has worked multiple jobs as babysitter, flight coordinator, kitchen hand, pet sitter and dog walker before securing full time work once she left school.
Carly attended Wakatipu High School and during her three senior years there, she received 18 awards and commendations for both academic and sporting prowess. Her academic record was particularly good with two thirds of her results being either Merits or Excellences. She is very much a good all rounder.
We are always interested in candidates who give back to their communities and Carly has been part of teams that have been replanting trees on Branches Station.
Carly discovered her passion for flight when she was only 10 years old, though her parents say she was quite enamoured with the concept of aviation from the age of 3. She is fortunate to have lived in a town with a strong aviation influence, with the local economy heavily reliant on the aviation industry.
First flight after being awarded the Lewis Day Flying Scholarship in 2023 Alexandra Aeroclub - PIC Nick Taylor
A family friend introduced her to flight and paid for a trial flight; then followed up with a flight simulator experience. She was hooked. In 2022 she won the Lewis Day Scholarship ($3000), awarded by Brian Day from Napier to help towards her training costs.
She began volunteering at Air Milford when she was 15 years old so she could be in the aviation environment. This became paid part time work in 2023 as a Flight Co-ordinator. The company were so impressed with her work ethic and ability to do the job, she was offered full time employment in the role last summer and worked there until she had to resign late in June to prepare for her move to Christchurch to train to be a pilot. Despite her leaving the team to train in Christchurch, they are right behind her wishing her all the best in her training as they see she has what it takes to succeed in reaching her dream.
Carly started her training at the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand in July this year.
Carly’s scholarship was sponsored by the Hugo Charitable Trust and we are thrilled to welcome Carly to our growing Scholarship family and look forward to watching her progress.
