Wings recipients challenged to keep moving
massey-university
Thu Apr 09 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Wings recipients challenged to keep moving
Thursday, 9 April 2009, 3:23 pm
Press Release: Massey University
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wings recipients challenged to keep moving, keep broadening their horizons
Eighteen Bachelor of Aviation students were presented with their "Wings" at a ceremony on the Manawatu campus yesterday. They have successfully completed training at the School of Aviation and are now fully qualified pilots ready to begin careers in the industry.
Family and friends attended the celebration at Wharerata where guest speaker Eagle Air flight operations manager Wayne Taylor reminded the students of the pilot who successfully landed in the Hudson River, New York, after a bird strike, saving all passengers on board.
Mr Taylor: “When asked how he had achieved this, Captain [Chesley] Sully said 'my education, my training and my experience all came together to create a critical mass to achieve what I had to do' – I ask you to remember these three things. He was a consummate pilot and I challenge you to become consummate pilots and to never stop moving and constantly expand your horizons.”
Receiving their Wings insignia were: Mishma Hameed, Ben Gaastra, Moeman ElBeltagi, Tom Hessell, Ryan Lee, Mark Beard, Jesse Becker, Phil Boyd, Michael Rudman, Jessica Alexander, Matthew Buddle, Blair Fergusson, Riley McKinnon, Keagan Gaarkeuken, Gary Leung, Patrick Guerra, Georgia Lyons and Ibrahim AlHinai. Abdullah Al’Abri, Martyn Johnson, Michael Oh, Sultan Al’Mamari, Ki-Hong Kim, and Abdul AlSiyabi received their wings in absentia.
BA Air Transport Pilot student Keagan Gaarkeuken received two special awards, the Air New Zealand Flying Award, which he shares with Tom Hessell, and the Palmerston North International Airport Professional Attributes Award. Mr Gaarkeuken, from Manukau, has stood out for his high level of professionalism.
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Fellow student Georgia Lyons, from New South Wales, won the Massey University Outstanding Student Award for overall excellence after demonstrating leadership, cooperation, initiative, judgement and command. She follows in the footsteps of her grandfather who was a military pilot and she was presented with his Wings.
Laura Batchelor, of Christchurch, received a special honour – the Skywards Award for Outstanding Airmanship – for her actions to correct a situation when an engine failed in flight.
Other award winners were: Feildair Engineering Ltd Aviation Systems Award Jesse Becker and Matthew Buddle; Air BP Academic Award Jessica Hsiao and Matthew Buddle; Air BP Scholarship Adam Gibb; Craig Merryweather Memorial Scholarship Jessica Alexander; Special Commendations Certificates Jean Stalmann and Chia Lee. Captain Rowland Harrison and Bombardier Gareth Prentice, of the New Zealand Army, were presented with their Army Forward Air Observers Brevet after undergoing training at the School of Aviation.
The four-year degree qualification combines academic and practical skills, with students completing flight training. Massey is one of the few tertiary education institutions in the world to combine professional pilot training with university degree qualifications. It recently announced the $8 million purchase of 14 new training aircraft.
ends
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