Flying aircraft is in Olivia Pratt's blood

Te Puke High School student Olivia Pratt and flying instructor Isaac O'Kell. Photo / Supplied

Te Puke's Olivia Pratt knew flying was in her blood long before she managed to take the controls of a plane.

It was during a family trip to the United States that she discovered her ambition to be a pilot.

''I flew to America with Mum and Dad and 10 planes in a week was enough to make me fall in love with flying,'' says the 14-year-old.

''When I got back I said I miss flying so much, I want to be a pilot.''

While it was another two years before she was able to do anything about it, the fire still burned strong. She joined Tauranga Airport-based Young Eagles, a group run by Tauranga Aero Club for aspiring young pilots.

Her maiden flight in a Cessna 152 with Russell Borman, a former Tauranga Aero Club instructor was when she took control of a plane for the first time.

''From that point on, when I went up for that flight, I said I would never in my life be able to let aviation go, it was staying.''

This year she took part in her first competition and has just received a scholarship to help her continue clocking up the hours in the air.

Olivia competed in two of the three sections - instrument flying and low flying.

''Those were the two hardest ones,'' she says.

''In the instrument-only you had to have a hood over your head so you could only see the instruments, you couldn't see out of the plane - so you had to rely on your instruments for that part of the competition.''

For the low flying she could see out of the aircraft and had to stay at the same altitude while completing a series of manoeuvres.

She says at first she was daunted by the prospect of instrument-only flying.

''When the instructor said 'turn round and grab the hood' I was thinking about all the things that could go wrong, but I started thinking, took a deep breath and I just kept focused, didn't overthink it and basically did what the instructor told me.''

Before the competition she had logged only two and half hours of flying time.

''I was very nervous the day before to the point that I was overthinking it so much that I was crying over it. But as soon as I found out who my instructor was - the instructor I really like - and as soon as I got into that plane I was very calm.''

The instructor was Isaac O'Kell.

Olivia was second in the low flying and third in the instrument-only flying.

To help with her flying Olivia has won the first junior scholarship awarded by the Tauranga Aero Club, Tauranga Young Eagles and Tauranga microlight club. She had to submit three essays and answer a questionnaire in order to be considered.

The scholarship will go towards flight training. Once she is 15 she will be able to apply for the bigger, senior scholarship and there is also the chance to apply for a Flying New Zealand scholarship later in the year.

Olivia volunteers at Classic Flyers museum at the airport and says her ambition is to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force and then be a hurricane hunter or firefighting pilot.