Girls touch down for taste of air force life

Forty girls from across the country have landed on base for a taste of what the air force has to offer.

The School to Skies programme, run by the Defence Force, is aimed at giving year 13 girls the chance to try technical aviation trades through hands-on learning.

In the week-long immersion camp at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base O¯ hakea, the girls will fix aircraft, fly a simulator, plan a mission, build electronic components, gain navigation skills and learn more about engineering fundamentals.

It shows young women how mathematics, science, engineering and technology can translate to a real-life career, programme leader Flight Lieutenant Emma Raven said.

Seventeen-year-olds Mia Doherty, of Kaiapoi, and Molly Adams, 17, from Dunedin, were excited for the week ahead as they moved into their barracks rooms.

Doherty said she wasn’t sure what career path she would take after school, but taking a role in the air force might tick her boxes.

‘‘I just want to give everything a go because I have no idea what I want to do with myself after school,’’ Doherty said. ‘‘I just know that I want to do something that helps people.’’

Adams agreed. She wanted to learn as much as she could at O¯ hakea, so she could choose between joining the air force or the army. ‘‘[The air force] has been on my radar for about 10 years so when there was this opportunity I just jumped on it. I’ve known that I don’t want to be sitting behind a desk for my career. I need to be doing something hands on and physical and helping someone in some way.’’

Raven said the girls would meet airmen and women in the trades who were employed in technical and aviation roles.

‘‘Giving these young women role models for them to look up to and aspire to become has proven to be an essential component.’’

The programme has been running since 2017 at Whenuapai, O¯ hakea and Woodbourne air force bases, aiming to encourage women to consider air force careers after studying STEM subject – science, technology, engineering and maths.

More than 150 young women have participated in the programme with a dozen participants going on to apply to the air force.

Jaymie Evans-Walsh, 19, of Levin, said signing up to School to Skies and joining the defence force was one of the best decisions she had made. Now working as an air warfare specialist in O¯ hakea, she encouraged anyone looking for a career with the air force. ‘‘Just give it a go. Everyone can find something they’re interested in.’’