Nor'West News: April 01, 2021

8
Thursday April 1 2021
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NOR’WEST NEWS
Air Force vet sponsors student for solo flight
WHEN AIR Force veteran
Derrick Hubbard flew solo
on his 90th birthday with the
Canterbury Recreational
Aircraft Club, he and his now
late wife, Vera, decided to pay it
forward.
Now 94, the Summerset at
Wigram retirement village
resident and his wife of 70 years
wanted to sponsor a young
person to experience the same
opportunity.
Derrick, originally from
England, joined the Royal Air
Force as an aircraft apprentice at
RAF Halton in 1943.
After serving as an engineer
alongside some Kiwis in No 24
Squadron during World War 2,
it cemented his desire to move to
New Zealand, which happened
in 1958.
He later joined the RNZAF
where he served for 24 years.
Amid the height of Covid-19
and following his wife’s death
last year, Derrick approached
CRAC flying instructor, Dave
Mitchell, and Air Force Museum
of New Zealand education
officer, Chris Davey, to seek out a
deserving young trainee pilot.
After a rigorous application
process, 16-year-old Rangiora
High School student Armani
Hansen received funding from
Derrick and Vera for lessons on
how to achieve a solo flight.
Armani has had a passion
for flight from a young age and
was already working part-time
at the Rangiora New World
supermarket to save for his longterm
goal to become a pilot.
He was also selected for a
Gateway Aviation programme at
high school to enhance his flight
theory knowledge.
OPPORTUNITY:
Air Force veteran
Derrick Hubbard,
94, and his
late wife, Vera,
sponsored
Armani Hansen,
16, to achieve his
first solo flight. ​
Flight instructor Mitchell put
Armani through his paces in
weekly flying lessons. At the
Rangiora Airfield last week
Armani was scheduled for a
further flying lesson.
As with most trainee pilots,
he had no prior warning of his
solo flight, as it is only when
the student is deemed ready by
the instructor who gives the goahead
to take off on their own.
With Armani’s family
secretly escorted into the CRAC
clubrooms, the group watched
as Mitchell instructed Armani
through “touch and go”
circuits, before taxiing to the
clubrooms.
“I told him we were taxiing
back to the threshold for another
take-off, and when near the
clubhouse I added – ‘but this
time you are doing it on your
own. I am getting out now’,”
Mitchell said.
With Derrick watching from
his home at Summerset via video
call, Armani took off and did a
circuit of the airfield, with an
empty seat next to him.
As he executed “a textbook
landing,” he finally spotted his
family next to the clubhouse.
Said Armani: “It was a very
exciting and exhilarating
experience that I will never
forget. When Dave got off the
plane and said I was going to
go up solo, I couldn’t keep the
grin off my face, even though it
was nerve-racking; the thought
of knowing that I would be at
1200ft all alone.
“Thank you so much to
Derrick for giving me the
Hubbard flying opportunity
– I will be forever grateful.
Thanks to Chris for all of your
organising and for choosing me,
and to Dave for getting me ready
to go solo.”
Said Armani’s mother Serena:
“I was nervous and scared but,
above all, just so excited for him.
He’s worked so hard and been so
determined to make his dream
of being a pilot come true and
this is an amazing step towards
that goal.”
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