Reaching for the sky

The Air Force has lost weight but there's still plenty of jobs, reports ALICE SHOPLAND.

If you're in despair about the axing of the Royal New Zealand Air Force combat wing and sale of the Skyhawk jets and Aermacchi trainers ... chin up! There are still careers with New Zealand's aerial defence force.

Phillip Ziesler (19) and Amber Benson (26) both joined the Air Force with the same recruit intake in September 2000.

For Ziesler, leaving school part-way through seventh form meant achieving his aim of working with planes, "but with more opportunities than if I'd gone to work for an airline."

He is a avionics mechanic, having done three training courses at the Woodbourne base near Blenheim.

His role is to help maintain the electrical systems on aircraft and ground support equipment. In two years' time, he'll go back to Woodbourne to train to become an avionics technician.

Amber Benson, on the other hand, had been working in retail and studying for a degree in biology and geology.

She had no qualms about leaving her degree unfinished, and leaving her flat for life on the Whenuapai base with 1000 others.

"Having been flatting makes me appreciate that you don't have to do so much for yourself," she says.

"All our medical and dental costs are paid, meals and accommodation are subsidised, and it's a great social life.

"I know it sounds corny, but I do feel that this is a career rather than a job and it feels secure compared with working in retail."

Benson is a supplier: "We provide everything anyone needs here, including clothing, equipment and parts.

"A lot of it is routine sourcing it on or off the base, but sometimes there's a big rush to get an emergency part for an aircraft, for example."

A bonus of being in supply, Benson says, is gaining qualifications in using the SAP inventory management programme which is also used by many big companies.

Both will probably do some travel with the Air Force in the next few years: Ziesler says that as a technician he can expect to travel as support for air crews flying to the Pacific and further afield; suppliers like Benson are often part of the team which goes on big Air Force exercises overseas.

Warrant Officer Joe Morunga, an RNZAF recruiter, says the number of people applying to be recruits has dropped off since the Air Force slimmed down.

"But we've still got our maritime, rotary and transport roles, and there are still good careers here.

"At the moment were looking for aircraft technicians, avionics technicians, firefighters and suppliers. As long as they're over 17 years old and have qualifications or experience, we'll look at them."

"You get paid while you train, you get training of a high standard, and the camaraderie makes it a great place to work."

Last year's recruits ranged in age from 17 to 47, and the Air Force is keen to increase the number of women - they make up just 13 per cent of its staff - and Maori and Pacific Islanders.

The day after the Herald spoke to Benson and Ziesler, Benson was off to spend a week playing cricket against other Air Force teams: "you don't get that sort of perk in most jobs."

* The next recruitment course starts at the end of May. Phone 0800 AIRFORCE for further information or visit Air Force