Winner of the 2025 AOPA NZ Trust CPL Scholarship ($7500) is Karen Dalldorf of Christchurch.
Karen started her PPL at Bridge Pa – working full-time, studying and dealing with Covid lockdowns. A couple of weeks after gaining her PPL she represented the Club at the Flying New Zealand Cook Strait Regional Rally in Wanganui and her competition flying began. She achieved a 1st in the Newman Cup for Female Precision Circuits and Landing and a 2nd in the Airwork Cup for PPL Low Flying. When she moved to Christchurch she joined the Canterbury Aero Club (CAC) and became part of their competition team, achieving a 1st in the Newman Cup at the Alpine Regional Rally in 2024, which meant a trip to Nationals in Hawkes Bay in 2025, where she gained 2nd place.
Karen was part of the West Melton team who won the CAC Inter-branch competition in 2025 and she was awarded the Aroha Clifford Memorial Cup by the CAC for Airmanship by a Woman Pilot. She was also awarded an Aspeq Scholarship for CPL exams by the NZ Airwomen’s Association.
Her referee stated: “Karen has a high drive to achieve and a passion for aviation and goals and her love of flying and the aviation industry shines through in every aspect of her journey. Her compassion, combined with her strong work ethic and ability to stay focussed under pressure, makes her an outstanding candidate for this scholarship, who, in my opinion, will become an inspirational role model and instructor in the future.”
In February 2026, Karen was back again at the Flying NZ Nationals, and scooped up a range of podium results. She placed 1st 🥇 in Newman Cup – Precision Circuits for Ladies, 2nd in Sir Francis Boys Wildcard – Precision Circuits and 3rd equal in Airwork Cup – PPL Low Flying.
Karen has shown excellent dedication to getting involved in the General Aviation community – no doubt many of you have met her at some recent fly-ins, as well as the AOPA NZ AGM, where she spoke briefly at the meeting:
“I’m honoured to have been chosen for the Scholarship. Its more than just financial support, its a vote of confidence in me and my future in aviation. I’m looking forward to working with the Trust to promote aviation as I work to gain my CPL and then my Instructor rating.”
She’s making great progress towards this goal, and has just passed her CPL Cross Country flight test. Karen has recently volunteered to be a classroom Aviation Ambassador – working with the Trust and the House of Science which provides a ‘Things with Wings’ aviation activity kit to primary schools. She’s also been along to the Women in Aviation evening at Garden City Helicopters, promoting the Trust and her Scholarship to the attendees.
In June 2026, Karen attended the NZAWA – New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation Rally in Hawkes Bay, winning the Yvonne Loader Trophy for Instrument Flying and placed 3rd in the Winter Rose Bowl for Navigation Theory.
Her CPL is still progressing well, with the Cross Country and Instrument Flying requirements completed in May, and Navigation exams due in June.
The prize for winning the Yvonne Loader Trophy was an A320 flight deck experience with Air New Zealand.
“I was incredibly fortunate to I was incredibly fortunate to experience something that many aviation enthusiasts can only dream of, a day on the flight deck with Captain Thyra Blaom and First Officer Reuben Tucker of Air New Zealand.”
The experience was far more than just occupying the jump seat, as Karen got to observe the whole evolution from route planning, preflight, weather and fuel calculations as well as experience the level of precision and teamwork needed to operate a modern commercial aircraft.
Karen got lucky with the weather – little cloud and excellent visibility all the way from Christchurch, to Auckland, to Queenstown and back.
The Southern Alps put on a particularly good show, with Aoraki/Mt Cook standing tall in the windscreen.
“A huge thank you to the NZ Association of Women in Aviation, Air New Zealand, and the crew for the day. It was a magnificent experience, and wonderful reward for all the effort put into preparing for the Instrument Flying competition – a great reminder that hard work really does pay off.”
The images & quotes are paraphrased with permission from Karen, sourced from a story she wrote for Canterbury Aero Club’s Skyward Magazine, and the NZAWA Newsletter.