Media Release
4 July 2012

School Students Compete in Air Force Challenge

Forty high school students are competing for a flight in a Seasprite helicopter this week, as part of the Air Force Challenge, at RNZAF Base Auckland.

The selected students, chosen from schools throughout the top half of the North Island are experiencing life with the RNZAF while also competing in daily challenges.

Warrant Officer Robyn Gell says, “The Air Force Challenge is a recruiting activity designed to encourage interested Year 12 and 13 students [16-17 year-olds] to join the RNZAF.

“The students are split into four teams to compete against each other for the title of '2012 Winner, Air Force Challenge'. The winning team of ten will get a flight in a Seasprite helicopter on the last day.”

WO Gell says, “Apart from the unpredictable Auckland weather, the kids are having a great time!”
Forty students were selected from about 190 applicants from schools across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Northland, to spend five days on Base.

“The selected students have shown their clear motivation towards a career in the RNZAF and were encouraged to apply for the challenge by their school careers advisors,” WO Gell says.

“The students spend the week eating, sleeping and living the RNZAF lifestyle. They visit different work areas on Base and have the opportunity to have some ‘hands-on’ experience of the many trades available as a career within the Air Force.”

As well as seeing all the different trades at work, the students will be challenged with the RNZAF ‘operational fitness test’, a liferaft and water survival experience, and take part in a number of team building exercises.

ENDS