AirNZ Cantabrians prepare for competition

Jack Elvy from Air New Zealand inspecting the nose avionics compartment during a daily inspection of a Mitsubishi MU-2. He is looking for any faults affecting the airworthiness (safe for flight status) of the aircraft such as leaks, overheating, loose or incorrectly fitted components, cracks, and foreign objects.

30 October 2023

Three young Cantabrians, all Christchurch-based aircraft engineers-in-training for AirNZ, are competing in this year’s WorldSkills New Zealand Aircraft Maintenance Competition in Wigram to see how they measure up against the rest of New Zealand.

Jack Elvy was never particularly interested in aviation growing up. Engineering and fabrication was another story. From a very young age, he could be found working on motorbikes and cars. For Ben Lewis, a career in aircraft engineering all began with the Careers Advisor at Shirley Boys High School who suggested aircraft engineering might be a good path. Raised on a farm with an airstrip, and son of a pilot, Ross Brodie had been drawn to aviation for as long as he can remember.

Jack, Ben, and Ross are looking forward to national competition, to reconnect with the other competitors from around the country, and to test their skills.

Ben says the experience of competing has changed how he looks at his everyday work and the goals he sets for himself. “It makes me think about where I can improve and different ways to approach situations – and it’s a great way to be examined on techniques and learn where I can improve my skills.”

For 22-year-old Jack, competing is a pretty tense experience. “It puts you in quite a different mindset compared to how you would normally go about tasks at work. It is a lot more pressure.”

Ross says the competition experience serves as a reminder to always strive for excellence every day.
“It’s a good way to learn about different techniques and approaches from other competitors which has helped develop my own skills. It’s fun, and quite full on.”