In the July school holidays, Nicky and I were humbled to be a part of the School to Skies One-day Experience. The School to Skies One-day Experience was an eventful day of STEM events at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. 

Event highlights would most definitely be going inside the Boeing-757 also known as the RNZAF aircraft that is regularly used for the carriage of VIPs as well as ministerial and trade missions around the world. We went inside the flying deck and heard amazing stories along with career highlights from current RNZAF personnel. 

This event was a great way to get some hands-on experience, learn about the technical opportunities available in the RNZAF, and meet other like-minded people. One of the technical projects we took part in was fixing the front landing gear on an ATC training aircraft, as well as creating a phone holder in the RNZAF skin lab, using different tools and machinery. 

We also carried out a Search and Rescue flight planning and through the implementation of physics and maths figured out all necessary information for the essentials of this SAR mission.  Towards the end of the event, we heard about the numerous positions and roles in the RNZAF, along with the opportunities and scholarships the air force has to offer. This allowed us to gain insight into what it is like to be a part of the New Zealand Air Force! 

By Shreeji Patel and Nicky Zaayman (Y12)