Former prime minister Sir John Key passes private helicopter licence

Sir John Key receives his private pilot licence from Christchurch Helicopters chief executive Terry Murdoch. Photo / Christchurch Helicopters

Former prime minister Sir John Key now has his helicopter pilot’s licence.

Christchurch Helicopters, which trains pilots, announced Key passed his flight test and got his private pilot licence on Friday, after first taking to the air last year.

Key revealed his dream job was to be either a pilot or a butcher in a Q&A with 10-year-olds in 2012.

However, Key ended up getting elected to Parliament in 2002 as the member for Helensville. He held his seat until he resigned from politics in 2017.

Sir John Key takes the controls on his first helicopter flight after passing his exams.

Before that, Key’s first job was as an auditor at McCulloch Menzies in 1982. He also worked for clothing manufacturer Lane Walker Rudkin before going into foreign exchange dealing at Elders Finance.

Key later worked for Merrill Lynch. He became prime minister in 2008, leading the National Party to victory at that year’s general election and again in 2011 and 2014.

Key announced his shock resignation as prime minister in 2016 and remained in Parliament until April 2017. He was then appointed to the board of directors of Air New Zealand and stood down from that post in 2020.

On Key’s first flight last year, son Max Key documented an account of the journey that saw him kiss the ground in relief when his father managed to land the aircraft in one piece.

Sir John Key pushes the helicopter to the pad.

A video of the first flight posted on social media begins with a shot of Key posing alongside the chopper in a hangar and captioned: “The big fella taking me for his first fly! Just passed his exams.”

The pair then push the craft to the pad, Max mentioning how “all those reps in the gym” have come in handy.

Christchurch Helicopters chief executive Terry Murdoch posed with Key for a photograph as he was awarded his licence.

“It’s been a pleasure helping you get there,” the flight trainer said.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.