Francis Douglas Memorial College’s Proxime Accessit for 2023 is Aidan Green

Aidan Green was the 2023 Proxime Accessit for Francis Douglas Memorial College in Taranaki.

Aidan Green can safely be described as a high-flier.

Not only did the Taranaki teenager finish year 13 on a high - being awarded Proxime Accessit at his school, Francis Douglas Memorial College, but just a couple of months later he gained his pilot’s license.

“It allows me to fly 2-seat microlight aircraft under the Civil Aviation Authority part 103 rules.”

Having now achieved NCEA Level 3 with an Excellence endorsement and his pilot’s licence, Aidan (17) is heading south to take up his next challenge. In a couple of weeks, he will begin his studies for an engineering degree at the University of Canterbury (UC).

“As for the specialisation of that degree, I am somewhat unsure but am leaning toward a mechanical engineering degree with a minor in aeronautical engineering.”

He doesn’t plan to stop studying after that however, as he hopes to attend a pilot training college to earn both his commercial pilot’s licence as well as an airline transport licence with the dream of becoming an airline pilot eventually.

Aidan says flying has always been a passion of his.

“From when I was very small and lucky enough to climb on a commercial flight, all through my childhood I’ve wanted to be a pilot in some sense. It offers you a lot of course in terms of the views and experience of course, which I absolutely love, but another aspect of it that appeals to me is the responsibility of it. It differs from driving your car in that there is both a lot more risk if something goes wrong but a lot more reward if it all goes right and, for the most part, whether it goes wrong, or right is largely up to you.”

One commercial flight Aidan took was a few years ago when he and his family emigrated from their home in South Africa to New Zealand. Aidan attended St Benedict’s College, a private school in Gauteng, and says moving from there to Francis Douglas Memorial College to start in year 8 was a big change.

“Coming from that school to Francis Douglas was quite the shock, encountering an entirely new group of individuals with a completely different style both in their thinking and their mannerisms. Francis Douglas gave me a new and completely different way of life compared to that of my old school in South Africa.

“There suddenly became less of the frantic, incessant studying that often took up much of my time and energy all year round. In South Africa, there was a lot of pressure to achieve well in my school exams, which started in year 5 and occurred twice a year, but at Francis Douglas there was definitely more of a focus on personal growth and development.”

The mix of the two schools was beneficial for him, he says.

“It’s certainly built me a solid foundation for my future learning, both in discipline as well as knowing about what I really want. However often the best times at Francis Douglas will be remembered as the times spent with friends and family, without the constant pressure of exams and over-achievement, the time that allowed me to pursue activities such as flying as well as other hobbies. That is what I love most about Francis Douglas.”