Member Spotlight

I started flying in 1980 at the Southland Aero Club with Jenny Frame, one of the Associations founding members. I attended my first NZAWA Rally and competition in Christchurch later that year. Private and Commercial Pilot Licenses and Instructor ratings followed, as money and time allowed. I then went on to instruct at Southland Aero Club for three years before moving to Auckland to fly passengers and freight to Great Barrier Island.

In 1990, I joined Air New Zealand and now some 34 years later, am a Boeing 777 Captain. My husband Darryl and I own ZK-SZC, a Cessna 182 based in Motueka.  I am extremely passionate about aviation and am committed to helping other women thrive in aviation. I have recently stepped into the role as President of the NZAWA and am excited to continue and build on the work of the incredible women before me. So if you’re heading north or south across the country, pop in to NZMK for a coffee and a catch up, I’m often out at the field!

I had my first taste of flying in a topdressing plane when I was 7yrs old off a grass strip down on our farm, from that day on I knew I wanted to be a pilot. After finishing college I headed to flying school in the Bay of Plenty, there I complete my private and commercial licences, as well as becoming a flight instructor and instrument pilot. At the end on 2007 an opportunity to work in Vanuatu came up and I snatched it with both hands! Island flying was an unforgettable experience! Looking to keep my career moving forward I moved out to central Queensland, Australia, working for a small charter company flying Piper Cheiftains. While there I completed my Air Transport pilot licence, and went on the hunt for an airline job. After 5yrs with Jetstar, I am now working for Air New Zealand on the Airbus A320. Aviation is a challenging, yet very rewarding industry. The types of flying are endless and the adventures breath-taking. Through my membership with the NZAWA I have been able to meet a huge group of extremely inspiring women, and now it is a honour to help inspire future women pilots. Look forward to meeting you!

Sue started her flying career in 1984, training at Paraparaumu Flight Training. She progressed to her CPL and C Cat flying from Wanaka Airport with Aspiring Air operating flights to Milford Sound and scenic flights to Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring. Aircraft types flown were Britten Norman Islanders, C207, C206 and C177. Her general aviation opportunities expanded to Queenstown with Queenstown Flight Seeing (now Real Journeys) flying Twin Otters and Nomads to Milford Sound and charters to Manapouri, Franz Josef, Christchurch and Mount Cook airports.

Family commitments and the sale of the turbine aircraft changed Sue’s flying direction toward aircraft ownership and part time instructing and guided pilot tours. Sue has flown for a number of tourist operators and has management experience in the Part 135, 141 and 115 AOC operations. She is a strong advocate for General Aviation and is stoked to take on her new challenge as the CFI of Marlborough Aero Club.

I started flying after my OE in 2002 at North Shore Aeroclub and joined Bayflight as a full time aviation student in 2004. At the end of 2005 the opportunity to fly float planes out of Rotorua presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands, mostly scenic tourist flights around lakes, float plane flying was both challenging and very rewarding. After 3 years flying floats I applied to Qantaslink in Australia, and was given a first officer position on a Bombardier Q400. Keen to get back to NZ, I then took a first officer position with Jetconnect on the Boeing 737. Now on the Boeing 787 for Air New Zealand my work days see me having dinner in New Zealand and breakfast in LA, Vancouver, Hong Kong or Shanghai!

I started flying in 1999 in sunny Mt Maunganui. Combining working and flying I progressed through my CPL, and then gained my instructors rating in 2004. I was luckily enough to be employed as an instructor at the school I had learnt at and began the life of a broke flight instructor. I became a B category instructor in 2006 and then completed my multi engine instructor rating, as well as taking on an operations manager’s position within the flight school. I started work at Air New Zealand Link in 2007 and have climbed through the ranks to become a Captain, and took over the Base Managers role in 2012. I have now moved onto the Airbus fleet as an A320 First Officer. As well as working full time, I have somehow found the time to have two beautiful children, who keep me on my toes. Finding a flying life and a family life balance can seem often daunting but I’m lucky to have a great support network, and am proof it can work!

Air traffic controllers have the fun job of telling pilots what to do in the sky, having been a pilot I have a very clear understanding of exactly what is going on in cockpits when I am issuing instructions. I gained my Commercial pilot licence in 2003, and carried on to complete my instructors rating in both single and multi-engine aeroplanes. Seeking a new challenge I accepted a job in Vanuatu, ‘island hopping’ in an Islander (10seater twin engine aeroplane). Though I enjoyed flying commercially, I didn’t see a future for me in the airlines and investigated air traffic controlling. The selection process is designed to test you, as once trained you are required to give direction to multiple planes both horizontally and vertically all over the sky, and as a tower controller this is mostly done visually. Air traffic controlling is not often thought of when thinking of careers in aviation but not once have I regretted hanging up my headset and taking up my handset!

Coming from a flying family, I grew up watching my parents take to the skies and loved hearing all about their flying adventures. Before beginning my own flying journey, I had spent many years sailing on the international stage representing New Zealand at world championships in a number of different classes.

I jumped at the chance to learn to fly at the Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School in 2011, where I went solo for the first time – an experience which well and truly cemented my passion for aviation! I gained my PPL in early 2012 and continued flying recreationally throughout my time at the University of Auckland, from which I graduated with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) in 2015. Following that, I had the opportunity to work with Air New Zealand as an aeronautical engineering intern in Technical Operations and Flight Operations.

I subsequently turned my focus toward a full time career in aviation and I am now an ATR72 Captain with Air New Zealand. One day I would love to combine both engineering and flying as a Technical Pilot.

NZAWA provides such an incredible opportunity to learn from and meet other like-minded women in aviation. My mother, Ann Barbarich, was a pilot with Air New Zealand and an amazing role model. She loved coming to the NZAWA rallies and was always so eager to help and encourage other women on their path to a career in aviation, and I am very proud to be following in her footsteps.