Lift-off for Whanganui's new flight school

The first fleet arrives in Whanganui, eight students and one instructor. Names at bottom of story. Photo/ Stuart Munro

Whanganui's new flight school has lifted off with eight students and one instructor moving in over the weekend.

Classes began on Tuesday at UCOL Whanganui, a temporary setting until the new complex, at Whanganui Airport, is completed for a move-in date next month.

Three students have arrived from Shanghai China, along with one from Papua New Guinea, one from Delhi India, one from Auckland and the remaining two from Whanganui.

Moving from Feilding, New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICA) was bought by the Whanganui District Council Holdings in September 2015 for $800,000 and was estimated to add $4.5 million a year to the district's economy.

NZICPA chief executive, Phillip Bedford, said the goal was to better position aviation in Whanganui generically.

"We are not working in competition with the aero club, our aim is to operate in our area which is commercial pilot training, not recreation," Mr Bedford said.

He said not all students are completing the same course but the ones that have just started in Whanganui are catching up and overlap in subjects.

"The three New Zealand students are completing their two-year diploma in aviation, the students from India are training for a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and the students from China are completing a CPL and NZ multi-instructor rating."

Former Wanganui Collegiate School student, Tom Matthews, is completing his first year in the aviation diploma.

The 19 year-old who previously travelled nearly every day to Feilding from Whanganui said it was exciting to be based back in Whanganui and should bring lots of opportunity for students.

"It's a chance to work around, and with, Air Chathams and the aero club and potentially get a job at the end of it," Mr Matthews said.

The international students have moved into the Dublin Apartments in the city centre, flats originally built for polytechnic students.

Eighteen year old Mannat Sodhi has come all the way from Delhi in India.

She said she has only been in Whanganui one week but her impression so far was that it was pretty and refreshing.

"There are a lot of pilots I know back in India and I always wanted to be one, I was recommended through an agency," Miss Sodhi said.

Mr Bedford said there was opportunity that has come from the shift to Whanganui and they are all looking forward to getting the whole fleet over next month.

NZICPA is taking enrolments for 2018 starting in January.

"There are seven spots available and we are really hoping they will be filled by Whanganui students."

Extended photo caption: (Left to right) Darren Zhiyu Hu (25) from China, Luke Hanson (18) from Auckland, Nikembu Waramainiken (25) from Papua New Guinea, instructor Krishneel Naicker (21), Mannat Sodhi (18) from India, Leon Pengcheng Qu (23) from China, Tom Stewart (19) from Whanagnui, Lucas Zheenglin Chen (24) and Tom Matthews (19) from Whanganui.