Pilots get their wings

Five newly qualified Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots were presented with their Wings or brevets at a graduation parade at Air Force Base Ohakea.

The reviewing officer for the morning parade was Defence Minister Wayne Mapp.

The commanding officer of Flight Training Wing, Wing Commander Tim Evans, said the presentation of the pilots' brevets marked the culmination of a demanding but rewarding period of training.

Graduation marked the finish of the difficult and challenging RNZAF Pilots Course.

Initial training began with five months of initial officer training at RNZAF Base Woodbourne where they learnt the basics of military life.

The pilot's course came next, with a two-week survival course, followed by a one-week course on the physiological and psychological aspects of flying at Aviation Medicine Unit at RNZAF Base Auckland.

After aviation medicine training, the graduates moved to RNZAF Base Ohakea to commence their Wings Course training, initially at Pilot Training Squadron (PTS).

There the students undertake five weeks of ground school to learn principles of flight, rules of the air, and technical specifics of the 300HP CT-4E Airtrainer aircraft.

During the nine months at PTS, they accumulate about 130 hours in flying the Airtrainer, covering navigation, aerobatics, instrument flying, formation, and night flying.

During their five months at No42 Squadron, students learn more complex systems of the King Air, and are assessed as single-pilot captains of the aircraft, having accrued a further 90 hours.

After receiving their wings or brevets the graduates either remain at No42 Squadron for further fixed-wing training or fly helicopters in either the Royal New Zealand Air Force or Royal New Zealand Navy.

The students, from Auckland, Masterton, Nelson and Geraldine, will go on to fly Iroquois or Seasprite helicopters, C-130 Hercules, Boeing 757s or P-3K Orions.

- © Fairfax NZ News