Old Boy Harkness Gets Wings

LONIC HARKNESS  (centre of photo) Massey 52 (2009 –2011)

Graduated 2012, Bachelor of Aviation, ‘C’ Cat instructor.

GFI, 2012 - Massey University School of Aviation.

 Lonic grew up on a farm in Taupiri north of Hamilton and attended Hamilton Boys High School, where he graduated as Dux in 2008.  However he had wanted to fly from a very young age.

 In January 2009, immediately after finishing school, Lonic enrolled at Massey University in the Bachelor of Aviation – Air Transport Pilot degree, as a member of the “Massey 52” cohort. He subsequently graduated with his degree in May, 2012.

 Lonic said he “came primarily to the Massey University School of Aviation because I could attain my flying licences as well as a University degree. I also was attracted by the structure of the program and the expert and experienced lecturers.”

 The course was a challenge to say the least, but Lonic says, “definitely rewarding”.  There are 2 main scholarships open to incoming students enrolling in the College of Business at Massey University: the Massey University High Achievers Scholarship and the Captains Club.   Lonic was lucky enough to receive the former and then go on to receive other awards during his time at Massey. These included the Massey University Undergraduate Scholarship in 2010 followed by his performance on the BAv programme being recognised during the May 2011 ‘Wings’ Ceremony when he was awarded both the:

• Airways Corporation Academic Award (which is presented to the student who has achieved the highest grade-point average in the compulsory papers of the Air Transport Pilot major of the BAv degree.) - and  the

•  Fieldair Engineering Ltd Aviation Systems Award. This is presented to the student who has achieved specific excellence in the field of aviation systems. The recipient has demonstrated a high level of enquiry especially regarding the operation of and related aircraft systems. The person has not only attained high examination results but has shown keen interest about the maintenance facility.

Of his experiences at Massey University’s School of Aviation, Lonic says that “being able to fly all around the country in these great aircraft is amazing, and the central location of Palmerston North means a vast majority of the country's airports are within a day’s flying.”

He feels he is now also better placed in the industry in terms of the knowledge gained throughout the course with all the additional 'University Level' papers and being selected to complete the degree via the Flight Instructor Course means he graduated with his degree plus his “C” Category Flight  Instructor licence.

To top it all off, Lonic has now been hired by the Massey University  School of Aviation as a “Graduate Flight Instructor” on a 2 year fixed - term contract. As a result, he now has approximately 540 hours logged flight time - with 185 hours instructing, - and he is currently responsible for training six of the students enrolled in the Bachelor of Aviation degree.