Career Opportunities for Women in Aviation
Promoting Aviation Careers to Schools
Good Day All,
On Thursday 23rd May 2018 the Wellington Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society is running an evening event comprising short presentations and a panel style question and answer session, titled ‘Career Opportunities for Women in Aviation’.
Today’s millennials are well educated, very tech-savvy and possibly the smartest generation in New Zealand’s history. More than half of them are female… so why are there not more women with careers in the aviation industry? There are plenty of historical female heroes in the world of aviation, with Jean Batten probably being New Zealand’s most famous one and we want to inspire the next generation.
This informative event is open to all students, lecturers, teachers, aviation industry professionals, enthusiasts and anyone, not just females, involved with young people who may be considering a career in aviation.
This is also an occasion where those with an interest in aviation can find out about the range of great jobs available working with aircraft.
This unique Wellington event will include a main presentation by Natasha Politakis and will be followed by short presentations from other women working in the aviation industry, who will briefly talk about their careers. The event will conclude with the panel of speakers participating in an interactive discussion and questions & answer session with the audience.
About the main speaker
Tash Politakis is a Captain on the Q300 and has been flying with Air Nelson for 3 years. Her journey in aviation began as a wide-eyed 11-year-old, when her Grandad took her for her first flight in a Piper Cub. She then went on to complete her Private Pilot Licence (PPL) whilst at New Plymouth Girls’ High School, and a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and instructor rating at IAANZ in Christchurch in 2007. Moving to Australia shortly after this, her first flying job was adventure flying around the Sunshine Coast – firstly in a Piper Cub and then a Tiger Moth. She moved around Australia for about 5 years, mostly instructing but also embracing the opportunity to do a season or two of parachuting and fire-spotting during that time too.
In 2012 she moved back to NZ, after CTC (a Hamilton based flying school) had been head-hunting in Australia for experienced instructors. A few years later, needing a new challenge, she started flying a C421 Air Ambulance, coming full circle to be back living in New Plymouth – where she stayed for her time as a First Officer at Air Nelson. Now she is a Wellington-based Captain, and the Pilot Manager for the region. The Q300 is her second favourite aircraft (the Cub being at an undisputed number 1), and she loves being involved with the WINGs group at Air NZ and getting to promote aviation in schools and to the next generation.”
Presentation Venue
- Xero offices
- 19-23 Taranaki Street, Wellington
Date & time
- 23 May 2019 at 5:30pm for refreshments
- session time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm, followed by questions
Registration – please
- Email Bernard Weinstein, branch Secretary at bernardwe2@gmail.com
- registration closes on 22 May 2019
Best regards,
Monique Hogervorst
RAeS – Wellington Branch
This Event is the Annual
Malcolm Wightwick Memorial Lecture
for the RAeS Wellington Branch
Malcolm Wightwick was born in the UK, trained as an aircraft apprentice with de Havilland Aircraft Company, joined the RAF and graduated as a pilot.
As the Captain of a Handley Page Hastings transport aircraft he flew long routes to various theatres of operation. During one to Whenuapai, he met his future wife who was a member of the WAAF. On retirement from the RAF he immigrated to NZ, and was employed by de Havilland in their aircraft factory at Rongotai. Throughout his working life and beyond, Malcolm was a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, was an active Committee Member and for a long period Chairman of the Wellington Branch, and a Council Member of the NZ Division.
Malcolm had an abiding interest in the training of young people into aviation careers, actively through the Air Training Corps Porirua Squadron and at annual ATC Training Camps at Woodbourne. Following his death in 2010, the Wellington Branch established the annual Malcolm Wightwick Memorial Lecture, to ensure a Branch Meeting continues Malcolm’s wish to introduce young people to the prospects of interesting, engaging, and rewarding careers in the wide field of aviation.