"... a great way to learn awareness and safety around aircraft and a good way to get into the industry..."
With such strong foundations, Lachie's career path is taking shape.
Lachie has demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to pursuing a career in aviation. While completing Years 12 and 13 at Bethlehem College in Tauranga, he enrolled in and completed all three of our aviation Gateway programmes "Take Off" (aviation ground handling), Take Flight (introduction to flight and piloting), and the Introduction to Aeronautical Engineering micro-credential. These courses provided him with a solid foundation in aviation operations, engineering principles, and practical flight knowledge.
He is continuing to train with the Tauranga Aero Club and is nearing the completion of his Private Pilot Licence (PPL). Once achieved, he plans to progress directly into Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training - and a career he knew he wanted from a young age!
For the past three years, he has also volunteered at Classic Flyers, contributing many hours in their Restoration and Engineering Hangars. This experience has allowed him to support the maintenance of historic aircraft while building valuable technical and hands-on skills.
A really significant milestone for Lachie is that he has secured a job with JNP Aviation (our sister company) literally weeks after finishing school as a Ramp Services Agent. This is a significant achievement and reflects both his capability and the strong industry pathways built into our training programmes. The Gateway courses he's completed with us provided him with recognised foundational skills and a clear understanding of aviation operations - knowledge that directly aligns with the needs of JNP Aviation. In addition, the Introduction to Aeronautical Engineering micro-credential, delivered by the experienced aeronautical engineers at Classic Flyers, gave him valuable technical insight and hands-on exposure to real engineering environments. These established industry links, combined with the skills and professionalism he demonstrated while on these courses, played an important role in supporting him in landing this role. The skill and experience he will gain as a Ramp Service Agent with JNP represents a meaningful next step on his pilot pathway and reinforces the strength of our connected training-to-employment framework.
Reflecting on his studies with us, he commented: "...I was so stoked to be learning more skills across aviation, not just being a pilot… I especially enjoyed learning how to do technical drawing for the aircraft panel we fabricated on the Aeronautical Engineering course... [these courses are] a great way to learn awareness and safety around aircraft and a good way to get into the industry.”
With such clear focus on professional development he's already well positioned as he continues toward his goal of becoming a commercial pilot.
