High Flier Leilani's Design Triumph

Leilani Tunnage (32), of Wellington, Is a Helicopter Pilot as Well as a Designer and Maker of Timber Products and Furniture

- Ciara Pratt

“I grew up in outback Australia and went to an air show in Darwin when I was eight, which was my first exposure to jet planes. I saw them flying over and decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot.

It would have been the early to mid-’90s and women were less likely to be pilots then. I talked to a few people there who told me they had their first female fighter pilot, which really captured my imagination and helped me believe I could do it too!

I went to boarding school from age 14 to 18 in Christchurch and this was where I was exposed to the country’s huge helicopter industry. My plans changed a bit and I decided I wanted to be a helicopter pilot.

The concept of sinking in a pool of student debt, however, led me to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, where I joined No. 5 squadron and worked on the Orion – that’s New Zealand’s search and rescue maritime aircraft.