Winner of the AOPA NZ Trust PPL Scholarship ($5000), is Nelson school pupil, Charlie Bryce, who works part-time to pay for his flying. Involved with the Motueka Aero Club Young Eagles, he was taken on a few flights with other Aeroclub members. Soon after being awarded his scholarship, Charlie met with a flight instructor and an Air New Zealand pilot for career advice and mentoring.
His referees stated that “Charlie consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and seeks to be a positive role model to his peers. Charlie has many of the attributes needed to be a good pilot and the motivation to achieve this goal. Charlie is what I call a ‘thinking pilot.’ He uses his head to make clear judgements and is always critiquing his flying, trying to set a high standard.”
In December 2025, Charlie managed his first solo – celebrating the milestone with the usual mischief and ceremony.
For the AOPA NZ February 2026 AGM, Charlie sent us through this video update of is progress – things are going well with another 10 hours of flying since his scholarship award.
He’s planning to start at Nelson Aero College at the end of August, for a Diploma in Aviation, with a focus on flight instruction.
The Trust has linked Charlie up with an Aviation mentor – which is proving a great opportunity for trusted guidance and encouragement along the way.
In March 2026, Charlie let us know that he’s also received a scholarship through his local Aeroclub at Motueka – we’re delighted that others see the potential in him that we do!
In July 2026, he was just about to sit his PPL flight test, but admitted it hadn’t been smooth sailing all the way.
“Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in my initial application to study a Diploma of Aviation at Nelson Aviation College, which I had hoped to start after completing my Private Pilot Licence training at Motueka Aero Club. I am currently weighing up my options for further training after my Private Pilot Licence, whether that be reapplying to Nelson Aviation College, applying to another aviation school around New Zealand, or self-funding my training through the aero club.
I must again say a huge thank you to all the AOPA members and the Think Aviation team for the encouragement, advice, and support you have provided throughout my training. The funding I have received from the scholarship has certainly helped ease the pain of paying after a long day of flying! It has also allowed me to save money while continuing to fly multiple times per week, which I know will pay dividends in the long run. I have really noticed that flying frequently has accelerated my progress and helped me retain what I have already learned much more effectively.
Every additional hour I fly reinforces the idea that I want to make a career from this, and I am still very motivated to keep working towards becoming a commercial pilot. The support of everybody at AOPA and its members has played an important role in helping me reach this point, and I’m excited to start working towards my commercial pilot licence. I look forward to sharing more progress in the future.”