UNSW Aviation

On Monday evening, UNSW Aviation was pleased to attend the Trinity Grammar Careers Expo. Representing the team, Lorda Omeissah and flight instructor Andrew Grove connected with a steady stream of students and parents, answering questions about university pathways into aviation.

There was strong interest in both pilot training and aviation business and management programs, with parents responding particularly positively to the university pathway. Students were also keen to explore our drone offerings and the dual Commerce/Aviation Management degree, with many recognising the advantage of combining aviation expertise with business skills.

Thank you to Sue Draysey, Coordinator of Careers and Student Pathways at Trinity Grammar, for the invitation and for hosting such a well-attended event!

It was a valuable and memorable experience for UNSW Aviation Higher Degree Research students to visit Crashlab at Huntingwood, NSW, marking our first-ever visit to this leading crash testing facility.

Hosted by Crashlab Manager Ross Dal Nevo, the visit provided an in-depth look into the critical work underpinning transport safety. Students had the opportunity to observe a wide range of crash test dummies and specialised equipment used to assess vehicles, road infrastructure, and safety features such as helmets and child restraints.

The presentation and discussion session with Ross offered rich insights into crash testing procedures, ANCAP safety ratings, and the broader role of evidence-based testing in improving road safety outcomes. It was particularly valuable to see how research translates into real-world safety applications.

A sincere thank you to Ross for his generous time, expertise, and engaging discussions throughout the visit! Thank you also to our wonderful HDR representative and PhD candidate Kardina Nawassa Setyo Ayuningtyas for organising another great student visit; these away-from-the-desk experiences are so valuable.

Last Thursday UNSW Aviation had the pleasure of hosting the PaTCH (Professional and Technical staff community) social, and what a lovely afternoon it was! ☀️

It was wonderful to welcome our fellow Faculty of Science Schools and spend some time together over delicious food, drinks and conversation. With the weather on our side, it was a great setting to connect with colleagues we don't always get the chance to meet.

We're already looking forward to the next one!

We’re delighted to celebrate a fantastic milestone for our PhD student, Boripat (Max) Ratchaneepun, on the publication of his second journal paper from his PhD 🎉

This paper explores how integrated training can improve young drivers’ hazard management and speed management skills at the same time. It matters because better performance in these two areas can support safer driving and may offer a more effective approach to road-safety training than teaching each skill separately.

This kind of research has real-world implications for how we design driver education programmes and, ultimately, for saving young lives on the road.

Congratulation to Max on this significant achievement! You can read the full paper here:

www.sciencedirect.com

It was great to see collaboration in action with UNSW Aviation and UNSW Canberra sharing a stand at the Canberra Airport Open Day on Saturday. The sunshine saw crowds turn out in force to enjoy a wonderful display of aviation on the ground and in the air.

Big thanks to Tessa Beyersdorff and Malcolm Good for flying down our DA40 aeroplane, which was a hit and appeared in a lot of selfies! Thank you to Mal, Tessa and Lorda Omeissah for representing UNSW Aviation at the stands in a marathon effort with over 30,000 people attending the event. A fantastic day out!

✈️ A huge milestone for our 2025 BAVF cohort – yesterday they had their First Solo Certificate Presentation!

Certificates were presented by Wayne Daly, Qantas A330 First Officer and dear friend of UNSW Aviation, alongside the instructors who cleared each pilot for their first solo flight.

Flying solo for the first time is one of the defining moments in any pilot's journey, and we couldn't be prouder of every single student. Congratulations!

🎙️ Tune in this afternoon! UNSW Aviation's Dr Dominique Estival is speaking at an online seminar on Language for Specific Purposes at City University Hong Kong, and it's perfectly timed for your commute home.

From 5pm Sydney time, Dr Estival will be sharing her research on aviation communication – exploring why "Aviation English" isn't actually a variety of English, has no native speakers, and why that matters for pilot training and safety worldwide. Yes, even native English speakers have to learn it!

This fascinating topic sits at the intersection of linguistics, aviation safety, and language training, with real implications for how we assess and train pilots across the globe.

More info and registration:

Webinars | LSPPC English was the obvious choice as a common standardized language for international aviation communication; mandated minimum levels of English Language Proficiency aim to minimize misunderstandings that have led to terrible outcomes. However, while “Aviation English” is the lingua franca of the s...

I love a sunburnt country 🧡
A new day begins over Sydney Airport 🛬 Wishing all a happy Friday!

Last week, our Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students made their first ever visit to UNSW Aviation's Flying Operations Unit (FOU) at Bankstown Airport ✈️

For students who spend much of their time deep in research and theory, getting into the cockpit – in both a real aircraft and a simulator – was a whole new perspective. Here's what they had to say:

“The visit provided a valuable opportunity to connect what we learn in theory and research with real-world aviation operations. Experiencing the cockpit was fascinating and gave us a clearer view of day-to-day operations, particularly pilot training, as well as a perspective beyond what we usually learn from written materials. The discussion with Malcolm was also highly valuable, helping us better understand the key components that support safe and effective aviation operations.”

A big thank you to Malcolm Good and flight instructors Oscar and Alex for hosting, and to our HDR Student Ambassador Kardina for making it happen!

Today marks a milestone worth celebrating. ✈️ Deborah Lawrie AM's memoir, Touching the Sky, is out now!

Deborah became Australia's first female commercial airline pilot after winning a landmark High Court case against Ansett Airlines, a fight that helped reshape equal opportunity law in this country. She went on to become the world's longest flying female airline pilot, still flying commercially with Virgin Australia today, and was inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame. Her legacy in aviation, and beyond, is immeasurable.

We were lucky enough to hear Deborah speak at the UNSW Centre for Ideas International Women's Day event last year, and Touching the Sky promises to be an even fuller telling of a story that deserves to be widely read.

A remarkable memoir from a remarkable Australian.

Find it here: https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460718599/touching-the-sky-the-extraordinary-story-of-an-australian-trailblazer-who-became-the-longest-flying-female-airline-pilot-in-the-world/