About the College

About the College

News

February News

Current News:
Past News:

Nelson Aviation College Sponsors School Students


NAC is again sponsoring secondary school aged students from Nelson with a programme known as CACTUS.  CACTUS is run through the Youth and Community Facility Trust (The NewHub) in partnership with Youth Nelson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson, Nelson College, Nelson College for Girls, Nayland College and Nelson Police's Youth and Community Section. To date, four CACTUS (Nelson) courses have been successfully run with assistance from Danny Clemens, a senior instructor at NAC and our IT Manager.

Danny starts training with 25 students at 6am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks.  The students are working towards an event called "The Longest Day" which involves a grueling 5 hour day of physical and mental challenges.

To view photographs of the students working with Danny, click here.


NAD Arrives to Nelson Aviation College

 
Nelson Aviation College has taken delivery of its next New Generation R model Cessna 172, ZK-NAD. This lovely aircraft had its new NAC colour scheme applied and will enter operations during the week starting 23rd January.
 
NAD will be joined by a further two Cessna 172s over the first quarter of 2012, making a total of five, including the introduction of an enhanced technology Garmin 1000 (glass cockpit) model in February.
 
All fixed-wing students will begin their training in the 152 and beginning in 2012, complete an aerobatic rating as required by the Air New Zealand Aviation Institute. Students will then progress onto the Cessna 172 to complete their CPL.
 
NAC management and students are delighted to see another New Generation aircraft online which will ensure students have access to some of the best training aircraft available.

Nelson Aviation College Opens a New Base in Nelson

 
Nelson Aviation College has proudly opened a new base at Nelson Airport for all Instrument training. The base has CAA approval and marks a new era for the college.
 
The hangar will contain all NAC Instrument Rating aircraft and the college's Garmin 1000 Cessna 172, due to arrive in February. The classroom and simulator room are heat-controlled and ventilated allowing students to focus on their studies in any season. Sound-proofing has also been added to the simulator room containing an Elite PI-135.
 
Each intake has just six students with two senior instructors, maintaining the highest standard of quality for training. There are four intakes each year.
 
NAC management and students are delighted with this new initiative. Giles Witney, CEO said that students can more clearly see progress as they move towards a career as a professional pilot by completing their training at New Zealand's 4th busiest airport. The benefits are obvious for NAC students and the staff are also enjoying the change.

Air New Zealand has Been Named Airline of the Year

Air New Zealand has been named airline of the year for a second time by global aviation industry magazine Air Transport World.

A panel of the magazine's editors said the award recognised Air New Zealand for its industry-leading innovation and motivation of its staff which resulted in exceptional performance across market position, customer service, financial performance, fiscal management and operational safety.

The magazine's chief editor Geoffrey Thomas said: "Air New Zealand is at the cutting edge of the industry and competitors now look to the South Pacific to see what revolutionary idea the airline will come up with next."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/air-new-zealand-named-airline-of-the-year-20120110-1psi4.html#ixzz1j1jOvD2L
Becoming a Pilot with Air New Zealand
 
Have you ever wanted to know how you go about working for New Zealand's national airline?  Click here to find out about the training and the entry criteria into Air New Zealand, via Nelson Aviation College.
The Air New Zealand Aviation Institute FTO Partnerships - What Does It All Mean?
 
Earlier this year, Air New Zealand announced a new partnership with five Flight Training Organisations for the provision of airline style ab-initio flight training. Mark Woodhouse of Waypoints Aviation offers an explanation of this programme and what it means for those seeking a career with our national airline and partner.  Click here to read the full article and to gain further information about this exciting initiative.

