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Message from the Head of School
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I am delighted to share our latest newsletter, which showcases just some of the significant achievements and initiatives that have distinguished our School over recent months.
Our School’s strategic growth agenda positions us to expand our global reach and scholarly impact substantially. I am particularly pleased to report that this strategic vision has catalysed new partnerships spanning the Indo-Pacific region, extending to the Middle East and Africa. Central to our strategy is our commitment to advancing the frontiers of safe, sustainable and accessible aviation – a mission that drives our educational innovation and research excellence.
Our development of the Drone Program exemplifies this commitment. However, true academic leadership demands more than simply responding to market forces. As a world-leading institution, our responsibility extends beyond addressing technology gaps or economic imperatives alone.
At UNSW Aviation, we design programs that cultivate a distinctive calibre of professional leaders and innovators who will define emerging industries. Our graduates understand that unmanned aerial systems represent far more than aerial platforms or recreational devices; they are instruments of innovation, strategic problem-solving, and entrepreneurial advancement.
The term "industry partnership" can suggest purely transactional arrangements. In reality, our program has been shaped by substantive relationships sustained dialogue, mutual trust anchored in shared purpose, and collective conviction in creating something genuinely transformative.
This is what underpins excellence: dedicated individuals who collaborate meaningfully, engage in genuine exchange, and commit to building what has not existed before.
As you engage with the articles in this newsletter, I invite you to recognise the people behind each achievement and the exceptional team that comprises UNSW Aviation.
Brett Molesworth PhD RPsych
Professor and Head of School
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 Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group reflects on her leadership journey and shares strategies she has employed since taking on one of the most high profile jobs in aviation in Australia.
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"THE PULSE" by Seena Sarram
In his latest article for Elevation: Flying Higher, Seena Sarram explores ways to spread the support for Regional Aviation beyond Rex to ensure sustainable connectivity for regional Australia.
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30 Year Anniversary Wrap
Thirty years ago, UNSW Aviation took off, launching a legacy of innovation, educational excellence, and industry leadership. From a handful of students in 1995 to a global network of more than 3,000 alumni, our graduates have played a pivotal role in shaping an increasingly complex industry.
On Thursday 19 June, 2025, we were proud to celebrate this milestone with our alumni, who returned back to where it all began to join us for an evening of connection, reflection, inspiration and celebration.
The evening featured a number of highlights, including a keynote by Merlin Crossley and retrospective from the school’s founder, Professor Jason Middleton, a vision for the future from current Head of School, Professor Brett Molesworth, and a very special aeroplane naming award ceremony.
 Professor Merlin Crossley's keynote surprised many members in the audience who learnt that academia and wit are not mutually exclusive!
“Some might say it was obvious that UNSW should have a School of Aviation because once we had UNSW Canberra and our field station Fowler’s Gap near Broken Hill having an air-capability was the only way to keep in touch. We needed an airline because fast trains were never going to cut it to Canberra or to Fowler’s Gap.
But actually of course it was visionary to establish Aviation and Aviation is hugely important to Australia and always will be. The cohort of graduates that your School has produced make an enormous contribution to the Industry and the professional networks they have provide trust and confidence that help us to have such a fine aviation sector.”
Emeritus Professor Jason Middleton AO
The School's founder, Emeritus Professor Jason Middleton AO spoke about the history of the school which started with an entire asset register of two coffee cups! He also praised the continued wisdom of the deans and vice-chancellors in supporting the existence and growth of the school and paid homage to members of our global community who had come from far and wide to attend:
 "It is amazing to see how many former staff and graduates have turned up to this event, Graham Braithwaite from the UK, Craig Adams from Korea and many others".
Explore our UNSW Aviation 30th Anniversary Special Event
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Current Affairs in Aviation Short Course
UNSW Aviation’s annual Current Affairs in Aviation short course was held on the 7th and 8th October 2025 and was once again a fantastic two days offering high school students an introduction to the dynamic world of aviation.
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PACDEFF 2025 sees strong representation by UNSW Aviation Researchers
There was great representation of researchers from UNSW Aviation at the Pacific and Australasian CRM Developers’ and Facilitators’ Forum (PACDEFF) 2025, held on 16th and 17th September in Sydney.
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UNSW Women in Aviation Update
To mark UNSW Aviation’s commitment to increasing diversity in aviation, Business Development Manager, Lorda Omeissah led the creation of a UNSW Women in Aviation program, dedicated to supporting and improving the representation of women in aviation.
Women in Aviation International Scholarship - Focus on Drones
We are proud to partner with Women in Aviation International (WAI) to offer an exclusive scholarship for high-performing female students enrolling in our Drone Program, Bachelor of Aviation (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems). The Scholarship provides $15,000 to cover hands-on training so graduates are well prepared to start a career with the experience and certifications that will put them ahead. This enables an opportunity to break barriers, develop cutting-edge skills, and join a global community of women shaping the future of aviation in Drone Operations & Entrepreneurship. Whether a student is passionate about aerial surveillance, emergency response, environmental monitoring, or commercial operations, our program combines hands-on flight training and research testing with industry connections to launch their career, and maybe even their own business, in uncrewed aviation. This scholarship will help shape the future of aviation with UNSW Aviation's new Drone Program putting graduates at the forefront of one of the industry's fastest-growing fields. We are proud to announce that the 2025 recipient is Tennille Lindley. You can read about what this scholarship means for Tenille here.
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Industry Panel Discussion – Connecting Sydney: The Two Airport City Challenge
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Industry Panel Discussion – Beyond Pilot Error: The Science vs Experience Debate
On 30 October 2025, UNSW School of Aviation hosted the second in our Industry Panel Discussion Series for the year, exploring the topic of Air Incident Investigation and what it takes to be a good investigator.
