Air Transport Pilot – Bachelor of Aviation

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

• Massey University entry requirements

Specific requirements

ADAPT Test

As Massey is an Air NZ Preferred Flight Training Organisation all prospective candidates must complete the ‘ADAPT’ pilot pre-screening tool.

Candidates will receive a code to complete the ADAPT assessment following payment. Payment for the assessment must be made in advance through the Massey University student portal.

You are required to meet a satisfactory standard in this test in order to be invited to the next stage of the selection process.

Trial flights

If you are living in New Zealand, you are required to have taken at least one trial (experience) flight before your selection board appointment is confirmed. This is to give you an understanding of what it is like to fly in a small aircraft. Trial flights experiences can be flexible (eg taken at any New Zealand flight training organisation), with pilot friends, or at the annual Massey University Aviation Open Day.

‘Fit and Proper Person’ (FPP) assessment

Are there any circumstances in your past personal or professional life that might make you ineligible to train for, or hold, a professional pilots licence in New Zealand? If so, please provide a Ministry of Justice and / or a Ministry of Transport report. This information should be uploaded when submitting your application. This information will be confidential to those staff assessing your qualification.

Once enrolled in this programme you will also be required to apply for a 'Fit and Proper Person' (FPP) assessment. This is to comply with the Civil Aviation Act 1990, Section 9. You must provide an up to date criminal convictions report and obtain an offence history report from Land Transport NZ, or from any other country resided in over the last five years.

You will be required to declare any traffic or criminal offences at your selection board appointment. This will enable us to advise you if there may be a barrier to your gaining the required FPP approval from the NZ Civil Aviation Authority in future which will then prevent you from being able to continue your flight training programme.

During the programme the obligation continues

Once you are assessed as having FPP status it is your obligation to maintain this status. For example, if you gain a conviction for drunk driving (or other serious or serial offending) that breaches the 'Fit and Proper Person' criteria whilst on this programme, and you lose your FPP status, your training will be unable to proceed.

Short or long term disability, including learning disability, or health issues

If any of the above apply to you, please upload a summary of what these are, how they are being managed and any support you believe you may need during your study/training. Your responses are confidential to University staff processing your application.

Application deadlines for the Air Transport Pilot

January commencement

• Domestic students
  • Apply online: Due 1 November
  • Selection Board: Beginning of October (and December, if required)
  • NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate: Due start of January
  • University Entrance: Submit when exam results released – NCEA results published early January. ICE and IB results also released in January.
  • Orientation: Mid-January
• International students
  • Apply online: Due 1 October
  • Selection Board: As required
  • NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate: Due start of January
  • University Entrance: Submit when exam results released – NCEA results published early January. ICE and IB results also released in January.
  • Orientation: Mid-January

July commencement

• Domestic students
  • Apply online: Due 1 May
  • Selection Board: Late May/early June
  • NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate: Due start of July
  • University Entrance: Evidence of UE status must be submitted no later than 30 June
  • Orientation: Mid-July
• International students
  • Apply online: Due 1 April
  • Selection Board: As required
  • NZCAA Class One Medical Certificate: Due start of July
  • University Entrance: Evidence of UE status must be submitted no later than 30 June
  • Orientation: Mid-July

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

English Evidence Academic IELTS^: 6.0 overall and minimum 5.5 in each band

English Evidence TOEFL iBT: Overall score 80, minimum 19 in Writing

English Evidence Pearson Test of English (PTE): 50 overall and minimum 42 in each communicative skills

A career as a pilot is exciting and highly sought-after.

The Bachelor of Aviation (Air Transport Pilot) opens up opportunities to become airline pilots or any other potential career within the aviation industry.

Many graduates work as flight instructors in New Zealand or Australia, enabling them to build on their instructional techniques expertise which is a valuable skill for those who eventually decide to take up a role as an Airline Training Captain.

You may wish to progress to key management or training positions for an airline or with international bodies such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) or the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Postgraduate study in aviation would be worth considering if you intend to follow this path.