Testimonials


"Where do I start I’ve been at the college now fifteen months. I was a fresh little man right out of college so I was over sitting in class listening to someone go on about subjects that I had no real interest in. When I found out that I was going to be sitting in class for another four months I found myself concerned that I was going to get bored. But I was rather surprised when class started and I found myself listening and enjoying class. The instructors were excellent and really knew their subjects. If there was an answer that they didn’t know they would find it out and tell the class the next day. I have a suspicion that they didn’t just do it to answer a class but to expand their own knowledge of a subject. Because as we all know the more you learn in this industry the more you come to know how little you really do know.
After being in class for those first few months I was finally introduced to the Cessna 152’s that I would be flying for the rest of the year. I can tell you I was like a kid in a candy shop. I can still see my first briefing effects of controls. What a day it was perfect in saying that it could have been raining cats and dogs and I still wouldn’t have noticed. All I saw was a ZGR sitting there waiting to be flown. I’m not going to lie I was just as nervous as I was excited. By the end of the year I had a CPL and man was I proud all that hard work and finally something to show for it. Now just four months on I’ve got an IFR and a twin engine rating.
So enough about myself and more about the College and people that got me to where I am today. The instructors of NAC must be some of the best calibre they are down to earth and very accommodating as I said earlier they all know what they are teaching. They also have a strong stance on the safety of the students. This will never go amiss in the skies of New Zealand or any other part of the world.
In regards to the running of this institution the management team have been very good to me especially in the last couple of months. So here is a bit of a shout out to say thanks to Giles and Katrina Witney and Jeremy Anderson. The College itself is well set up with a well stocked cafe with the two ladies whom I think that people consider their mothers away from home. This gives the school a homely feeling and it’s really just a big family everyone helping the person next to them. All in all I would recommend the College to any person that wants a good quality place to discover the world of aviation." – Joshua Greer, Aeroplane CPL, MEIR April 2011 "P.S Happy and safe flying everyone."                                   
"In order to achieve successful flight training, one must choose a right training provider. However, there are a number of things to be considered beforehand. To name a few, a reasonable ratio between instructor and student, good weather, a number of aircraft fleets available, easy access to controlled/uncontrolled airspace, a variety of training area and so on. Unfortunately, you will not realise those crucial things until you commence flight training. As for me, choosing NAC as a training provider was one of the best decisions that I have made in my 35 years of life. NAC has got everything mentioned above. On top of this, in a family-like environment but highly professional as well you will never be lost or left alone. If you have to choose a flight school, then NAC is the best in New Zealand! Go for it!" – Enosh S. Lee, Aeroplane CPL, MEIR December 2010

"Flight training at NAC proved not only to be fun and enjoyable but also provided me the skills required to enable a smooth transition into a flying job. The courses were well structured and the staff professional, with excellent preparation for exams and tests giving me the confidence needed to achieve good results. Of course the Motueka weather helped with very few days missed due to bad weather. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there meeting great people and making many friends." 
Scott Ryall - Aeroplane CPL, MEIR, 'C' Category Instructor Graduate December 2009, currently Operations Manager for Chathams Pacific Airline.
 
"Choosing where you learn to fly is a fundamental decision in your aviation career.  Not only will you spend a year or more of your life there but it will also cost you a small fortune, so be picky.  NAC has a fantastic reputation and it's not until you have studied here that you see why.  The ground courses are fantastic achieving a 86% pass rate and the flight instruction at a senior level is second to none.  If you are thinking of training abroad, New Zealand is a 'no-brainer' due to the cost (especially for Europeans) and in terms of institutions, I know I would have no hesitation in choosing NAC again."
Mark Whitson - MEIR student.
 
"There were eight people on my ground course and everyone of us was from a different country.  I feel like the skills and habits I have developed from studying at NAC have set me up really well for this job and I am absolutely loving it." 
Richard Thomson - Aeroplane CPL, MEIR, 'C' Category Instructor Graduate December 2009.

 
 

Flight Test Passes

 
Congratulations to the following students who passed professional licence flight tests and ratings recently:
 
CPL Flight Test (Aeroplane):
  • Halley Atama-Kairua
  • Braden Conza
  • Faye Templeton
  • Brandon Love-Allen

Instrument Rating:

  • Robert Carter (MEIR)
  • Samuel Mexted (MEIR)
  • Reuben Swafford (MEIR)
  • Todd Clarke (MEIR)
'C' Cat Instructor Rating (Aeroplane):
  • Gaurish Mangal
  • Barend De Wet Greyling
  • Glen Ross
  • Leon Hunter
  • Keller McManamon
  • Samuel McHugh
CPL Flight Test (Helicopter):
  • Dan Adams
  • Lance Allison

'C' Cat Instructor Rating (Helicopter):

  • Murray Osmond-Dreyer

NAC Sponsors School Students

 

Nelson Aviation College is again contributing to CACTUS - a programme for secondary school aged students in Nelson.  CACTUS is run through the Youth and Community Facility Trust (The NewHub) in partnership with Youth Nelson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson, Nelson College, Nelson College for Girls, Nayland College and Nelson Police's Youth and Community Section. To date, four CACTUS (Nelson) courses have been successfully run with assistance from Danny Clemens, a senior instructor with NAC and our IT Manager.


Starting a 6am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks, Danny is responsible for putting 25 students through a series of physical challenges in preparation for an event known as the Longest Day (5 hours of physical and mental challenges).

To view the students and Danny working togther, click here.