Aviation and Engineering combine for ideal career

19 October 2023

From a young age, aviation has been part of Tim Duncan’s life. With his father’s profession as an Air New Zealand Captain, going to airports and being around aircraft was normal, and soon aviation evolved into a passion. Engineering-wise, the 21-year-old aircraft engineer from HeliSupport NZ says his interest in building and fixing things has also been around for a long time.

“As I got older, I thought, what better way to combine two passions into one. Aircraft engineering was the answer.”

“I saw the Aircraft Maintenance Competition as a challenge, and an opportunity to become better as an engineer. Competition of any sort allows you to reach further than what you thought. You have to problem solve and figure things out on the fly by trusting your ability and knowledge, alongside other people who are doing the same.”

“We all do the same job, within a few years of each other in age, then you mix in the element of competition which brings another dimension. We challenge each other to do better.”

“Competition has taught me a discipline of greater time management, as in, how long will this task take me and how can I make sure I stay within that time frame?’”

Tim says he is looking forward to the WorldSkills New Zealand National Aircraft Maintenance Competition and the chance to apply himself to the next level of complexity.

If other young aircraft engineers and engineers in training have a competitive nature and want to use their abilities from their work to try and become the best, he recommends that they should “give it a go”.