In the week when New Zealand says ‘Tarrah’ to the remarkable workhorse of the RNZAF, the 130H Hercules, retired Air New Zealand Captain and Air Force Wing Commander Bob Henderson writes about an operation to the Antarctic involving three of the beloved Hercs.

In Part Two of Captain Chris Kriechbaum’s blog on competencies desired by Airlines in their pilots, the main focus is Leadership and its associated qualities and soft skills.

It’s probably a good idea to keep coming back to this blog to check your progress on the list.

I think it is safe to assume that if some one is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on an aviation career, they are probably aiming to work for an airline. If that is the case, then I suggest this article by Captain Chris Kriechbaum (retired), who was the Jet Recruitment Manager for Air New Zealand is essential reading. Look out for part two next week.

What you’re looking at here, is the trophy for the Pauwels Flying Scholarship Special Award. For a winner to receive one of these and the financial reward of up to NZ$13,000, we need the support of our sponsors and today we meet the charity that has been with us since the beginning of the award.

It is said no (wo)man is an island and the same applies to little charities like ours. Though we are small in number - just John and I - we are supported by so many. And none more so than the individuals and organisations that sponsor our scholarship winners. We’d like you to meet Angela and Theresa from the Gattung Foundation.

Gavin Weir, CFI, Auckland Aeroclub, gives us some great, simple and easy to follow advice on calculating aeroplane performance. Something, some of us can find tricky, and many more get frustrated with.

Join Arthur Gatland in the B777 Simulator with our winners - Matthew Youssef and Abi Carter as they give their accounts of what flying the simulator is like.

John and I were filled with a sense of euphoria when Ben advised us that he had qualified as a CCAT Instructor and then a few days later advised he had secured a role as Flight Instructor. The first of our winners to do so!

Matthew Youssef is an on fire young man. Ready to take on the world of aviation. Having lived and breathed aviation since he was very small, Matthew’s passion has been unwavering. And now he’s in his dream years, learning to fly - on his way to his career as pilot.

It is with a flush of pride that we introduce to you our second recipient for 2023 of the Pauwels Flying Scholarship Special Award. Alika is a rural lass with a steely determination to become an airline pilot and we are happy to help!

We’re thrilled to introduce to you our first winner of 2023 - the charming Abi Carter. A remarkable young woman who embodies all that the Pauwels Flying Scholarship stands for!

53 years. I imagine that most people reading this blog will be younger than this. But this is how long Ron Twine was a Flight Attendant for Air New Zealand. The longest serving. He has just retired and we had a chat to him about the changes he has seen over those years.

This unusual looking structure is a B787 Simulator. In this article, Arthur Gatland, tells us all about it and the videos demonstrate what it can do.

In aviation, some adventures are move adventurous than others. Here, Bob Henderson recalls some tight wee spots he found himself in when flying for the RNZAF.

9/11. Whether we want to or not, we all know about it. But for most of us, our knowledge relates only to the two towers. But what was happening on the aircraft and how were the airlines handling the unfolding drama?

Cameron is the proof that you are never too old to become an airline pilot. His story is an inspiration to those who feel it’s too late to make their dream a reality.

It gives us great joy to see our recipients move through the process of becoming a commercial pilot. Ben is the first of our Special Award winners to reach this milestone.

Very occasionally, something can go quite wrong with the aircraft you are on. This article tells of such an event and what took place onboard.

We all have our good days and our bad days. But then… sometimes some days are just so bad that you just have to believe that some greater being is deliberately making your day the worst it can possibly be.

Humans are fickle things. Especially on planes. Seated shoulder to shoulder for never ending hours, who knows what can happen? Too often to count these stresses can cause people to get REALLY sick. In a tin can at 36,000 feet above the Pacific, there are limited options.