Outstanding Student Award recipient Daniel Allen.
Palmerston North local Daniel Allen was a clear winner at the School of Aviation鈥檚 recent Wings ceremony. The aviation student not only received the coveted Outstanding Student Award, but was recognised with the academic, aviation systems and navigation awards as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really a huge honour and I鈥檓 very grateful for the acknowledgement,鈥 he says. 鈥淎lthough I certainly can鈥檛 take full credit for it 鈥 I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am now without all the time and energy my instructors have invested over the past couple of years into my training.鈥
The School of Aviation鈥檚 Wings ceremony takes place as each cohort completes the flight-training component of the Bachelor of Aviation degree.聽For most, getting their commercial pilot鈥檚 licence, or 鈥榃ings鈥, is just as significant as their graduation ceremony.
鈥淢ost of us in the class have wanted to become pilots for almost as long as we can remember, and over the past few years that goal has kept us all going through the toughest parts of the course,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he Wings represent that goal, and it feels incredibly rewarding to have all our hard work pay off.鈥
Happiest when flying
He says, during his time at the School of Aviation, he鈥檚 always been happiest when up in the air.
鈥淚鈥檝e been able to see so much of our amazing country from the air, a privilege that only a handful of people are fortunate to get. The views never really get old.
鈥淢y most memorable experiences would be either the moment, back in my first year, when I passed my private pilot鈥檚 licence flight test, or taking up my parents as my first passengers on a flight to Nelson.鈥
Daniel says he has always dreamed of being a pilot.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been fascinated by aircraft and I was lucky enough to be able to travel by air a bit on family holidays growing up. My parents encouraged my dream and got me a trial flight at the local flight school for my twelfth birthday, and I haven鈥檛 looked back since.鈥
He is now aiming to join the Qantas Future Pilot Programme or Massey鈥檚 Flight Instructor Course and complete his final year of study. In the longer term, he hopes to be flying short-haul commercial jet flights around New Zealand and the Pacific.
Massey 67 Wings awards
- Air New Zealand Flying Award 鈥 Thomas Ng
- Airways Corporation Academic Award 鈥 Daniel Allen
- Palmerston North Airport 鈥 Professional Attributes Award 鈥 Angus Todd
- Fieldair Engineering Ltd Aviation Systems Award 鈥 Daniel Allen
- Hugh Francis Navigation Award 鈥 Daniel Allen
- ASPEQ Flight Instruction Award 鈥 Anthony Bykerk
- Air BP Academic Award 鈥 Anthony Chen
- Royal Aeronautical Society (Palmerston North Branch) Award 鈥 Geng Lun
- 暴风资源 School of Aviation Outstanding Student Award 鈥 Daniel Allen聽