New “Wings” for Massey University School of Aviation

Coinciding with the 2009 “Wings” graduation ceremony for students of Massey University’s School of Aviation, the school received the last two aircraft of a 14-aircraft order announced last year that, collectively, is valued at around $8 million.

The two new Diamond DA42 twin-engine aircraft with composite structures, are powered by Avgas-fuelled engines and feature Garmin G1000 avionics. The modern aircraft and their equipment put the Massey University School of Aviation “at the forefront of international aviation training”, according to the school.

With their Garmin 1000 avionics, the DA42s have the same cockpit display systems as the school’s single engine DA40 aircraft, which will make the transition for students from single engine to twin-engine aircraft, much simpler.

The general manager of the Massey University School of Aviation, Mr Ashok Poduval, says the arrival of the DA42 twin-engine aircraft makes Massey the only aviation training provider in New Zealand with a full fleet of glass-cockpit aircraft. In the United States, the aircraft are known as TAAs (technically advanced aircraft) by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to Mr Poduval.

The aircraft were officially handed over to Mr Poduval, by the University’s vice-chancellor Steve Maharey at the Milson Flight Systems Centre at Palmerston North Airport.

Senior officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Navy were present, and the guest speaker at the Wings ceremony was Air Vice-Marshal Graham Lintott, New Zealand’s Chief of the Air Force,

Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said he was very pleased with the developing relationship between the RNZAF and the University, and the school in particular. He said he was very proud to have a number of Massey graduates flying for both the RNZAF and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Mr Maharey told the students the degrees they are studying for are highly regarded worldwide, and said he was proud of the programme and the people involved in aviation at Massey.

Mr Poduval talked about Massey’s philosophy of being a “defining University” and said the school was modifying its flight training syllabus from traditional training methodology to “scenario based, learner focused training that encourages the practical application of knowledge and skills”. He said that this training methodology has been “introduced by the FAA in partnership with industry and academia to develop the risk management skills and in-depth systems knowledge needed to safely operate advanced technology aircraft that have more automation.”

The School of Aviation, which is part of the University’s College of Business, was established in 1990. It is also a certified flight-training organization with ISO 9001-2008 accreditation, and holds an equivalence approval from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. It is the only flight-training organisation that holds such an approval, under which students are exempt from the requirement to pass the professional licence examinations for issue of licences by the authority, as the University’s exam results are accepted in lieu of those. Flight examiners from the school are approved for conducting flight tests for the issue of licences.

The school is one of the few institutions in the world that offers degrees in aviation with integrated professional pilot training. It also offers aviation management programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. There are Massey University graduates employed in airlines and aviation organisations around the world.

There are currently about 200 students studying in the Bachelor of Aviation Management programme and about 90 studying for the Bachelor of Aviation—Air Transport Pilot degree. There are 28 postgraduate students and 10 Phd students.