Outstanding Student Award recipient Daniel Allen.
Palmerston North local Daniel Allen was a clear winner at the School of Aviation’s 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.
“It’s really a huge honour and I’m very grateful for the acknowledgement,” he says. “Although I certainly can’t take full credit for it – I wouldn’t be where I am now without all the time and energy my instructors have invested over the past couple of years into my training.”
The School of Aviation’s Wings ceremony takes place as each cohort completes the flight-training component of the Bachelor of Aviation degree. For most, getting their commercial pilot’s licence, or ‘Wings’, is just as significant as their graduation ceremony.
“Most 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,” he says. “The Wings represent that goal, and it feels incredibly rewarding to have all our hard work pay off.”
Happiest when flying
He says, during his time at the School of Aviation, he’s always been happiest when up in the air.
“I’ve 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.
“My most memorable experiences would be either the moment, back in my first year, when I passed my private pilot’s licence flight test, or taking up my parents as my first passengers on a flight to Nelson.”
Daniel says he has always dreamed of being a pilot.
“I’ve 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’t looked back since.”
He is now aiming to join the Qantas Future Pilot Programme or Massey’s 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 – Thomas Ng
- Airways Corporation Academic Award – Daniel Allen
- Palmerston North Airport – Professional Attributes Award – Angus Todd
- Fieldair Engineering Ltd Aviation Systems Award – Daniel Allen
- Hugh Francis Navigation Award – Daniel Allen
- ASPEQ Flight Instruction Award – Anthony Bykerk
- Air BP Academic Award – Anthony Chen
- Royal Aeronautical Society (Palmerston North Branch) Award – Geng Lun
- Massey University School of Aviation Outstanding Student Award – Daniel Allen