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Start your flying career at school!

15/08/2020

Few things capture people’s imaginations like flying. Whether it’s watching a jet race overhead, seeing hi-tech planes in the latest big-screen action movie, or the excitement of jumping on an airliner, the freedom of flight is fantastic. And some people want to take it further, with the ultimate ambition to be a pilot.


Young New Zealanders who dream of learning to fly can become fully-fledged commercial pilots at one of several tertiary institutions. But it’s an expensive career to take off with if you’re not 100% certain it’s where you really want to land, or if you’ve got what it takes to fly. 

It’s one great reason why ServiceIQ’s Aviation Gateway Flying Programme is the perfect place to start. Gateway is a programme for school age students in year 12 or 13 who think they want to become a pilot or have a career in the aviation industry.

It’s a great opportunity to try it before you commit to spending a lot of money in professional training.

The course structure is really simple. It covers a whole range of topics but not in-depth so it’s easy to understand the different roles and how the different parts of the aviation sector work together.

The programme is coordinated with some local aero clubs for the structured flight training course, and works closely with the airline industry for the rest of the course content. 

One day, you’ll be learning to fly: how to take off, use your hands on the controls and apply the power. You’ll get to do most of the flying, apart from landing. On other days, you could be one of very few people in the world who get to experience first-hand what goes on in the Control Tower.

You just can’t get access to these places unless you’re on the Gateway Programme. It literally opens doors to a fascinating world most cannot enter.

You’ll also visit and hear from experts in many other areas of the aviation sector.

Our brief to the workplace is straightforward: they explain to students what it is they do and how it fits into the aviation sector. We’re talking about Air Traffic Controllers, Air New Zealand pilots, Aircraft Engineers, and Rescue Managers.  

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The programme is a huge success, and a number of students who have attended our Gateway programme have gone on to complete tertiary training and achieved their dream to be a commercial pilot.

An advantage of Gateway can come when students apply for this next step. Assessors at the pilot training organisation see that the applicant has shown real motivation, and can check their attitude and hand and foot skills with the Gateway instructors. 

The result of ServiceIQ’s programme is always a good one because students get all round industry exposure and can find out early whether it’s something they are suited to and want to pursue.

To get a student’s career off to a flying start in 2024, and find out if your local aero club offers Aviation Gateway, talk to the team about ServiceIQ’s Aviation Gateway Flying Programme, on 0800 863 693 or email: schools@ServiceIQ.org.nz