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Global Expert Addresses Pacific Tourism Ministers on Regional Connectivity
In a step toward enhancing regional collaboration, UNSW Sydney's School of Aviation facilitated a keynote address by prominent aviation leader James Hogan AO at the Pacific Islands Tourism Ministers' Forum held in Vava'u, Tonga from October 20-22, 2025.
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Open Day - Drone Soccer a hit at the Drone Zone
 UNSW Open Day 2025 was held on Saturday 6th September, and UNSW Aviation launched our brand-new drone soccer activity for the first time, which was an absolute hit! Picture a netted jumping castle-like structure, with two teams battling it out to score the most goals via flying their drone through the hoop while blocking their opponents from doing the same.
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Australian Aviation Awards 2025
It was another wonderful night out for the UNSW Aviation team at the 2025 Australian Aviation Awards, held on the 14th August. As principal partner for the awards for the fourth year running, it was fantastic to see the exceptional achievements across the Australian aviation industry, especially the groundbreaking work happening in aeromedical aviation.
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AVsoc 2025 Roundup
The UNSW Aviation Society 2025 team embarked on an ambitious mission to transform the Society under our motto to ‘Elevate, Connect and Inspire’ by expanding our student engagement and industry outreach.
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Come Fly With Us - What's New at the FOU
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Enhancing our Training Fleet
Our six new DA40s are making a real difference to student progression. Now operating 16 DA40s, we produced our best month for flying hours since before COVID, with 1,146 flying hours safely flown in October. In terms of student progression, the current second year students completing CPL and IR are further ahead at this point of the year than any cohort in recent memory. We are on track to exceed our target of 10,000 hours for the year.
Wings Night 2025
 It was an incredible evening on Friday 18th July celebrating our UNSW School of Aviation Flying students who graduated with their Wings!
A big congratulations to the 2022 Flying cohort. The student presentations made it clear that this journey has been both highly challenging and deeply rewarding, filled with memories and hard-earned lessons that will serve our young graduates well as they soar toward their aviation career dreams.
Open Day at the FOU - Aviation is Back
 Unprecedented demand saw UNSW Aviation’s Flying Operations Unit double its Open Day briefing sessions at Bankstown Airport this year. Attendees were more than triple past years, which was a sign that aviation – and in this case, flying, is well and truly back in demand for future students. Over 350 students joined us at Bankstown Airport Limited to find out more about our flying programs (including the drone program) in a briefing presented by Director of Flying, Mr Malcolm Good, see our facilities including our hangar, flight simulators and of course, our state of the art aeroplanes, and chat to some of our wonderful flying instructors. A big thank you to Qantas pilot Wayne Daly, a great friend of the school, who had a line of future pilots eager to chat to him. Wayne also gave a nice testimonial about how our graduate pilots are regarded by the industry!
Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots Touches Down at UNSW
 The Flying Operations Unit at UNSW Sydney welcomed distinguished guests from the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (HCAP) on Wednesday, 12 November, as part of the organisation's Australian tour.
Master John Denyer, accompanied by his wife Kate Denyer, along with Adrian Young and Robert Dicker, were hosted by Head of School Professor Brett Molesworth and Director of Flying Mr Malcolm Good for a visit celebrating student excellence and the strong ties between the historic aviation guild and Australia's next generation of pilots.
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We have been very busy at UNSW Aviation preparing the next generation of professionals and entrepreneurs for an Autonomous Aviation Future. Read about some of the exciting developments at our School here.
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SDGs Showcase: 'DRONES FOR GOOD'
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On 28 October 2025, Dr Graham Doig and our industry partners, Australian UAV Service/Surf Life Saving NSW showcased “Drones for Good” at the Sustainability Development Goals event at the Roundhouse.
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Dr Graham Doig and the Future of Drone Education
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A concept rendering of the AURAE (Australian Ultra-efficient Regional Aircraft – Electric) prototype
When Dr. Graham Doig, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Aviation, returned to UNSW after a decade in the United States, he wasn’t looking to simply pick up where he left off. Instead, he arrived with a specific mission: to reimagine how drones could be taught, understood, and, most importantly, used.
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For this edition, we focus on our outstanding PhD graduates from 2025 and their journeys as early researchers. PhD students bring fresh perspectives, cutting-edge methodologies, and ideas forged at the frontier of their fields. They constitute emerging talent that represent the future of research in aviation, and the future of the industry itself.
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Dr Yan Yan
As a Human Factors specialist in aviation psychology and transport safety, my interest in aviation safety began long before my PhD. I have been studying aviation from day one of my academic journey, and it was through this continuous immersion in the field that I grew my passion and expertise.
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Dr Wulin Tian
I come from a psychology background, and during my Master’s degree I found the area named Aviation Psychology, also known as human factors. It was a pleasant surprise to discover a field where my professional training in psychology and my personal interest in aviation could finally take off together.
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Inside Aviation Management - Alumni Profile
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Triffa Anaid
Resourcing Senior Consultant - Transformation Service Group, KPMG Sydney
Triffa wanted a business degree that set her apart, so she studied Aviation Management. Read about how she has capitalised on the transferrable skills from this program to progress her career.
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From the Cockpit - Alumni Profile
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Kristin Hunter
A330 Pilot, Qantas Group
Explore the journey of UNSW Aviation Flying graduate Kristin Hunter, whose career has taken her from flight instructing at the FOU to Qantaslink Captain and now an A330 First Officer with Qantas Mainline. Kristin talks about the sense of family that she enjoys with so many fellow UNSW Aviation alumni at Qantas.
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Happy to help.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
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